My jaw tightens at her sarcasm. “You know my name is Deke.”
“I’m not sure what I know anymore.” She shrugs.
“Becky …”
A noise to my left has us both turning to look, and we see Demi coming up the stairs carrying a bottle of water. She looks at her sister and then at me before she walks right past us with her nose up in the air.
Becky grabs my arm and yanks me into her room, then slams the door shut behind us. I take that as an invitation and step into her. She stiffens. Placing my hands on her hips, I pull her to me. My hard cock straining against my jeans.
“Deke,” she warns, feeling it.
I lower my head to her neck and inhale. Her scent of strawberries hits my nose, and I bite my tongue to keep from moaning. I love it when my clothes smell like her. My bed. My car. I love knowing she was there. With me. All mine.
“Well, let me remind you it’s me, baby.” My voice is rough, and my cock throbs. I wish we were alone. I’ve fucked her in this room so many times before, but since I know Demi is next door, I won’t.
“No.” She shoves me away, and I go willingly. I honestly didn’t come here to get between her legs. Or her mouth. Although that would be a bonus. “Who the fuck is Evan Scott?”
I run a hand through my hair. “I had to create a fake profile for a dare.”
“I don’t know.” I answer his previous question. “She could have, but I can’t say for sure.” I don’t know how long Demi had been standing on the stairs when Becky called me Evan Scott. But she could have heard Becky ask me about him once she and I were in her room.
“We take her out,” Shane announces.
I throw my head back and laugh at that ludicrous idea. I wanted to threaten Demi, but take her out? Not happening. Make her life a living hell if she’s behind this? Absolutely.
“We’re not doing that.” Cole shakes his head.
“I didn’t get this far to let some little bitch get us thrown in jail. Who the hell knows what kind of information she has?” Shane fists his hands.
“We can’t kill her.” Cole growls. “We’re not in Collins, you fucking idiot. She has a sister. Parents. She’s a senior in high school. Not some old guy with no one who would look for her.”
“You did whatever the fuck you wanted to do with Austin,” Shane snaps.
Cole’s eyes narrow on him. “Yes, but she had no one. This situation is not the same. And we’re not in a place that we know well enough to start killing people and hiding bodies.”
I hang my head and run my hand through my hair. “How about we just ask her what she knows?’
“Do you think she’ll be truthful?” Bennett asks me. “Like if she knew her life was in danger?”
I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t know.”
“This is bullshit,” Shane snaps.
“Watch it, Shane,” Cole warns. “You’re starting to sound like Kellan. And we all know how that worked out for him.”
Shane ignores his threat and looks at Bennett. “Speaking of Kellan, how do we know you really killed him?”
“Excuse me?” Bennett quirks a brow at the accusation.
“I killed him,” Cole corrects Shane.
“But how do we know he stayed dead?” Shane argues, pointing at Bennett. “This fucker could have …”
Shane doesn’t get to finish that sentence because Bennett’s fist connects with his jaw, knocking his ass into the table.
I grab Bennett by the shoulders and yank him back. “Cole? A little help,” I snap, watching him leaning up against the wall.
He releases a huff and pushes off the wall, yanking Shane up off the floor by the collar of his shirt. Not exactly what I meant by helping, but it’ll do.
“It makes total sense.” Shane shoves Cole away with a growl. “His name is on there and marked off ’cause we believe he’s dead, but what if he’s still alive?”
“No.” Cole speaks. “He. Is. Dead. I made sure that fucker was cold before I handed his ass over to Bennett.”
Shane runs the back of his hand over his bloody chin as he glares at Cole. “You willing to bet Austin’s life on that?” he asks.
Silence fills the small area. Bennett pulls away from me, and I cross my arms over my chest. Cole squares his shoulders and fists his hands. “I don’t care if God himself wrote us this fucking riddle. I’ve already told you if something happens to her, you’re the first one I’ll kill.”
Shane ignores him and turns to face me. “Did Kellan know Demi?”
“We all went to school together. Of course, he knew her,” I answer.
“No, I mean really knew her.” He growls. “She’s the only one on the list who doesn’t make sense.” He licks his busted lips. “Did they fuck?”
“Who didn’t Kellan fuck?” Bennett growls.
The thought of Kellan and Demi together makes my jaw tighten. I always saw Demi Holt as a good girl. A bitch, yes, but someone with very little experience in the bedroom. She never flaunted herself like her sister did. I figured she’d take a little more time to spread her legs open for a guy. And Kellan didn’t have that kind of patience. But then again, I’d never have guessed she would allow me to finger-fuck her in a haunted house either. So, what the fuck do I know when it comes to her and what she will do?
I try to think back to anything that would give away the two of them even communicating in any way. “No,” I say when I realize we already know the answer. “But I know how we can figure it out.”
“How so?” Bennett asks.
“We have Kellan’s phone …”
Bennett shakes his head. “We gave it to the police. Plus, other than the recording I wanted them to have, I wiped it clean.”
“We still have his other one. Let’s go through it.” His phone never mattered before. Austin survived. Kellan was dead, and his body was never going to be found, so we never went through it, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t keep it.
Cole finally nods. “Grab the note and let’s go.”
We lock up the cabin and get back into my SUV. As I start my car, my phone dings. It’s a new text from Austin. I open it up.
Austin: Where are you guys? His phone is still off. I’m really worried, Deke.
Me: Headed home.
I throw my car in reverse.
“Who was that?” Cole asks, staring down at my phone sitting in my lap.
“Demi.” My stomach instantly knots at the lie. And, fuck, why did I have to say her? Becky would have been a better choice. More believable.
His eyes meet mine, and I know he knows I just lied. I wait for him to call me out on it or maybe punch me in the face. Nothing would surprise me at this point. At least I didn’t think so. But then he nods his head once and looks away from me, not saying one word.
DEMI
I sit in my bath, the only light from the flickering candles lining the bathtub. I have bubbles in my water, and Austin’s journal in my hand. I haven’t been able to put this down. It’s like a dark and mysterious maze. Even though I know they end up together, I’m still trying to figure out how Cole will win her over.
He treats her like shit. Blackmail and physical harm are just a couple of things he puts her through, but she dishes it back. In a way, she’s my hero. I wish she was my sister and not Becky. Yeah, Austin gave in and had sex with Cole, but it was more than that.
She reminds me so much of myself. She feels this pull to Cole’s darkness just as I do to Deke’s. I want to see what he can do. How dark he can go. Push his limits like Austin did with Cole. And push him, she does.
She has just completed her first dare in this part. She pulled the fire alarm at school and stole Cole’s car keys out of his locker. She needed a distraction to get Bennett out of the school so he could steal Jerrold’s laptop. Eli’s brother-in-law. The man who was married to his sister. The murderer who killed her just months after Eli died in the car wreck. Deke threw her a party to celebrate it on the beach. And it reminds me of when I went there with my si
ster and David. The night that changed everything.
I fall into Eli’s passenger seat and inhale the scent of his car. It smells like his cologne, and I smile to myself, knowing it’s going to be on my clothes long after he drops me off at home.
He gets into the driver’s seat and starts it up. “Darkest Hour” by Memory of a Melody plays through the speakers.
A knock comes on his driver’s side window, and it makes me jump. He rolls it down. “What’s up?” he asks.
Cole leans over, poking his head in. He still holds the bottle of vodka he took from me by the bonfire. His cold eyes sweep over my body and then go to Eli. “Leaving so soon?”
“Just going for a ride,” Eli tells him.
“Sure, you are.” He slaps the hood of the car. “So am I.”
I look over at his Porsche Cayenne parked a few cars down and watch a blonde climb into the passenger seat. She pulls down the visor and fixes her lipstick as if Cole gives a fuck if her lips are fresh.
When I look back at Cole, he gives Eli a smirk. “Make it worth it.” Then he pushes off the door and strolls over to his car.
Eli pulls out onto the winding road, and I look down to see I’m still holding my drink. “Will you stop for a second?” I ask.
“Why?” he asks, sliding his eyes over to me for a quick glance.
“So I can pour this drink out.”
He snorts. “It’s fine.”
“What if we get pulled over? I don’t want to get you in trouble.”
He just laughs. “Don’t worry about me, D. It’ll be fine.”
Warmth runs up my spine at the way he called me D. I bite my lips to hide my grin and turn to look out the passenger window. “Where are we going?” I ask nervously.
“To my favorite place,” he says.
My knees bounce with nervousness. This is the first time I’ve ever been alone with Eli. Or any boy. I’ve thought about it a hundred times, but none of those compare to him finally showing an interest in me. We talk here and there in the halls of the school, and I’ve caught him staring a few times. All he did was smile, but I was the first to look away.
I take a small sip of the drink. And hiss in a breath.
He laughs. “Is this the first time you’ve ever had a drink?”
Among other things. “No,” I lie and take another one. The lie burns more than the alcohol. It makes me think of Becky. She lies to everyone about everything. I’m nothing like her. “Yes,” I admit and take another.
He stays silent, but I watch a smile spread across his face that’s lit up by the lights on his dash. He looks fucking gorgeous with a strong jawline and dark hair that looks like it needs a trim falling in his eyes and curling at the ends. He wears a black hoodie and ripped jeans with a pair of tennis shoes. His parents died when he was younger, but his sister is quite a bit older than him. They had Eli when they were older. Aimee met a good businessman and married him. They took Eli in to live with them when their parents passed.
I take another sip as my thighs tighten. I’ve wanted to kiss him for so long, and I pray that tonight is the night that happens.
He slows down the car and exits the road onto a gravel drive. I turn and look out the back window but can only see the red glow from the brakes behind us. “Where are we?” I ask.
“You’ll see.” He remains cryptic, and I take another sip.
He brings the car to a stop and turns it off. “Come on.”
I push open the door and do a three-sixty, looking at our surroundings. “Eli, that’s the Lowes house,” I say, pointing over in the general direction of the only lights on at this time of night.
“I know.” He walks around to the back of his car and pops the trunk.
I follow and watch him unzip a black duffel bag. Before I can see what’s in it, he yanks out a flashlight and zips it back up. “Come on.” He shuts his trunk and grabs my hand. My knees threaten to buckle at the contact. Then he begins to walk me up a hill.
We stay silent. The only sound is our shoes crunching on the ground beneath us. The weather hasn’t been as crazy as usual. We haven’t had any rain in a couple of weeks.
I shiver from the cool night air and take another small sip of the vodka. My chest heats from the burning alcohol, and I take another.
We walk in silence, and I turn to look back at the car, but nothing’s there. Just the dark night surrounding us, hiding us. And I take another sip.
We come to the top of the hill, and my legs falter, bringing us both to a stop. “What are we doing here?” I ask, and my voice shakes.
He turns to face me, his light shining down on the ground. “I told you, this is my favorite place.”
Is he joking? He’s got to be fucking with me. “Eli, this is an abandoned cemetery.”
He shrugs. “And?”
I swallow nervously. “It’s creepy.”
An evil smile lights up his face as bright as the flashlight he holds. “I know.” Then he turns and starts to drag my heavy feet through the bodies laid to rest and never thought of again. I watch as names I’ve known for years in this town but never really knew pass by us. But then there’s one I know all too well. Betty Reynolds—Cole’s mother. She was always so nice to me. She’d go out of her way to say hello or check on you.
“Here we are.” Eli gets my attention as he comes up to the cliff that overlooks the ocean. He releases my hand and sits down on the ledge. When I make no move to get any closer, he turns to look up at me. “Come on.” He pats the spot next to him.
“I’m afraid of heights.” I shake my head; my hand tightens on the cup.
His face grows serious, brown eyes looking up at me. “I’d never let anything happen to you, D.” He lifts his hand to mine. “Come on. I wanna show you something.”
I take in a deep breath and then take another drink before I place my hand in his along with all my trust.
CHAPTER TWELVE
DEKE
WE ENTER COLE’S house to find Austin sitting at the kitchen table with a plate of untouched pasta in front of her, the fork in her hand just pushing it around. The moment we enter, she stands, and her green eyes widen. “Oh.” She’s surprised when she looks at Bennett and then Shane.
Did Cole not mention to her that they were coming?
“Hey, Austin.” Bennett is the first one to greet her; he walks over and gives her a hug. She returns it. Shane stays where he is, settling for a nod. She gives him a smile, but it looks forced.
“I’m off to bed,” I state. “I’m fucking tired.”
Bennett slaps me on the back.
“I’m gonna go for a swim,” Cole announces to no one in particular. He turns, exiting the kitchen, and heads up to their room to change into his board shorts.
“If any of you are hungry, there is spaghetti in the fridge.” Austin mumbles, “Excuse me,” and exits the kitchen after Cole.
I, too, make my way up the stairs, not bothering with dinner. I had a late lunch. Closing my door, I hear them talking through the wall.
“Cole, please talk to me,” she begs him.
Silence.
“You can’t keep doing this.”
“Don’t Austin,” he warns.
“Cole … please …”
“I don’t wanna have this conversation with you!” he snaps.
She lets out a huff. “Well, too fucking bad. We’re gonna have it.”
I rip my shirt up and over my head and unfasten my jeans before shoving them down my legs. I yank the covers back and crawl into the soft bed.
“Why didn’t you tell me the guys were coming?” she continues.
“Slipped my mind,” he lies.
I know why he didn’t tell her. He doesn’t want Austin to have the slightest clue of what is going on, but she’s a smart girl. She’ll figure it out. He should know that by now.
“Well, how long are they staying?” She huffs.
“Don’t know.” His response is flat.
“Do you know anything?” she snaps.
“I know I’m going for a swim.” Their bedroom door opens and then slams shut.
I sigh, placing my hands behind my head and stare up at the white ceiling. I should go down to the pool and talk to him, but sometimes the best thing you can do for Cole is give him space.
I just close my eyes when my bedroom door bursts open, hitting the interior wall. They snap open. I hold in a sigh when Austin enters my room, hands on her hips and a sour look on her face. “What the fuck is going on, Deke?”
I sit up. “That’s for Cole to tell you.”
“He won’t.”
“Then I can’t help you—”
“Bullshit!” she snaps.
I lie back down and close my eyes, dismissing her. When I hear my bedroom door slam shut, I smile in victory. My left hand reaches out to grab my phone. I need to set my alarm. I have a nine a.m. class tomorrow. My eyes spring open when I feel nothing but my nightstand.
I throw the covers off. “Shit!” My phone is missing. I just had it. I put it right there ... “Austin?” I shout her name, running out of my room. I enter their bedroom without knocking and find it empty. But their adjoining bathroom door is shut. I run over and try to open it. It’s locked! “Austin?” I pound on the door.
Silence.
Shit! I move back, about to shove my shoulder into the door to get my phone back, but then decide against it. This is Cole’s problem. Not mine.
I make my way downstairs and out to the back patio. Cole has his head underwater, swimming laps. I reach over and grab the first thing I can find, which is a towel. I take it and throw it at him. His arm gets caught in it, pulling it underwater. He comes to a stop and lifts his head. “What?” he demands.
“Austin locked herself in your bathroom.”
He just stares up at me from the pool.
“And she has my phone with her.”
He frowns.
“I don’t have a lock on it.”
Recognition dawns on his face. Placing his hands on the edge of the pool, he pushes himself out of the water and makes a mad dash for the house.
I follow him but much slower.
“What’s going on?” Bennett asks as I walk through the living room, my feet stepping in the puddles that Cole left behind. He and Shane are sitting on the couch.
If You Dare (Dare Series Book 3) Page 15