Death by the River (A St. Benedict Novel Book 1)

by Alexandrea Weis

  Her behavior bothered him—the change in clothes, attitude, and her quitting cheerleading would raise questions from those who knew her best. Questions he didn’t want answered. A pep talk was in order to remind her of what was at stake if anyone ever found out what had happened.

  The bell rang and the hall scattered with students rushing to class. He remained in his spot, his focus fixed on her locker.

  The last frenzied screech of tennis shoes skidding on the tiled floor faded and the hall went still.

  He waited.

  The rumble of desks and shuffling of students came through the wall next to him. followed by a teacher’s muffled call for students to take their seats.

  He waited.

  The door to the girls’ bathroom creaked open. A head poked out, and Taylor searched the hallway.

  Beau pressed up against the locker, hiding his figure behind the corner. A slight squeak of shoes on the floor made him look back around.

  She was at her locker, working the combination, her back to him.

  He snuck up behind her, careful not to make a sound.

  He placed his hands on the lockers beside hers, effectively trapping her in place.

  “Taylor, how are you today?” His voice turned velvety as memories of her sweet submission flooded his mind. “I’ve missed you.”

  She arched away from him. “Leave me alone.”

  Beau put his lips to her ear. “What did I say last time we chatted about lying low? Stop staring at me like some sick stalker when you see me. Understand? We can’t have people knowing about our special time together. You’ve kept your mouth shut, right?”

  Her breath became in choppy waves. “I said I wouldn’t say anything and I haven’t.”

  Beau ran his fingertip down her neck, loving the way she stiffened. “Good. Let’s keep it that way, shall we? I’d hate for something to happen to your daddy’s career.”

  Taylor cringed as he leaned in, his breath brushing across her ear.

  “Just remember, you go back on your word and I’ll take you again. And this time, when I’m done, no one will ever find your body.”

  He pushed away from the lockers and strutted down the hall.

  If she ever breathed a word of their encounter, he would carry out his threat. Taylor Haskins would end up as just another victim of the rough waters in the Bogue Falaya River.

  * * *

  Late for class, Leslie was jogging down the hall when she noticed Beau curled into a girl’s back, a brown ponytail draped over her left shoulder. She stopped and hid behind a row of lockers, anxious to not be seen.

  He stormed down the hall.

  What the hell is wrong with him?

  Beau had just rounded the corner when Taylor slammed her locker door.

  The two alone in the hall suggested something more than coincidence. But unlike other couples sneaking some quality time, Beau’s anger and Taylor’s shaking hands didn’t scream secret rendezvous to Leslie.

  First the hasty departure from the squad and now meetings with Beau Devereaux. Something is up with the girl.

  “Hey, are you okay?”

  Taylor displayed a weak smile, blowing out a shaky breath.

  “Just got a lot going on.”

  “Was that Beau Devereaux?”

  She peered around the hall, sidestepping Leslie. “I’m not sure.”

  The way she laced her fingers to hide the slight tremor in her hands struck Leslie as odd.

  “Are you and Beau …?” Leslie left the suggestion hanging.

  Taylor’s head popped up and her eyes flew open. “No, no. We’re nothing. Please, please don’t mention you saw us talking to anyone. Especially Dawn.” She clung to Leslie’s arm.

  “It’s all right.” Leslie spoke as she would to a terrified child. “I won’t say anything to anyone.”

  Taylor bobbed her head and let her go. “Thank you. I can’t let … I mean I don’t want any problems with him. I prefer to stay as far away from Beau as possible.”

  A stab of suspicion went through her. Something had happened to Taylor and Leslie was certain Beau was behind it.

  “Glad to hear I’m not the only one who hates running into Beau. That’s something we have in common.”

  Taylor angled her head to the side. “But he dates your sister. How can you hate him?”

  “Probably for the same reasons you do.” She inched closer, hoping to win her confidence. “He’s got everyone in this town believing he’s some kind of saint, but he’s far from that.”

  A veil of calm seemed to descend over Taylor. Her shoulders relaxed, her trembling subsided, and a long slow breath escaped her lips. “Why can’t Dawn see what a horrible person he is?”

  Her fear, her hatred for Beau made sense, but Leslie couldn’t put together why she had met with him in the empty hall.

  “What did Beau say to you?”

  Taylor’s eyes darted around the hall, and she bit her lower lip. “Ah, I’m late for class. I should go.”

  She took off, leaving Leslie wondering what had upset her.

  Derek rounded a corner in the hall as Taylor rushed past him. He glanced at her and then walked up to Leslie.

  “Hey,” Derek said, coming alongside her. “What are you doing out here? I thought you had calculus.”

  Leslie kept peering down the hall where Taylor had disappeared, trying to make sense of their encounter.

  “I do, but I ran into Taylor Haskins.”

  “You run into Taylor all the time.” Derek brushed the bangs from her eyes. “What’s so special about that?”

  “She was with Beau Devereaux.” Leslie thumbed the locker behind her. “I caught them together in front of her locker.”

  Derek inched closer. “Did she tell you why she was with him? Seems funny those two being alone together. Is he going to start bothering her now and leave you alone?”

  The comment gave Leslie pause. Could she be suffering the same abuse Leslie had endured for months? It would explain her odd behavior. In some ways, it mirrored Leslie’s.

  Derek nudged her shoulder. “So, what do you think?”

  She came out of her stupor. “Think about what?”

  “Camping out by the river this weekend?” He grinned, appearing excited. “We could fish and lay out under the stars. We haven’t done that in a while, and it will be too cold soon.”

  She winced at the prospect of disappointing him. “I have to go to the lake house with my family this weekend. I’ve tried to get out of it, but Dad’s not letting me or Dawn slide.”

  He put his hand on her shoulder. “Then you need to go to the lake house.”

  “But can we go when I get back? Maybe next weekend?”

  Derek touched his forehead to hers. “That’s a date.” He stood back and waved down the hall. “Now get to class. You’re not doing that great in calculus.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  His muscles aching from practice, and his hair still wet from the shower, Beau pushed open the gym door and stepped outside into the rays of the late afternoon sun. The cool air clung to him like cobwebs and tickled his skin. He strutted from the door, lugging his heavy book bag over his shoulder as his stomach rumbled for food.

  At the gate to the field, the shadows from the metal bleachers blocked the sun, sending a shiver through him. He halted. The sensation was more than passing from light to dark—it was as if he had changed from one world to another.

  Something told him to look up, and when he did, he saw Taylor seated at the bottom of the stands, taking in the cheerleaders gathered below her. Their eyes met, and the chill returned with a vengeance.

  Taylor got up from her spot and went to the steps leading to the oval track where Dawn and the other cheerleaders stood huddled in a group.

  He hurried to the track, his tennis shoes crunching on the gravel while a bitter taste rose up the back of his throat.

  Taylor pulled Dawn away from the others in the squad and whispered in her ear. Since Dawn’s head was down
as Taylor spoke to her, he couldn’t gauge her reaction, and the knot in his stomach tightened.

  If that bitch so much as …

  “Dawn, you ready to go?”

  She raised her head; the smile she gave him radiated nothing but love and warmth. There was no hint of anger in her eyes, and he relaxed. Then he shifted his attention to Taylor, picturing her spread naked, bruised, and bleeding before him.

  “Hey, baby.” Dawn picked up her bag and motioned to Taylor. “You remember Taylor Haskins, right?”

  Beau ignored Taylor’s glower and took Dawn’s hand. “Let’s get out of here.”

  “What’s your problem?” Dawn shirked off his grip as he tugged her to his car.

  “No problem.” His arm went around her. “We just got a limited amount of time together this afternoon. I don’t want to waste it talking to some stuck-up girl.”

  “You think Taylor is stuck up?”

  He opened her car door, feeling edgy. He needed to keep those two far apart.

  “Let’s not talk about her anymore.” Beau pecked her cheek. “Now tell me what are you in the mood for? Pizza or burgers?”

  She squealed. “Pizza!”

  Once Dawn settled in the front seat, Beau shut her door and went around to his side of the car. He reached for his door handle and glanced at the field.

  Taylor met his threatening gaze, but instead of backing down, she seemed empowered. She kept up her hostile stare as if to say, “I dare you.”

  He imagined taking her back to his cell and making her pay for her disrespect.

  Just you wait.

  * * *

  The sun dipped behind the buildings along Main Street, stretching long shadows over the road in front of Beau’s car. The businesses in the one-story shops crowding the sidewalks had a steady stream of customers buying clothes, hardware, shoes, antiques, art, and even getting a trim at Best Barber.

  “So that will mean I have to find a new girl,” Dawn explained, coming to the end of her lengthy explanation

  “A new girl for what?” He peered ahead to the storefront—a neon piece of pizza flashing Carl’s in white.

  “Weren’t you listening to me?” She swatted his arm. “Taylor wants to quit the squad.” Dawn huffed in her seat. “How do you not want to do cheerleading anymore? That baffles me.”

  “I told you that girl was screwy.” He pulled into a small parking lot. “You need to stay away from her.”

  Dawn scrunched her face. “Why don’t you like her? She’s nice.”

  He eased into a spot at the end of the lot, away from the side entrance to the eatery. “Some of the guys had a few run-ins with her and said she’s a bitch. I don’t want her influencing you.”

  “What guys?” Dawn’s heart-shaped mouth twisted into a frown. “She never mentioned anyone to me.”

  “I’ve heard stuff in gym class.” Beau kicked open his door, wanting to drop the subject. “Come on. I’m starved.”

  Through the glass windows along the side entrance, classmates and several members of the football team filled the booths and tables. He opened the door and a whoosh of pepperoni-flavored air-conditioning accosted him. A jazzy hip-hop tune blasted from the red, yellow, and green neon jukebox in the corner of the dining room.

  He pulled back his shoulders and plastered on a fake smile. Years of listening to his father’s lectures on how to present himself in public had become ingrained.

  He put his hand behind Dawn’s back, helping her through the center aisle and around the clog of tables set up between the steel-topped counter on the left, and orange vinyl booths on the right. The aroma of cooking cheese and meat teased him while the din of conversations and music unraveled his concentration.

  “Beau, my man,” Carl Jr. greeted from behind the counter. “You going to lead the team to victory against Forest Glen High this Friday?”

  Beau gave the short man with sunken eyes a confident nod. “You know it, Carl.”

  Carl set his flour-covered hands on the counter. “What can I get you guys?”

  “Large pizza, the works.” Beau held up two fingers. “Two iced teas.”

  “Coming right up.” He pointed deeper into the restaurant. “Grab a table. I’ll send someone over with your teas.”

  Beau ushered Dawn along the center aisle to the back of the dining room. Students and families occupied most of the orange booths and tables. He passed a collection of faded pictures on the walls of food selections served in the restaurant. Ceiling fans spun while images of coke floats and ice cream sundaes hung from the fluorescent light fixtures.

  Dawn selected an empty booth right in the middle of the dining area, much to Beau’s dismay.

  He preferred to keep a low profile in public, not wanting anything to get back to his father, but she would have none of it.

  Dawn scooted into the booth. “Carl Jr. must be happy he will have this place to take over one day.” She scoured the faces of other diners. “Like you will take over the brewery and your father’s businesses.”

  Beau slid in next to her, aggravated by the reminder of his father’s plans. He hated thinking of a life stuck at the brewery. In five years, he envisioned himself no better off than Carl Bucelli Jr.—trapped in a dead-end job and under his old man’s thumb.

  The front glass doors opened just as the streetlamps outside came on. In a pair of black boots, wearing a high cut skirt and tight white T-shirt, Sara Bissell walked in.

  She caught his eye, not for her looks but for how he craved to change them. To wipe the thick makeup away, blacken her eyes and split her bottom lip. Show her he was more than a man to be flirted with.

  Around her was a gaggle of girls, dressed in similarly revealing clothes and with just as much makeup. Beau’s appetite waned when Sara spotted him. The smile she gave him did nothing to arouse his passion, only his fury.

  “That bitch is here,” Dawn muttered.

  He patted her thigh. “Play it cool.”

  Sara sashayed by their booth, her eyes connected with Beau.

  “I’m gonna kill her.” Dawn shimmied toward him, pushing him out of the booth.

  He had to make Sara pay for rattling Dawn. Things were tense enough for him at home without adding this to his pile of bullshit.

  He refused to move. “Baby, you need to calm down. I told you there was nothing with her.”

  Dawn gave another big push. “I don’t believe you. Get me out of here.”

  He wanted to talk her into staying, so everyone would see they were cool. But he recognized the angry glint in her eyes and held up his hands.

  “All right. We’ll go.”

  Beau grabbed her hand and headed for the door.

  A voice behind them called, “Leaving so soon, Beau?”

  He turned around. Sara winked at him. He prayed Dawn didn’t see it, but out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed the open-mouthed shock.

  Dawn was about to take a step toward Sara’s table when he wrapped her in his arms and carried her out of the restaurant.

  A mixture of ohs, ahs, and applause followed them out the door.

  “Put me down!”

  He ignored her and didn’t stop until he reached the safety of his car, hidden in the shadows at the edge of the lot.

  He deposited her by the passenger door. “Are you insane?”

  Dawn attempted to get around him to head back inside. “Did you see her winking at you?”

  “So what?” He held out his arms, blocking her way back into Carl’s. “That’s no reason to act crazy. There were a lot of people in there. How long do you think it would have been before the whole town heard about your little run in? How would I explain that to my dad? You know how he’s up my ass about how I present myself in public.” He gripped her right upper arm, digging his fingers into her soft flesh. “Damn it, Dawn, do you have no self-control?”

  She tried to back away, but he only squeezed harder. “You’re hurting me.”

  Her pale face became Leslie’s. She smirked up at
him, egging him on. His fingers cinched tighter, tingling with excitement.

  “Beau!” a voice called across the lot.

  Beau let her go, and she pressed up against the car; fear pinked her cheeks and her blue eyes watered.

  Carl Jr. came running up to them. “Is there a problem?”

  His anger cooled when his gaze settled on the man’s flour-covered jeans and red apron. Was this his future? Every day for the rest of his life in slacks and a button-down shirt, stinking of beer just like his old man?

  “No, no problem, Carl.” Beau gestured to the restaurant. “I’m sorry we can’t stay. I’ve got to get Dawn home.”

  “You want me to get your order to go?” Carl asked.

  Beau wasn’t about to wait around and give Dawn another chance to confront Sara. He’d had enough of both girls for one night.

  Anxious to get her home, he reached into his back pocket and removed his wallet.

  He slipped Carl a fifty-dollar bill. “Give our order to someone else. Next time, I promise we’ll stay and eat.”

  Carl crumbled the bill in his hand. “I’ll take care of you, Beau.”

  After Carl Jr. slipped inside, Dawn opened her mouth to speak, but Beau took her hand. “Don’t say another word.”

  He put her in the car and slammed her passenger side door.

  Once he peeled out of the parking lot, his fury shifted from Dawn to Sara. She had jeopardized everything with her brassy attitude.

  Bitch is gonna pay—big time.

  “We could have at least waited for our order.”

  Dawn’s high-pitched voice intruded on a daydream of tying Sara to the pipes in the wall of his cell.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You paid for our food. Why not wait for it? Running out like that just seems silly.”

  He hit the gas, needing to get her home and out of his hair. “You’d better be thankful I got you out of there before you did something stupid. Otherwise, Sara would probably be calling the cops and filing charges against you.”