by L. P. Dover
It’s then someone grabs me around the waist, holding my arms against my sides, and cups their hand over my mouth. Panic and adrenaline course through my veins and I scream, thrashing my body against the man behind me. My elbow jabs him in the side and he grunts in pain. It’s in that moment, I recognize who it is.
“Ellie, calm down,” he pleads, holding me tighter. I try to elbow him again, but I can’t move. Tears stream down my cheeks and I feel helpless. I can’t fight him off. “Ellie, please. I’m not going to hurt you. I’ll let you go, if you promise not to scream or run off. I’ll even let you get your gun, if that makes you feel better.”
His words catch me off guard. My gun is on the counter, so all I have to do is grab it once he lets me go. His grip loosens, and he removes his hand over my mouth.
“Okay,” I reply, voice shaky. “Let me go.” As soon as he does, I grab my gun and whirl around, pointing it right at his chest. “It was you all along, wasn’t it?”
Bryan holds up his hands and steps back. I haven’t seen him in years, but he still looks the same. His dark blond hair is a little longer on top and messy, and his gray eyes are still bright and striking. It’s hard to believe he could be a killer.
Shaking his head, he stares right into my eyes. “It’s not me, Ellie. I know you don’t trust me, but I’m here to help. The Canadian police are on their way, and I need to know where Jake and Owen are.”
“What if you’re lying and want to kill them both, so you can take me?” I counter, finger sliding over the trigger.
His gaze saddens. “I’m sorry you think that of me. Maybe once this is all over, you’ll think differently. If I wanted to abduct you, I could’ve had you out of here in a split second. No one would be able to find you after that.” I can see the truth on his face and feel it in the air between us. Huffing, he steps toward the front door, a sense of urgency splaying across his face. “We’re running out of time, Ellie. Where’d they go?”
Swallowing hard, I set my gun down and point toward the back of the house. “They’re on the mountain.”
He nods once. “Thanks. The police will be here soon, so stay here.”
As soon as he runs off, it takes a few seconds for everything to register. I can’t just stand back, not knowing what’s going on. Grabbing my coat, I slip it on and rush out the door, gun in hand. I need answers and I’m going to get them.
Twenty-Six
Jake
The mountain is quiet, not a sound to be heard other than my footsteps in the snow. I know I’m not alone, but I bide my time, waiting for him to strike. I don’t know how I couldn’t see the truth from the very beginning. Drawing him out was my plan, and it’s working. I knew it would. A twig snaps behind me and I whirl around, gun drawn.
Owen lifts his arms in the air. “It’s just me. Put the gun down.”
Gaze narrowed, I lower it. “Shouldn’t you be guarding Ellie?”
“Yes, but she wanted me to come out here and find you. She’s afraid something bad might happen to you.”
“Or maybe there’s no outside threat at all,” I counter, body tense.
Taken aback, he blinks and takes a step back. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about Ellie and all the shit that’s happened. I never saw it before, until Bryan mentioned it to me the other night.”
His eyes darken. “Bryan? What the hell? You can’t listen to what that fucking psycho has to say.”
I shrug. “Maybe . . . maybe not. If he’s right, that means you’re the one who killed Samantha, and the same one who tried to kill me.” The thought sickens me to my core. Could he really do such a thing? He’s been my best friend for over ten years, and Ellie’s friend even longer. How could I have not seen the signs?
Owen slowly moves a hand conspicuously toward his gun. “This is bullshit, Jake. This whole thing has been Snyder’s plan. He’s trying to turn you against me.”
Deep down, I don’t think I can believe him. The signs were there. I just chose not to see them. Taking a deep breath, I keep my focus on him and the gun at my side. “It didn’t really hit home, until I saw how you reacted when I was with Ellie last night, especially when we told you she was pregnant.” I stare hard back at him. “You didn’t like it one bit. Not to mention, I bet it pissed you off to no end to hear us in bed. Now that I’m thinking about it, it was probably you who cut the brake line on my motorcycle all those years ago.”
I’ve thought about everything that’s happened over the years, and how many close calls I’ve had with certain things. If Owen’s capable of orchestrating all this, there’s no telling what he’s done in the past.
Owen’s jaw clenches. “You’ve lost your goddamn mind.”
“Has he?” The voice comes from behind and I’m shocked to see Bryan step out from behind a tree, gun pointed at Owen. Owen’s gun is out in an instant, and he points it at Bryan, but Bryan doesn’t stop talking. “I know how you are, Owen. Years ago, I thought maybe you and Ellie would end up together. You were always so possessive when it came to her dating life. I’m surprised you let Jake get to her. What a slip up that was on your part, huh?”
I scoff. “Nothing and no one was going to be able to keep me away from her. She made her choice.”
Bryan’s face hardens. “Unfortunately, that’s just the beginning of his weird, twisted game. Not everyone was lucky enough to get away unscathed.”
“Don’t listen to him, Jake,” Owen growls. “He wants you to doubt me.”
I point my gun at him. “Then why did the phone numbers trace back to you?” It’s like the air surrounding us stops moving. Owen keeps his gaze and gun pointed at Bryan. “Answer me!” I shout.
He takes a deep breath and his finger bends over the trigger.
“Stop!” Ellie runs up the trail, but she’s too late. The shot rings out and echoes through the trees. Bryan is down, and I spring into action.
Twenty-Seven
Ellie
It’s as if everything moves in slow motion. I hear the shot, and the next thing I see is Bryan falling to the ground, and Jake attacking Owen. Owen’s gun flies out of his hand and they’re on the ground, punching and fighting like they’re in the MMA ring, only this is real. I don’t know what to do or why they’re fighting.
“Stop!” I shout again. “What the hell are you doing?” Bryan is still alive, so I hurry to him. He tries to sit up and blood oozes out of his shoulder. “What’s going on?” I cry.
Sucking in a ragged breath, he grabs my hand. “I’ll be okay. You need to listen to me. I’m going to say this fast.” He winces in pain and his breaths come out faster. “It’s been Owen this whole time. The phones trace back to him and he’s the one who killed Samantha, the one who tried to kill Jake on the road that night.”
His words don’t even register. Nothing makes sense. “What? No. How can that be?”
He squeezes my hand hard and desperately looks over at Jake and Owen. “Kimberly’s dead.” It feels like I’ve been punched in the gut. “Her blood was in Owen’s house, and her body was found a few miles away from Samantha.”
I shake my head, barely able to see him through my tears. “Why? Why would he kill her?”
His eyes clench shut and he grunts. “Because of what she saw. There’s a video, Ellie.” He opens his eyes and takes a deep breath. “There’s a video of you and Owen together. You’re passed out and he’s fucking you. We believe she found it and was going to tell you. He couldn’t let that happen.”
Disgust, pain, betrayal . . . everything you can imagine rushes through me. I feel violated and sick to my stomach. Even more so, I feel like a fool. Flashes of moments spent with Owen bombard my mind. Sirens can be heard in the distance, getting closer with each second.
“That’s . . . the . . . police,” Bryan says, his voice shaky. “End this now.”
Jake and Owen are both bloody, their shirts and faces covered in it. Pulling out my gun, I fire it in the air, not once but twice. “That’s enough!�
� I scream as loud as I can. Jake pushes Owen off and jumps to his feet, but Owen finds his gun and points it at Jake. They’re both breathing hard with murderous glares on each other. I can’t seem to wrap my head around how far and how fast we’ve fallen. Owen was my friend and he used me. He’s a murderer and a liar, and he’d forced himself into my bed. Anger boils in my veins. I do the first thing I can think of.
I pull the trigger.
Blood sprays in the air and his gun drops. Owen shouts in pain and grabs at his arm, turning his face to me. When his eyes meet mine, the betrayal hits harder. I’ve trusted him and looked into those eyes a million times. He had me fooled.
Jake quickly grabs Owen’s gun and runs over to me. Owen snarls and spits out a mouthful of blood when he looks at Jake.
Lips trembling, I stare at him in disgust. “How could you do this to me? You . . .” I bite my lip to keep from crying. “You killed Samantha and Kimberly. You tried to kill Jake. And you violated me!”
Jake tenses beside me. “Kimberly’s dead?” Nodding, I keep my focus on Owen. “What the fuck are you talking about, violating you?”
I don’t want to look at him when I answer. Thankfully, Bryan does it for me. “There’s a video of him taking advantage of Ellie, raping her while she’s passed out. We think Kimberly saw it and that’s why he killed her.”
A deep, guttural growl escapes his lips. “Son of a bitch!” He points Owen’s gun at him. “You’re going to fucking die for that.”
“Why did you do it, Owen?” I ask through clenched teeth.
He scoffs. “Because you were mine. You’ve always been mine. I’ve loved you since the first day I met you. Jake wasn’t supposed to have you.”
Jake tenses beside me and his hand shakes. I can’t have him pull the trigger. “You had to have drugged me,” I whisper sadly. “What kind of sick person does that and then videotapes it?”
His eyes rake down my body. “It was the only way I could have you. When I found out you were wanting to get pregnant, I had to find a way to get Jake out of the picture. With him gone, you would’ve come to me. I could’ve had you.”
“That’s never going to happen. You’re going to go on living, knowing that I’m happy with Jake and my family. I hope it torments you until your last breath.”
We can hear the police on the trail, heading toward us. I lower the gun and look up at Jake. “Jake, it’s over,” I murmur. “I know you want to kill him, but it’s not worth it. He’s nothing to us now.”
Jake looks like a stick of dynamite ready to go off. Eyes blazing, he lowers the gun and sticks it in his waistband. I grab his arm and move to his side. “Thank you. I’m ready to go home.”
The shouts of the police get louder. Jake and I turn, and when we do, Bryan’s on his feet, pointing his gun. “I have to do this, Ellie,” he says, before his gun goes off. I scream and turn into Jake’s chest.
The deep thud of Owen’s body hitting the ground makes my heart drop. As much as I hate him for what he did to me and everyone else, I can’t help but remember all the good times we shared. Even if it’s all corrupted now. I don’t even want to remember anymore.
I turn to look back, but Jake grabs my shoulders. “Don’t look, Ellie. He’s gone.”
Bryan staggers on his feet and almost falls, but Jake rushes over and steadies him. Blood still gushes out of his shoulder, and he stares down at it like it’s just a scratch. “I knew he was going to shoot. It’s a good thing I dove to the side when I did.”
“I’m glad you’re okay.”
He nods over at Owen’s dead body. “I had to do it. You know that, right?”
Carefully, I hug him. “I know.” A group of policemen charge toward us on the trail and I let him go. “Let’s get you to the hospital.”
Question after question after question. That’s all Jake and I have done since we were taken to the hospital. Jake had a broken nose and a bruised face, but that was it, so luckily, it wasn’t anything serious. But I have no doubt Owen would’ve killed him if I hadn’t shot him in the arm.
Jake and I have barely spoken since everything happened. As I watch him getting patched up in the hospital room, I can see the turmoil on his face. He just lost his best friend, one who’d been deceiving us for years. The doctor walks in and says something to him, but I can’t hear. Jake gets up and slowly makes his way over to me.
“You okay?” I ask.
He nods and winces at the same time. “I’m more worried about you.”
I hug him gently. “I’m fine, Jake. My heart is hurt more than anything.”
Releasing a heavy sigh, he squeezes me back. “So is mine. I’m just so angry right now. I wish I would’ve killed him.”
“Whether you shot him or not, you’d still be angry with what he did. No, Bryan needed to be the one to do it. For Samantha. He lost more than anyone.”
He lets me go and cups my cheeks. His right eye is swollen shut and his face is black and blue. “Do you want to go see him?”
“Yes,” I breathe. “More than anything.” We walk out into the hall and Detective Terry is out there, dressed in jeans and a green and blue sweater. I almost didn’t recognize him without his uniform. “What are you doing here?”
He shakes Jake’s hand. “After Bryan made all the discoveries, I knew he was going to head up this way. I figured something like this would happen. I just wanted to make sure you all were okay.”
“Thanks, Detective,” I say as he shakes my hand. “Have you seen Bryan yet?”
“Yep. He just got out of surgery. I just wanted to say hi to you both before I headed out. Take care, okay?” We say our goodbyes and he gives us Bryan’s room number.
Jake puts his arm around my shoulders as we head that way. We stop outside his door and I look up at Jake. “Did you know about Owen last night?”
Jaw clenching, he nods. “I knew that by us being together and you being pregnant, it would set him off. He was on edge the entire night. As you already know, Owen had an impulsive nature. He would’ve killed me the first chance he got.” He taps my chin and kisses me gently. “And I knew you’d ask him to follow me on the mountain. Exactly what I wanted to happen. It was his chance. He knew no one was going to come after you at the house.”
I shrug. “Well, someone did. Bryan showed up and scared the shit out of me. He’s lucky I didn’t shoot him. I should probably apologize to him.”
Jake places a hand on the door. “I need to do the same.”
We walk in and Bryan’s in the bed, flipping through the TV channels. His shoulder is bandaged up and the look on his face is melancholy. “Hey,” I call out softly.
He turns his attention to us and mutes the TV. “Hey.” When he gets a good look at Jake, he grimaces. “You look like shit.”
Jake chuckles and then grabs his side, wincing in pain. “I feel like it too. At least I’m not the one who got shot.”
I stare at them both incredulously. “Are you two bantering back and forth? You must’ve spent a lot of time together back at home.”
Jake pulls up a chair beside the bed and I sit down, while he stands on the other side. They look at each other and Bryan grins. “Maybe a little. He tried to choke me to death a couple of times, but I survived.” His smile fades when he looks at me. “You want to know everything, don’t you?”
“Please,” I beg, sneaking a glance over at Jake.
Taking a deep breath, he lets it out slow. “I was with Jake at your house when I traced the two phone numbers to Owen. One of the phones was at his house, and the other up here in Canada.” My stomach churns and I hold a hand over my mouth. I know it’s only going to get worse. “What’s really fucked up is when we got to his house. Terry let me join in on the search and that’s when we found splatters of blood on the carpet. Turns out, it was Kimberly’s. From the looks of things, I’d say she got snoopy and found the video. Owen comes home and finds her. He has no choice but to silence her.”
Swallowing hard, I close my eyes. The thought o
f the police department seeing a video of me being raped makes my stomach roll. “I’m assuming you watched part of the video?” I can’t even look at Jake right now. What if it happened recently, while Jake was out of town?
My baby could be Owen’s.
Bryan clears his throat, drawing my attention back to him. “I only watched a few seconds. It was shut off once you were identified. You were clearly drugged and not coherent.”
“I’m pregnant, Bryan,” I state clearly. His eyes widen, and I nod. “I need to know more details. What were the surroundings like? Can you describe the room?”
Jake looks away, and I know he’s trying to calm himself down. I don’t know what he’ll want me to do if there’s a chance I could be caring Owen’s child. I can’t even go there right now.
Bryan sighs and closes his eyes. “Let’s see . . . the walls were light gray, and the bedspread navy-blue. There was a guitar in the corner, along with a desk. It reminds me of an apartment bedroom.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, I meet Jake’s gaze. “That was Owen’s apartment many years ago. Before you.”
“That’s good news, at least,” Bryan announces. “Now you know it’s not his baby you’re carrying.” Placing a hand on my stomach, I send a silent prayer up to the heavens. “Another thing we found is both mine and Samantha’s DNA in the basement.” His eyes tear up and he huffs. “The two by four he used to kill her was in there. He must’ve hit her on the head again when she woke up.”
Jake shakes his head, his eyes full of sadness. “Oh God. Those were the screams you heard that night.”
Bryan nods. “I was too drugged up to do anything. It’s like I was aware of everything going on around me, but I was paralyzed. It’ll be an ongoing nightmare I’ll never forget.”
Taking his hand in mine, I squeeze it reassuringly. “I’m sorry about Samantha. She was a beautiful woman.”