Destroy You (Destroy #3)

by K. D. Carrillo

  “You look awfully friendly in these pictures. Are you fucking him?”

  She gasped. “Of course not!”

  He sneered. “You are! You’re a whore, and I’m not going to lose everything for you!”

  Her eyes widened as he closed his hands around the base of a lamp. “No! Oh God, no!”

  The loud thuds of the heavy lamp hitting her quickly silenced her screams. Blood sprayed from the wounds each time it struck her. After about three strikes, he dropped the lamp with another thud. He stomped through the house and slammed the rear door behind him.

  ***

  I jolted awake, holding my blankets to my chest and breathing heavily. It was just a dream, not real, I told myself.

  Trent stirred awake. “Hey, Wildcat, what’s wrong?”

  “I…nightmare,” I croaked.

  “That didn’t sound like happy screaming,” Jeremy shouted from his room.

  “Nightmare,” Trent yelled back.

  “Anyone want a pizza?” Jeremy called out again.

  My skin felt slick and cold with sweat. The last thing I wanted to do was close my eyes and see those images again. “Yeah, I can’t sleep.”

  “Okay, baby, let’s go find a movie or something to take your mind off it,” Trent suggested.

  I climbed out of bed and wrapped my robe around myself. My skin tingled, and I couldn’t stop shaking. “It won’t get out of my head. I don’t understand why I keep having the same dream over and over again,” I groaned.

  Jeremy came out of his room with his laptop. “I just ordered the pizza on my computer. It gave me an idea. Have you ever done a search for crimes that match your nightmare?”

  “No. Why would I look up my nightmare?”

  Trent rubbed my back, and Jeremy waited silently until I came to the same conclusion they had. My mouth fell open in an O when I finally got it. “You think I should research it because it actually happened.”

  “I think you’ve been having the exact same dream for about sixteen years. There’s got to be something to it. You’ll continue to be haunted by it until you know either way,” Jeremy said sympathetically.

  “That makes sense,” I agreed.

  Jer lifted the screen of his laptop and clicked on his browser. Before he had a chance to initiate a search, Trent’s phone began buzzing.

  He looked at the screen and rejected the call. Without him saying a word, I knew it was from Trinity. I hadn’t missed the fact he hadn’t answered it.

  “Can we just watch a movie tonight and search the net tomorrow?” I asked Jeremy. The last few days had been too much, and tonight I needed to spend time with my two favorite guys.

  Again and again, Trent’s phone buzzed without him making a move to answer it. The fourth time it rang, I placed my hand on top of his before he sent it to his voice mail again. “Please just answer it or turn it off.”

  He answered the call and put his hand over the mouthpiece. “Are you sure?” he asked me.

  I smiled slightly and nodded.

  “No more secrets,” he promised and hit Speaker on the phone’s screen.

  “Trent! Trent! Are you ignoring me?” Trinity shouted over the phone.

  “Relax, Trin, I’m here now. Why are you calling me at—” he looked at the clock on the wall, “—one in the morning?”

  “I needed some help, and I came to talk to you. I was hoping I could convince you to meet me at that all-night diner,” she said optimistically.

  “I can’t help you, and I won’t be meeting you at the diner,” he said through clenched teeth.

  “Oh come on, you can’t still be mad at me for the hospital thing,” she pouted.

  “‘The hospital thing’! Jesus, you act like it was a misunderstanding. You let me think you tried to kill yourself just to get me away from Toni. And then you show up at her class and tell her that you’ll get me back? I’m not yours, and I never have been. I think you need to find someone else to turn to from now on,” he seethed.

  She paused for a moment. “I don’t think I can go on without you. Don’t abandon me, please, everyone leaves me.”

  “Cut the bullshit, Trin, I’m done. You are going to have to figure out your business without me. Good-bye,” he said and went to hang up.

  “Wait,” she shouted. “Fine, if you won’t meet me, can I at least tell you right now?”

  “Make it fast. My patience with you is very thin,” he replied.

  “A while back, I got in over my head with this guy. He was, well, he is a dealer, and I ended up owing money. He told me I could work it off, and I was a little worried he’d want me to trade sex for drugs—”

  “Fuck, what the hell goes through your head!”

  “I know, okay. But anyway, that isn’t what he wanted. He just wanted me to tell him things, and that didn’t seem so bad. Then he wanted me to introduce him to people in town that used, other dealers, that sort of thing. He kept giving me more stuff, so when he started asking more questions, I didn’t know what to do. They didn’t seem so bad at the time, but now I’m a little worried about what he’s asking me to do,” she confessed in a rush.

  “Slow down. Who are you talking about, and what are they asking you to do?” he asked.

  “I think you know who,” she whispered.

  I gasped. “Miguel?” I mouthed to him. Jeremy had been pretending to be busy with his computer during the conversation, but he set it aside and gave up the pretense.

  The muscle ticked in Trent’s jaw. “What does he want you to do?”

  “He wanted to know things, like when Toni visits, how often she’s around, how long she stays. When she’d come over, he’d make me try to come up with a reason to pull you away. He told me to find a way to get you out of her house tonight. Look, I’m selfish, and I wanted to be with you, but I’m not heartless.”

  Trent was breathing heavy. Jeremy got up and wandered down the hall. I’m sure there was a reason for his disappearance, but I’d wait to find out what.

  “Look, I know you’re mad at me, but I was trying to get you out of danger when I called. I’d hoped you’d be at work tonight and I wouldn’t have to worry about you when they came. I didn’t know what else to do. I overheard him on the phone with someone, and it sounded like they were going to do something to you and her roommate if I couldn’t get you to leave. I think they might do something to you anyway. I’m not sure what they want her for, but they’re coming after her.”

  “So you were trying to lure me out while Miguel and some mystery person come and abduct my girlfriend,” he shouted.

  Trinity scoffed. “I was trying to protect you.”

  “I wouldn’t have turned to you for comfort,” he said in a menacingly quiet voice. “Don’t call me ever again. Stay away from my bar. I’m done with you.”

  “Trent, please, I—”

  He hung up on her. “That fucking bitch!”

  I flinched. His words sounded like an echo from my nightmare. Jeremy returned from the back of the house, carrying two duffle bags. He’d changed into jeans and a Henley. “Hurry up. I don’t know who’s coming and when, but I don’t intend on being here when they do. I called Reed while I was packing. He’s going to get Kate, and we are all taking a little trip. Daniels and Zack are going to set up surveillance at Reed and Kate’s house to watch ours.

  “So we end up on the run after all?” I complained.

  “No, we are taking an impromptu vacation, using cash, and not telling anyone about it. Totally a different thing,” Jeremy replied sarcastically.

  “I guess we don’t really have time to change, do we?” I asked, although I knew I was going to be travelling in Trent’s T-shirt and my short shorts.

  We rushed through the house, jumped in Jeremy’s car, and peeled out of the driveway at the same time as Reed. I was in the back, and Trent rode in the passenger seat, so I leaned forward to speak to them. “Where are we going?”

  “Did I ever tell you my grandparents are loaded?” Jeremy said, somewhat out
of the blue.

  “Um, no, but why would you?” I asked.

  “Exactly, it isn’t common knowledge, especially since they’re my mom’s parents. Anyway, they own a small yacht that’s docked in Olympia. It sleeps ten if we pull down some bunks in the galley, but Aiden and Becca can put the little ones with them on the bed and we won’t lose space,” he said.

  “Wait a second. Your grandparents own a yacht,” I shrieked.

  “I said it was a little one,” he grumbled.

  “Okaaaaay. Everyone is coming with us?” I pushed.

  “It’s just better safe than sorry, right?” Jeremy asked.

  “What about school?” I’m not sure why I was arguing, because if someone was coming after me, staying home was probably a stupid idea, but I hated that Miguel was succeeding in interfering with my goals.

  Jeremy gave me an odd look and shook his head. “Toni, next week is spring break. We’ve got like two more days of class before a week off. I think we should just focus on one day at a time, and hopefully we’ll have this settled before the break is over.”

  How did I forget it was already the end of March? I’d taken my finals, at least the one I had to take, and my grades had exempted me from taking them in my other two classes. The only things left over the next couple days were surveys about class satisfaction and reviewing the grades on our final exams. I hadn’t missed my allotted number of classes, so I could skip a couple of days.

  “So we’re just going to hang out on a boat?” I asked.

  Jeremy grinned. “Nope. We’re going to sleep there tonight, with the ship in dock, and then we’re going to head out in the morning. We’re going to go down the coast, because I couldn’t find Trent’s passport. Otherwise, we’d have gone to Vancouver Island for a few days.”

  “Does everyone else have theirs?” Trent asked.

  “Yeah, I talked to Reed and Aiden, but that was before I rummaged through your stuff. Sorry, but we needed to get out of there, so I couldn’t keep searching,” Jeremy said.

  “It’s at my mom’s. Can we make a quick stop? I’d like to warn her and see if she’d like to make a spontaneous trip out of town,” Trent said, worry running through his voice.

  “Where does she live?” Jeremy asked without arguing.

  “On First, a couple of blocks from the water tower,” he replied.

  Jeremy turned the car around. It only took a few minutes before we pulled in front of a small bungalow-style house with tulips filling the flowerbeds near the front porch. The light came on as soon as we entered the driveway. Trent got out and motioned for me to follow him.

  A tall, dark-haired woman stepped out on the front porch and flashed a bright smile the moment she saw her son. “It’s pretty late even for you,” she said and raised her eyebrow in question.

  “Hey, Mom.” He kissed her on the cheek. “Toni, this is my mom, Lydia. Mom, this is my girlfriend, Toni.”

  “Hi,” I said shyly.

  “Girlfriend? Well, isn’t this a welcome surprise. It’s nice to meet you. So to what do I owe this middle-of-the-night visit?”

  “Toni’s in a bit of trouble,” Trent began.

  “Are you pregnant?” she asked, shocked.

  My eyes widened and my mouth fell open. “No!”

  Trent chuckled. “No, although that would be better. Her ex-boyfriend has been stalking her. Somehow Trinity has gotten herself wrapped up in this. It seems he’s dealing and has been feeding her drugs, probably heroin, in order to get her to watch us. She called me and tried to lure me out with her, and when I wouldn’t go, she let it slip that Toni’s ex was coming for her tonight.”

  Lydia groaned. “Damn, that girl has been nothing but trouble. So do you need a place to hide out?”

  “We’re actually heading out tonight. I need my passport, and I was hoping to convince you to take a trip to see Aunt Bethany. If the police are right, the guys supplying Toni’s ex are really bad news.”

  “Will it make you feel better if I take off?” she asked.

  “Yeah, and it would be even better if you’d pick up Melody on the way,” he suggested.

  “I’m sure her mom would like to see her. Can you spare her at the bar?” she questioned.

  He scowled. “They’ll manage without her. Everyone that could be used to get to us should leave town.”

  I looked down at my feet. I couldn’t imagine what she must think of me, I shuddered thinking about how horrible of an impression I was making.

  “You poor dear,” she said to me. “I’m not going to hold this against you. I can tell that’s what you’re thinking. I’ve been in a relationship with an addict, and I know how hard it can be to get out of that kind of situation. It’s clear to me that my son cares deeply for you, which makes you family. We’ll get you through this.”

  “Thank you,” I whispered. It seemed I had a lot to be grateful for, even in this dark time.

  Trent ran inside the house and came out with his passport, some cash, and a couple of cell phones. He split the bundle of cash and handed it to her with the second phone. “Both phones are programmed with the other phone’s number. You know what to do when you get on the road.”

  Lydia nodded. “Be careful. I’ll call once I get where I’m going.”

  Trent grabbed my hand, and we rushed to the car. I climbed in the back and waited for him to get seated. “That was a surprise. Why did you have a wad of cash and a disposable phone?”

  He sighed. “My dad wasn’t a good guy. He got into stuff he shouldn’t have, and when he took off, there were still people looking for him. My mom was afraid of what might happen if he ever came back, and we came up with a plan to run if he ever did. Being prepared to leave became a habit, and we’ve just always been ready to go. Then with Trinity’s shit, I just always made sure we had phones and cash around in case she ever brought trouble back to my mom’s house.”

  Jeremy flipped on the radio. “Let’s start our vacation.”

  “How can you think of it that way?” I grumbled.

  “Simple.” He caught my gaze in the rearview mirror. “We’re going to stay on a beautiful boat with all our friends. We’re going to see some scenic islands and get away from class and all of our problems for a while.”

  “We’re going to be trapped on a boat with a newborn baby, a toddler, a pregnant woman, and Cameron. I don’t see how this is anyone’s idea of a vacation,” I grumbled, then slapped my hand across my mouth once I realized what I said.

  Trent looked at me shocked. “My mom was joking. You aren’t…?”

  I shook my head frantically. “Oh God. I wasn’t supposed to say anything. You can’t say a word. She isn’t even sure,” I rambled.

  “All the more reason to get out of town. Reed is going to be insufferably proud of himself if you’re right,” Jeremy added.

  “Even better,” I grumbled.

  “This should be interesting if nothing else,” Trent muttered.

  That was putting it mildly. We were escaping whatever plans Miguel had, but now we had to survive each other.

  Chapter 29

  Trent

  Jeremy’s definition of a “small yacht” made me question his judgment. There were four staterooms on board, two heads, which I still called bathrooms, a full galley, or a kitchen to those of us who didn’t own yachts, a dining/living room, and a sun deck. Luckily, Jeremy and Aiden both knew how to drive or steer the boat, because looking at all the dials and buttons was contributing to my feelings of seasickness. I supposed it would be a bad time to tell all of them that I’m afraid of the water and a poor swimmer.

  Aiden and Becca took the largest of the staterooms and were able to set up a portable crib. We were all a bit on edge having Hope travel with us, since she’d only recently been released from the hospital. However, they agreed with Jeremy and Reed that staying in Ellensburg posed a bigger risk than traveling. No one had forgotten how Reed’s stalker managed to bypass Aiden’s security to hold Kate at gunpoint inside the house.
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  For the first two days of the trip, we crawled along the coast, stopping overnight at Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island. We were still hanging around in the morning to give everyone on board a rest from the constant rocking motion of the waves. Kate was particularly affected and hadn’t ventured too far away from the toilet since we set off.

  Jeremy and Cameron were actively avoiding each other. Apparently, their talk the other night hadn’t repaired the coldness between them, but now it seemed Jeremy was the one encouraging the distance. Between Kate’s puking, the tension between Jeremy and Cameron, and the babies crying, our time on the boat was not feeling like much of a vacation.

  My mom had let me know that she’d made it to her best friend’s house, my “aunt” Bethany, with Melody. Mel also sent an angry message about getting woken up in the middle of the night and being forced to go spend quality family time with her mother. Everyone else had left their cell phones and other devices with a GPS installed at home.

  Reed managed to find a spot on the deck that received a cell signal and was checking in with Daniels using my disposable cell phone. He paced on the bow, and his body radiated tension.

  Aiden walked up behind me and patted me on my shoulder. “He’s strung tight. I guess we won’t be going home soon.”

  “Fuck,” Reed shouted.

  “Yeah, that doesn’t sound promising,” I agreed.

  “How long before he figures out Kate is pregnant?” Aiden whispered.

  “Did Toni accidentally tell you, too?” I asked, welcoming the distraction.

  Aiden laughed. “No, but I’ve got two kids. I recognize the symptoms. When do you think she’ll tell him?”

  I shrugged. “Probably when she’s managed not to throw up for five straight minutes.”

  “Well, she stopped puking soon after we docked. We’re going to have to figure out someplace to stay put. We can’t keep going from dock to dock indefinitely, and Jeremy and Cameron are going to kill each other if we don’t leave such close quarters.”