How They Got Away With Murder | Book Three

Chapter Three-Part Two

     Thirty minutes later Alyssa found herself seated at a slot machine next to Connor.

      "So, have you talked to your brother at all today?" He asked her suddenly. Her brows creased.

      "What?"

      She glanced at Connor, who gazed at her with confusion.

      "You know, the whole keeping a secret from him thing?"

      Her eyes widened slightly as she remembered what she'd told him. She dragged out a sigh.

      "Yeah, that. I haven't told him yet."

      She watched as she lost on the machine. She expected Connor to say something else, but when a long pause his way filled the air, she turned to him. His head was cast to the ground, his features set with deep thought.

      "Connor?"

      At last, he looked her way.

      "You're not hiding anything from your brother, are you?"

      She hesitated. "What do you mean?"

      "Come on, Alyssa."

      The defeated expression on his face made her flinch. She got up, motioning for him to follow. She stopped near a corner of the room where less people wandered.

      "Can we not do this here?"

      "Do what? Talk about how you lied to me because you're keeping something from me?" He seethed. Alyssa already felt on the verge of tears. She didn't want it to happen like this.

      "Yeah. I'd prefer not to do it in a casino."

      Connor's lips parted, then closed, then parted again. She fidgeted, shifting between her feet. 

      "Fine. Let's ask Karmen to take Asher and Michaela home and let's leave."

      She gulped, but nodded. Connor stormed off, and she followed behind with a shaky sigh. He would hate her when he found out what she did. As they navigated through the building, she noticed Asher and Michaela approaching. Her heart dropped even farther in her chest as she caught sight of the worn out expression on Michaela's face.  

      "Walshey, Lyssi. Please, please, please tell me one of you just one 20k on the slots."

      Connor, with a distracted look, questioned, "What?"

      "I lost some of the money." Michaela said in a deflated tone.

      Asher shook his head. "No, not some of it. All of it." Alyssa's eyes widened as he continued, "Like we have zero left, zilch, negative Benjamins."

      Walsh scoffed in disbelief. "Michaela."

      "I just wanted to have some fun." She defended herself tiredly. Alyssa bit her lip.

      "Yeah, what a blast this was." Connor snarked. He then added, "Let's go."

      "What about Karmen?" She spoke up for the first time in that interaction. Connor waved his hand in the air.

      "Who knows. Just text her and tell her we're leaving."

      She ducked her head down. The way he talked to her scared her. He sounded so angry and disappointed. Alyssa pulled out her phone as the group of four headed towards the exit. She sent Karmen an apology and an explanation as to why they left. When they got into the car, they debated as to how they get the money back. Eventually, Michaela found an open pawn shop, and when they stopped, Michaela and Asher went inside. The plan was for Michaela to sell her engagement ring that she had kept after her break up with Aiden. Alyssa sat in the backseat, her eyes flickering from Connor to the window. She didn't want to say anything that would set him off, so she kept her mouth shut.