"And if we need to go to the bathroom?" Sienna asks, almost sarcastically. "Who will stop Jake from stabbing us to death in there?"
Isaac tilts his head. "Don't you girls always go in packs anyway?" His intonation is exactly how Sonny would have said it, which makes Sienna and I smile.
Detective Alexander didn't know Sonny, so he doesn't pick up on the humor. "We have people everywhere. You're safe. We'll start outside the club, and after the Valentine's lights are switched on outside, we'll make our way into the club in the hope that Jake will follow."
Tonight, just over a week before Valentine's Day, is almost as busy as December when the campus Christmas tree lights are turned on. As if a big Valentine's Day event is even necessary.
"The cars are outside," Detective Lina says. "Let's nab a killer."
I reluctantly follow her with my lip between my teeth. I'm ready for this all to be over.
Sienna and I get in the first unmarked police car, and the boys ride in the car behind. From outside, it should look like we took a car service, though Officer Grey is our driver.
Silence lays heavy over us. Supposedly, if we act like our lives have returned to normal, that we aren't broken up by what has happened, it should enrage him.
That part I'm not too thrilled about.
"Do you think Jake would try something stupid? Like stabbing someone random in the club?" I ask as we approach the strip.
Officer Grey looks at me in the mirror. "It's unlikely."
I'm not sure if I'm encouraged by that or not. Unlikely isn't a definite.
He parks, and we get out. We're to walk the strip and go in ahead of the guys. I wish I could squeeze Chace's hand for encouragement.
The club is heaving. Since Limbo closed down next door, the other five clubs have been busier. University students need to let off steam somewhere. I don't mind large crowds, but I hate it when I can barely move. Limbo was Jake's favorite club, but this place was always his second choice.
Detective Lina hopes that our decision to come here will send a message to him--we know who you are and we're not hiding.
Being strong seemed impossible the day we found Sonny. I wanted to curl up and wait for it to be over. But now that the dust has settled, I've gained a bit of clarity. I know laying low isn't an option.
As scary as it is to think someone is coming after you, I won't let Jake rule my life. I won't stop living because he wants me to.
The boys arrive. "You two want to find a table?" Isaac asks. "Chace and I will get drinks."
Sienna nods. "Stay together."
Like we're going to walk off alone.
I stick to Sienna's side as I glance around the room. But I'm not looking for a table--I'm looking for Jake.
"There's one!" Sienna grabs my hand and tugs me along. I walk, but I'm not paying any attention to where we're going. The club is quite dark and people are dancing, and every flash of light that hits someone's face makes me think I see one of Jake's traits.
We stop at the table and Sienna sits. "Lylah?" she calls, waving her hand in front of my face.
I look down. "What?"
"Are you going to sit?"
"Yes," I drop onto a chair next to her. Act normal, Lylah.
"You shouldn't be looking for him."
"How can I not?"
She tilts her head and a lock of hair slips from her bun. "If he's watching, he'll know you're searching. We're supposed to be on a normal night out."
I avert my eyes, feeling foolish. She right, of course. But I'm not as good at acting as Sienna. Hell, even Isaac and Chace are way more relaxed than me. I'm on edge, my back is rigid, and pulse is racing.
Jake could be inside this building.
"I just need a drink to relax."
She smiles. "Yeah."
The boys come back and I down half of my vodka soda.
Chace leans in closer. "I don't think we should get drunk tonight."
"I remember the word 'normal' being thrown around a lot, and this is what I would do on a normal night out," I remind him.
He laughs and puts his hand on the small of my back. "Come and dance with me?"
As if I'm going to say no to that.
Looking up at him through my lashes, I nod.
We leave the table where Sienna and Isaac are arguing about which one of them could run five miles the fastest.
He turns me around on the dance floor and pulls me close. I don't know if he's more aware of what goes on inside my head now that I've told him some of how I feel, but he does seem to know when I need him.
"When this is over, we're all going away," he says.
Grinning up at him, I indulge in the thought. "Where?"
"Er... Magaluf."
"You mean Shag-aluf? Really?" Magaluf is where everyone goes on spring break for casual sex.
Laughing, he tilts his head back. "I knew you'd say that."
"I'll let you take me to Vegas," I offer.
He raises his eyebrow, giving me a suspicious look. "You want to get off-our-face drunk and be married by Elvis?"
Yes.
"Please, I'd make you work harder for it than that," I say.
He laughs and presses his forehead against mine. My brain short-circuits. He's close. Like, real close. Holy crap, I can feel his breath and smell his aftershave. It's Chace overload and my heart is trying to break out of my chest.
I slide my head onto his shoulder, closing my eyes to savor the moment. When I open them, I freeze. I see him.
Shit. Jake. I'm sure it's Jake. My fingers dig into Chace's neck.
"Lylah?" Chace asks. Frowning, he follows my line of sight. "What? What is it?"
"Jake. I think I've just seen him."
Chace's reaction is immediate. He pulls out of our embrace and grabs my hand. With his free hand, he starts messing around with his phone, probably sending a message to Lina.
"Are you sure?" he asks, forcing us through the sea of students on the dance floor.
"It's dark--but it looked like him."
"That's good enough for me," he replies, still tapping on his phone. We head back to the bar where Sienna is getting a new drink.
One of the many undercover police officers reaches the bar just as we do. He leans in. "Are you sure?" he asks.
I shake my head. "I only got a quick glimpse."
"Stay here," he says and heads in the direction where I think I saw Jake.
"He's here?" Sienna asks.
"We think so," Chace replies. "Where's Isaac?"
Sienna's eyes dart around the room. "He went to dance with some girl I don't recognize," she says.
"We're getting you out of here now," Detective Lina shouts over the music.
"We don't know where Isaac is," I reply. I'm not leaving without him. No chance. He got the last note. What if he's next?
Her mouth falls open a fraction. "Okay, so much for sticking together," she says, shaking her head. "We'll get you in a car, and I'll find Isaac."
"I don't want to get in the car without Isaac," I press. My pulse is pounding so hard it makes my head swim. He's missing. When Sonny went missing he turned up dead.
"Lylah," Detective Lina snaps, "I'm trying to protect you. Please get in the car."
I grit my teeth. "Have you caught Jake?"
"We're working on it."
Whatever. She wants me to trust her decisions, but so far they've led to nothing.
"Jake sent Isaac a note. I'm not going anywhere until--"
Chace cuts me off by grabbing my hand and tugging. I scowl at him, but he ignores the look. "Get in the car, Lylah."
"What? No. Why are you taking her side?"
He rolls his eyes. "There is no side. It's safer."
"Are you coming too?"
His eye twitches. Like I suspected. He's planning to stay and look for Isaac. Damn hypocrite. "Just go with the detective."
"Come on, Lylah," Sienna says. "I don't want to stay here, and I don't want to be alone."
God, this s
ucks. It feels like I have to retreat because I'm a girl, while only the men can be brave. What a load of bullshit.
Sienna takes my other hand, and Chace lets go. He watches me, and I can tell from his slight frown that he feels bad, but he won't back down. I appreciate that he cares, more than he'll ever know, but I'm mega-annoyed that he thinks he can ship me off. Who does he think he is?
I turn on my heel and stomp toward the exit without glancing back at him.
"What's up, Lylah?" Sienna asks as we're escorted back to the car. "Is there something going on with you and Chace?"
One of the undercover cops opens the door for me. I want to get in without acknowledging him, but I was brought up to be polite, so I give him a fleeting smile. It's the best I can manage.
He slams the door shut, but it doesn't snap me out of my current mood.
"Nothing is going on. Chace is an ass."
"He's an ass for wanting you to be safe?"
Yeah, it doesn't sound rational. "Yes."
"Okay..." She clears her throat. "He was right to tell you to go."
My gaze slides over to her.
"I know it's not what you want to hear, Lylah, but we tell each other how it is. The guy likes you, I don't care what you say."
I have been inadvertently hurt by him dozens of times when he's gone out with other girls, so nothing is certain until Chace spills his feelings.
"Whatever," I mutter. I'm not in the mood to have yet another conversation about my feelings for Chace. Sienna has always said that we're too close, that he's too caring for him to think of me as just a friend. But we both know she's only trying to distract us. Her knuckles are white around the handle of her handbag she's clutching it so tight.
Someone knocks on the window, and we both jump in our seats, my heart skipping a full beat.
"Isaac!" Sienna says.
I breathe slowly, sagging against the fabric. He's okay.
He gives us a nod and follows Chace to the car in front.
"Thank God he's okay," I whisper, my shoulders relaxing. The remaining officers and detectives file to the cars as we prepare to leave.
The officer with us starts the engine, and we pull onto the road.
I lay back against the seat. "Well, that was a waste of time."
The officer looks back in the rearview mirror. "We're trying to trace the man you saw."
He nods to the window, and when I glance out, the club is emptying. Hundreds of students shiver on the street in the freezing cold.
"If Jake is there, he'll be found," the officer says.
Right, like Jake would file out of the club with everyone else. He's probably long gone. But we can hope for the best.
13
Wednesday
February 7
In the morning, I wake without a hangover. Winning. Every time we've been out, I've always had a headache the next day. It's kind of nice not to want to hack off my own head.
I pull back my covers, and instantly, I regret it, as freezing air rushes over my body.
Is the heat not on?
Dashing to my closet, I grab my bathrobe and wrap it around my body. I head to the thermostat on the wall by the stairs to turn up the heat, but it's off. It's the middle of winter. Why on earth would anyone turn the heat off?
At the top of the stairs, I freeze. There's a white box right inside the front door. It's about shoe box size, but square.
My heart thuds, and I clench my fists. I must be the only person up. Someone else would have seen this for sure if they were awake, but I don't want to open it on my own. My pulse races. What am I about to find in that little white box?
I step backward without taking my eyes off the package and knock on Chace's door. "Are you up?"
No answer.
"Chace?" I call a little louder, and knock again.
This time he hears and mumbles through the door, annoyed, "What?"
"There's something downstairs. I don't want to look at it alone."
He doesn't reply, but I hear movement as he gets out of bed and thunders across the floor. The door flies open. "Someone's in the house?"
"No. Something, not someone. There," I say, pointing at the box. I'm scared about what's in the package and, more importantly, how it was left inside for us. But I can't help but notice and appreciate Chace's naked chest.
"What the..." he starts. "Lylah, stay here." He moves down the stairs, rubbing his arms in the cold.
"No, I'm coming with you." As long as I have company, I can be brave.
Rolling his eyes, he says, "How did I know you'd say that?"
I follow him down, one step behind.
We reach the bottom, and I twist the thermostat there too. The boiler finally kicks in, making clunking noises as it fires up to heat both zones of the house.
Chace stops and looks at me. "That was on high when I went to bed last night, and I was the last one up."
"I so don't want to hear that."
"How is he breaking in? Was one of the doors left unlocked? We have security outside, so I don't understand how this happened."
"We need to be more careful." I shudder. "He could have done anything while he was in here." Gasping, I grip Chace's arm. "We don't know he hasn't. Sienna! Isaac! Charlotte!" I shout.
"Jesus, Lylah, talk about overreacting."
"I'm not overreacting. He could have hurt them!"
"What's with the noise, guys?" Isaac asks, stumbling out of his room.
Charlotte is out next. "What? What's going on?"
"There's a box," I say, looking up the stairs for Sienna.
She surfaces seconds later, and I let out a sigh of relief. Her sleek black hair is still pulled up in a topknot from last night. "This had better be good, Lylah." Folding her arms, she walks down the stairs. "Jeez, it's cold."
"Jake was here during the night. He must have turned off the thermostat when he left this." Chace steps aside so they can get a good look.
"Oh my God, don't open it. We should we call Detective Lina!" Sienna exclaims.
"I can't wait that long. Someone call her, but I'm opening it," Chace replies. He crouches down and reaches out slowly like he expects the box to explode.
I hold my breath as he lifts the lid with the tip of his index finger.
Flipping it open, he peers in, and then jumps to his feet. "Fuck!"
Oh God. No way. No, that can't be...
But it is.
Turning away, I press my fist against my mouth and wretch. Don't throw up. Even though it's in a plastic bag, the smell is overpowering. It stings my nose and attacks the back of my throat.
Charlotte sprints into the living room screaming and Sienna makes a dash for the bathroom as Isaac swears and pounds at the screen on his phone, I assume calling the police.
Is that...Sonny's heart? Or Nora's? Or a pig's heart like the one on the noticeboard? And if it was from a pig, where are Sonny's and Nora's hearts?
"How could he do this? We've done nothing to him. How could he?" I rant, breathing heavily to try to make my lungs work properly. It doesn't help. The harder I breathe, the sicker I feel.
"Lylah," Chace calls, trying to snap me out of my panic. He ushers me into the kitchen and holds on to my upper arms. "Are you okay?"
I shake my head and whisper, "No. Why is he doing this?"
"I wish I knew," he replies, pulling me against his chest.
Closing my eyes, I sink into his embrace, wrapping my arms around his back.
"Detective Lina's on her way, and cops outside are checking it out now," Isaac says, stomping into the kitchen. "Are you all right, Lylah?"
Chace doesn't let go, but I feel him shake his head.
I always try to put on a strong front. But Jake has stripped me of every ounce of strength I had. I need to get it together. Except I have to let myself be scared. That's what my therapist would say.
I can hear the cops talking in the hallway, but thankfully, their voices are muffled, so I can't make out what they're saying.
<
br /> "Where are Sienna and Charlotte?" I ask.
"Sienna's still puking up her guts, and Charlotte's crying in the living room. She didn't want company," Isaac replies.
Charlotte has always been a very private person, but I am surprised she wants to be alone. I don't want to be alone ever again.
Then in a hushed voice, Isaac says, "He really cut out his heart? He didn't just cut his chest but... I mean, how do you even..."
Chace shakes his head. "I don't know, man."
"His heart, Chace," I whisper.
"I know." His waving voice gives away his disgust and fear.
Jake is cutting out their hearts and leaving pigs' hearts for us to find. I don't know why he's not using the real thing. I don't understand what he's doing with the real hearts or why he even feels the need to use something else.
To be honest, I don't want to understand.
My words start tumbling out. "I can't imagine what his family will go through when they're told his heart turned up in a box! Well, his, Nora's, or another pig's. How can anyone be so callous? I should have just kissed him."
Chace holds me so he can look into my eyes.
"This isn't your fault, Lylah," Chace says.
"He's right. Jake is sick in the head. The dude needs to be placed in a psychiatric facility."
"I think I need to sit down." I pull out of Chace's grip. Neither of them stops me as I leave the room. Charlotte wanted space, so rather than going all the way into the living room, I sit on the bottom step.
Chace follows me, moving so quietly I almost don't hear him. He looks concerned, like he has no idea how to handle me right now.
Riley would know. He's pulled me back from the brink and fixed me so many times. But I don't want to be dependent on my big brother. I won't call him to pick up my pieces. I'm supposed to be a fully functioning adult, and he deserves a normal life where he doesn't have to cancel dates because his emotional wreck of a sister is having a meltdown. He said he met a nice girl a few weeks ago. My brother seems happy. I don't want to diminish that with my drama.
It's fine. I can handle this myself. Just breathe, Lylah, I tell myself. Deep breaths, in and out.
"Lylah." Chace kneels in front of me. His deep, green eyes watch me with caution. "I need you to believe that all of this isn't your fault."
"Look, I know Jake is obviously ill, but I can't help thinking that if I'd paid a little more attention, this wouldn't have happened."
"If that is the case, then we're all guilty. No one could have known what he was capable of."
Logically, I know what he's saying makes sense. But isn't there something that we could have done? Something that would have prevented Sonny's and Nora's deaths? If we'd known--noticed--that Jake was suffering, we could have gotten him help, and we all would be walking a different path.
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