Page 70 of Criminally Yours

Strike replied quickly, “You will sleep, Luke, because you need to be safe.”

“Alright, boss,” Luke joked. “I’ll be in touch.”

Strike hung up, and they drove in silence. His fingers twitched as he gripped the steering wheel. Millie pushed her glasses up her nose as she made a new family group chat.

“When will we get to Cornwall?”

“Hopefully by late afternoon. I want to take a longer route to avoid roads with cameras.”

She dragged in a breath and typed out a message to her family.

Millie: It’s Millie. Another new number. I’ve spoken to Caleb. I know you’ve all been lying to me for years. I need to speak to you later on today. Early evening, my time. If you don’t get in contact, I’ll know all I need to.

Her finger paused on the send icon. It was forthright and unlike her when it came to her family.

“One of my issues is that I’m scared of believing you and learning my family shamelessly lied to me all this time,” she admitted as she stared at the message.

He yanked the car to a layby. The sudden movement winded her as the seatbelt dragged her back. He reached for her, but she pulled away. Her lips trembled.

“I never wanted to ruin your relationship with your family. Do you wish I’d not told you?”

She scraped her teeth across her lower lip. “I needed to know. I think never knowing why you left stopped me from really living. But I’m not sure I’m ready to be the person I’ve been scared of becoming.”

“There’s no rush to be anyone. How can I help you?”

“I’m not sure. I’m worried about speaking to my family,” she said on a breath.

“I wish I had some wisdom that would make this easier, but I don’t.” He gripped her hand. “Just remember, if you speak to them, you will cope with what they say. You’re stronger than you think. You’re a fucking queen.”

Thoughts whirled like a hurricane, drawing more of her past in with them until they were turning into a storm within her brain.

She slammed her finger against the send icon.

“Whatever you decide after you hear what happened, I’ll keep you safe. If you need to press my buttons or piss meoff, it’s okay. I can keep control so you can express whatever is going on in your head.”

She grabbed her fidget tool and twisted it in her hands. “You’re good at that.”

“Keeping control? I’ve had to be so I can manage the pain that’s dogged me for years.”

“You’ve been in pain for years?”

“Every day for the last ten years. I’m not saying you haven’t. But it’s okay that you’re not fully comfortable around me. We’re still strangers, to some extent. I don’t know who or what you’re scared of Luke finding on your phone, or how you’ll react when we get to Cornwall and have a bit of space and can actually process everything. I don’t know.”

He stared out the windscreen as if the clouds and blue sky were all that mattered, but his knuckles were white from how tightly he gripped the steering wheel.

She cupped his sharp jaw. “You do know me. I have secrets, but I’m still the same woman who watched movies with you and the same person who you kissed hard enough to leave marks on her soul.”

“Then what are you hiding on your phone? How messed up is it that you won’t tell me? I thought you were perfect, Millie.”

“I’m not perfect.”

“You are to me. I don’t expect you to have lived the life of a monk over the past years, even though I hate that anyone got to be with you when I didn’t. And yes, I sound unhinged, but with you, I am unhinged,” he growled. “You can ask me anything about my past experiences. I don’t want to hide anything from you.”

Her skin crawled at the idea of hearing him talk about his conquests. “Let’s get to Cornwall. The sooner we’re there, and can hide away, the better.”

He pulled the car back onto the road. “And no matter what, I’ll keep you safe.”

CHAPTER 30