Page 33 of The Carnage We Keep

I smile and nod. “You mean the scalpel on the ground twenty feet over there?”

Bella’s mouth twists as she follows my gaze.

“Uh duh,” she mutters. “Told you I had it handled.”

God, the petulance in this Murder Muppet.

I turn and frown at the body tucked between the two dumpsters. “Who is he?”

“Santa Claus? The ghost of Elvis?” She shrugs. “Dude, I don’t fucking know.”

“Well, he was⁠—”

“Following me. Yeah, I’ve actually done this before, Lamiano.” She folds her arms over her chest. “Okay, get on with it.”

My brow puzzles and Bella sighs dramatically.

“Get on with whatever dramatic little speech you’ve prepared, and I bet rehearsed, warning me not to go into your room and fuck up your shit again?”

My jaw tightens. “Admitting it is a good start.”

Her eyebrows arch dramatically. “Did you honestly think I was trying to hide that it was me?” She sighs heavily. “I mean, I thought the photo would be a dead giveaway, but what do I know?”

My forehead wrinkles.

What photo?

“Anyway, yeah, obviously that was me,” she snickers. “Dude, maybe reevaluate your life if there are multiple people annoyed enough with you that they’d trash your room and hide dead mice where you’ll never find them? Just a suggestion.”

I stare at her and she grins.

“Kidding, by the way. About the mice.”

I exhale slowly.

“So, your reasoning for destroying my space is that you were annoyed at me?”

Her elfin chin juts as she sets her jaw and glares at me with those bright blue eyes. “Patrick McCleary was mine.”

“Was he, now?” I frown thoughtfully. “Funny, I’ve completely forgotten the part where you were there when I planted police evidence⁠—”

“Which is totally cheating, by the way.”

“Which is totally not, by the way,” I fire back. “And if you’re calling Patrick yours, I’m definitely calling Judge Beckford mine.”

“Oh, he was definitely yours,” she nods, a smug smirk on her face. “Until he became mine.”

Jesus, it’s like arguing with a toddler.

I let it go and turn to glare at the dead guy again. “You’re sure you’ve never seen him before.”

“You think I’d tell you if I knew?” Bella winks at me. “Well, it’s your lucky day. I genuinely have zero clue who this is.”

“No idea who the guy who just tried to cut your throat in an alley might be. At all,” I say flatly.

Bella groans. “You must be so much fun at parties. For the last time, no.”

“You seem incredibly calm about this.”