I Dare You

by Shantel Tessier

  I used to spend a lot of time at this house. Eli and Aimee’s parents died when he was young, so when Aimee got married, he moved in with them. “There’s a side gate that Eli used to sneak out of to do his dares. It’s on the north side,” I say and start walking in that direction. They follow me.

  I check my phone to see if I’ve got anything from Deke, and there’s nothing. It worries me. I know he would never hurt her on purpose, but I told him to do whatever it takes to keep her in the car. And I’m not sure how much fight she has in her. At what point will she back down from him? At what point will he stop hurting her and just let her go? Guess I’ll find out when I get back.

  “Something wrong?” Kellan asks.

  I don’t answer him and put my phone away. Not like he cares anyway.

  We get through the gate and into the backyard. We round the pool house and come to a stop when we see the bastard in his pool just like Bennett had predicted. Doing laps.

  “How we doing this exactly?” Shane asks.

  “I’m doing it.” I turn to face them. “Alone.”

  They all nod. All but Kellan. He eyes me skeptically. “Why you?”

  “Because I said so,” I growl. He didn’t want to be involved with Jeff, yet now he wants to be part of Jerrold’s death? He isn’t making sense.

  He crosses his arms over his chest and nods once. “Fine. We’ll stay back unless you need us.”

  I snort. “I won’t need you.”

  Turning back around, I readjust my hood and make my way over to the rectangular swimming pool. I come to a stop, watching him swim away from me. I place my hands in my pockets and wait. He comes up for a breath and then goes under, pushing off the far wall, and shoots toward me.

  As I watch him swim underwater, I think of every reason this fucker is going to die.

  “Please, Cole,” Eli cries as we sit in the ditch.

  “You’re gonna be okay,” I reassure him, knowing that I’m lying. There’s nothing I can do for him.

  “No.” He swallows “You have to save Aimee …”

  He won’t let this go. “She’ll be fine.”

  He shakes his head quickly and coughs. “He beats her.”

  “Who?”

  “Jerrold.” I tighten my hold on him. “I hear him … her cries … He won’t stop.”

  “Eli …”

  “I have cameras in the house …” His eyes plead with mine. “They go to my computer … You have to help her …”

  I nod. “I will. Promise.” My voice cracks as his fists loosen on my shirt.

  “Thank you,” he whispers.

  “Eli?” I ask as panic bubbles up inside me.

  His eyes meet mine, a calmness brushing over his face. “I love you, brother,” he whispers.

  “I love you …” His eyes gloss over, and his body falls limp on the ground. “Eli?” I shout. “No …” I grab his shirt and yank his lifeless body into my lap. “Eli?” I shout. “Please … no.!”

  I failed him. I broke into their house and stole his computer, but it wasn’t enough. We didn’t move fast enough. Eli’s death had put Aimee into a deep depression. The cameras showed her crying, and I couldn’t watch it anymore. I couldn’t take the pain. The reminder. I shut those cameras out for four months. Then when I was ready, it was too late. She was already dead. The bastard had killed her. We sat and watched Jerrold tell Jeff what he did to Aimee and where he hid her body.

  That’s why it’s time for this bastard to die. One, for killing Aimee. Two, for working with Bruce to try to kill me. Successfully killing my friends. And three, what he would do to Austin if he knew she was the one to take his laptop. I feel a calmness fall over me. Not my usual anger and need to break something. Instead, it’s the need to protect something—Austin. She’s my last chance at saving someone, and I won’t fail this time. I’ll die trying.

  He’s getting closer. I remove my hands from my pockets and kneel. I smile as he comes up for air. “Hello, Jerrold. It’s been a while.”

  “What …?”

  I grab his head and slam it down on the edge of the pool. Blood covers the concrete instantly, and his body goes limp. I pull him away from the ledge and see I’ve knocked him out. Blood pours from the side of his head into the pool. “You deserved far worse,” I say before pushing him underwater.

  AUSTIN

  Deke starts the SUV, headlights off, and I cross my arms over my chest as I look out the back passenger window. I can make out a dark object coming toward the Range Rover.

  It’s Cole.

  He jumps in the front passenger seat and immediately looks back at me. I refuse to acknowledge him or give him any sign that I care he made me stay in the car. That he allowed Deke to do whatever was necessary to stop me.

  I didn’t want to fight Deke because I understand that he is not my problem. Cole is.

  And I’m not sure what to do about it at the moment. I went from something he can torture and lie to, to something he has to protect.

  Fuck that! I don’t need protecting.

  “Is it done?” Deke ask him as he pulls away.

  “Yes,” he says simply.

  “How did you do it?” he asks.

  “I slammed his head down on the concrete …”

  “It was supposed to be an accidental drowning,” I snap.

  He turns around in his seat. “I made it look like he slipped and fell into the pool,” he states, eyes narrowed on mine. “Then I held him underwater.” He turns back to face the front. “It’s done. He’s dead. The end.”

  _________________________________

  We pull back up to the clubhouse, and the guys pull up behind us. I go to my car, but Kellan hollers that we need to have a meeting. So I turn and march my way inside. I stand by the door with my back against the wall. Ready to get the hell out of here and away from Cole.

  “What is this about?” Deke asks, checking his phone. It’s after midnight on a Friday. I’m sure he’s going to go meet up with Becky if she’s not already waiting for him at his house.

  Kellan looks at me. “Cole’s dare. I say we move on.”

  Deke raises a brow, and Cole stiffens as he stands by the table. “I can redraw—”

  “No,” Kellan interrupts him. “We can move on to the next person.” He shrugs carelessly. “I don’t mind. Does anyone else have a problem with that?”

  No one says a thing. The room falls silent, and even I can tell Kellan is setting someone up for something. I get my answer a moment later.

  He rubs his hands together. “Okay, so we’ll move on, and come Sunday, Austin will draw.”

  Cole spins around to face me. “Absolutely not. She’s out of the group.”

  “What?” I snap.

  Kellan looks at me. “If you don’t leave willingly, then we all have to vote you out. Do you choose to leave willingly?”

  “No,” I say without looking at Cole. He brought me into this; I’m not gonna let him throw me out. Not after all I’ve done. All he’s put me through.

  “Then we will vote you out.” Cole growls. “Who says she’s gone?”

  Deke is the first one to say I’m out. I ignore him. He made it very clear tonight when he yanked hair out of my head that he will do whatever the fuck Cole says.

  Shane comes next. Bennett sighs as if he doesn’t want to but folds anyway.

  Everyone looks at Kellan, and he smiles. “I say she stays.”

  The air in the room changes, and Cole takes a step toward him. “What the fuck?” he barks. “You’ve wanted her gone since day one, and now all of a sudden you want her to stay?”

  I could argue that Kellan may think if he votes me out, that I’ll tell my dad he’s fucking my stepmom, but I’m not sure that is the reason.

  He shrugs. “She wants to stay.”

  “I don’t give a fuck what she wants,” Cole shouts.

  “That’s obvious,” I say.

  Cole spins around to face me. His eyes narrowed in anger, and I square my shoulders. “Eve
ryone, get the fuck out!” he barks.

  Kellan smirks at me as he walks by. Shane and Bennett hang their heads as they walk to the exit. Deke is the last one, and his eyes shoot from me to Cole as if he’s waiting for one of us to tell him to stay. We don’t.

  The moment the door closes, Cole turns on me. “You’re not doing this.”

  “You no longer control me, Cole,” I reply flatly.

  “Cut the shit, Austin!” he snaps.

  “No! You should have cut the shit, Cole!” I shout. “Long ago. You should have told me about Lilly. About Kellan and Celeste.” His eyes narrow on me. “Fuck!” I shout frustrated. “I did so much. I let you take so much.” I shake my head. “But not anymore. You brought me into this.”

  His jaw sharpens.

  “I let you use me,” I growl. “I let you fucking take and take because you needed something. Someone. But not again, Cole. Find someone else to fuck with. Because I’m done.”

  I turn and go to walk out the door, but he grabs my arm and yanks me back. “Don’t touch me,” I shout. Spinning around, I go to slap him, but he was ready for it. He grabs my hands and pushes me onto the couch, pinning my hands above my head.

  “Cole,” I say, my heart pounding.

  “Guess not much has changed since that night in the cemetery, huh, sweetheart?” he asks with an arch of his brow and a cocky smirk on his face, referring to how easily he was able to pin me down.

  “What? Gonna stab me this time?” I ask, fisting my hands. “Gonna let Deke just kill me?”

  His cockiness fades, and he loosens his grip on my wrists but doesn’t let go. “I don’t want to hurt you, Austin.”

  I narrow me eyes. “Quit trying to mind fuck me. It’s not gonna work.”

  “I’m not …”

  “Bullshit!” I shout.

  I want to break you. His agenda hasn’t changed.

  He lets go of my wrists, and I shove him off me. He falls onto the couch, and I scramble to get up. I straighten my top that rode up, grab my phone that fell onto the floor, and head to the door. This time, he doesn’t stop me.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  COLE

  “You know he’s setting her up, right?” Deke asks me as we both sit on the couch in the clubhouse.

  It’s Sunday, and we have all gathered back here for Austin to draw her dare. I’ve been in a pissy mood ever since she walked out of here on Friday night.

  “Yes.”

  “What are we gonna do about it?”

  I look over at him. “Be there when he does.”

  He nods and goes back to texting on his phone.

  The door opens, and she walks in with a look of indifference. She’s as good as I am at giving a blank expression. I fucking hate it.

  I sit back and watch Kellan look over her tight skinny jeans and black high heels. She wears a black top to match that is low cut, showing off her tits. She looks like she’s getting ready to go have drinks with her girlfriends at a bar, not draw a dare.

  Shane passes out a piece of paper to each of us. I lean over and whisper into Deke’s ear. “Leave it blank.”

  He nods and folds it up.

  One at a time, we each get up and drop them into the bowl. When we’re all done, she draws.

  Her eyes instantly go to mine. I refrain from smiling.

  “What does it say?” Kellan demands.

  “Nothing,” she replies and tosses it the ground. She draws again.

  “You can’t draw more than once,” I say as I stand.

  “What the hell?” she demands when she opens the folded piece of paper and looks at Deke. He says nothing.

  “You guys can’t do that,” Kellan snaps at us.

  “Actually, they can,” Bennett says with a smile. And I wonder if he had the same idea as we did.

  She reaches in and draws again. I go to rip it out of her hand, but she opens it up and reads it out loud. “As dark as night, as red as light. Let’s take a match and make it shine bright. Consequence- you must show the world your darkest secret.”

  “What the fuck does that mean?” I snap.

  “It’s a riddle,” Kellan says with a smile.

  “I fucking know that!” I growl. “What the fuck does it mean?”

  “I don’t know. It’s not my dare. Shane?” He looks at him.

  My eyes narrow on Shane. “What does it mean?” I demand.

  “I don’t have to answer that.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “She will find out soon enough.”

  _________________________________

  Monday afternoon, we all sit at the lunch table. Becky and Austin talk about a test we had today while Deke speaks to me. I completely tune him out.

  “So I spoke to Celeste when I got home last night, and she’s throwing me a birthday party.”

  Becky frowns. “Is that what you want?”

  She shrugs. “Not really but she is kissing my ass. And she feels a birthday party will help it.”

  “When is your birthday?” I ask her, wanting her to tell me. But I already know. Turns out that Facebook page I made came in handy.

  She ignores me and takes a bite of her cheeseburger.

  “When’s your birthday?” Deke asks her.

  Of course, she answers him. “March seventeenth.”

  His eyes widen. “St. Paddy’s day?” She nods. “Holy shit! What a day to have a birthday. Plus, that’s this Saturday.” She nods. “And it’s the start of spring break.”

  “It’s not a big deal.” She brushes it off.

  “You’re gonna be eighteen. Of course, it’s a big deal,” Becky says. “I’ll come over and help you decorate.”

  “I’ll post it on social media. It’ll be fun,” he says with a smile.

  She sighs but takes another bite of her cheeseburger.

  The bell rings, and everyone gets up. “Austin? Can I have a minute?” I ask.

  She looks over at me. “No.”

  I grab her hand when she goes to pull away. “I need to talk to you …”

  “Well, I have nothing to say,” she says before turning and walking away from me.

  I fist my hand and slam it on the table. I’m not sure how much longer I can take her ignoring me. It’s eating at me. Driving me crazy. I don’t like it. She can’t avoid me forever. I’ll get to her one way or another.

  AUSTIN

  “Wake up! Wake up!”

  I groan at Becky’s annoying, chipper voice. “What are you doing?”

  “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” she yells, jumping on my bed. Her blond hair going everywhere. “Now it’s time for you to wake up. I made breakfast.”

  “You can cook?” I ask, pulling the covers up over my head.

  “Of course, silly.” She laughs. “Come on. It’s downstairs.”

  “I think the birthday girl is supposed to get breakfast in bed,” I say, yawning.

  She just laughs and yanks the covers off me.

  I groan as I sit up. I reach over to my nightstand and check my phone. “It’s not even nine yet,” I call out.

  “We have a busy day,” she yells from the stairs.

  Becky stayed the night with me last night for us to ring in my birthday. We stayed up watching scary movies and talking about boys. Well, I’m still not talking to Cole, so I just listened to her talk about how much she loves Deke. It was exhausting, to say the least.

  I make my way downstairs and into the formal dining room. Becky sits at the table with two plates. Both have pancakes on them, but the one in front of my seat is stacked six high with eighteen individual candles on them.

  “You couldn’t find a one and an eight?” I ask with a laugh.

  “This way is more fun.” She winks at me, then grabs the can of whipped cream that sits in the middle. She shakes it up before leaning over the table and spraying the top of the pancakes. Then she lights them. “Make a wish and get to blowing.”

  I laugh, lean over, and blow them out. It takes me two tries, and by the time I get them out, the wax has drip
ped onto the whipped cream.

  I wipe it off and place it on the side of my plate. “What are the plans today?” she asks, digging into hers.

  My fork pauses over my stack. “I wanna spend some time with Lilly,” I say.

  She stops chewing and looks up at me. “Okay,” she says through a mouthful of pancakes. “Then let’s do it.”

  “I haven’t spoken to Cole …”

  “So.” She swallows her bite. “Who cares? You have every right to spend time with her.”

  I nod. “I hate that I haven’t got to see her.”

  She gives me a soft smile. “You can spend the day with her alone if you want. I can go home—”

  “No,” I interrupt her. “We can have a girls’ day. We can take her to a movie and then go for ice cream.”

  She nods. “Sounds good.”

  I pick up my phone and go to Shark and send a text.

  Me: Is Lilly free for the afternoon? I would like to spend the day with her. Wanna take her to a movie and to get ice cream.

  I set my phone down and take a bite of my pancakes. “Mmm,” I mumble my approval.

  I look up when Celeste walks in. “Happy Birthday,” she says with a soft smile. We’re still not talking much either.

  “Thanks,” I say with a head nod.

  She sits down next to me, and I stuff another bite into my mouth. “I spoke to your dad this morning. He won’t be able to make it for tonight.”

  Thank God. I don’t wanna see that bastard.

  “For your birthday, we decided to give you a trip.”

  I swallow my bite. “Trip?”

  She nods. “For you and a friend to go anywhere you want for a week.”

  I look at Becky, and she smiles.

  “Thanks,” I say although I won’t use it. I want nothing from my father or her. One is a rapist. The other a cheating, lying bitch.

  My phone rings, and I look down to see Shark written across my screen. I let out a deep breath. I’ve avoided speaking to him, but since I messaged him wanting to see Lilly, I answer. “Hello?”

  “Hey.” Cole’s raspy voice comes over the line. He’s just waking up. And my legs tighten, knowing he’s still in bed.

  I hate how much my body still wants him. That’s why I’ve avoided him. I can’t afford to let him back in. To make me look like an idiot once again. “Hey,” I reply.