DARE SERIES COLLECTION

by Tessier, Shantel

  Deke grips his chin with his free hand, yanking his head back, and he laughs when Phillip struggles. The guy still has his hands tied behind his back and his ankles bound together. He’s not going anywhere.

  Stepping up to him, I glare down at the man who is about to die. “You touched what’s mine. Know what I do to men who fuck with my toy?” His brown eyes widen as tears run down his face and over the tape that covers his mouth.

  “You’re about to learn,” Deke singsongs with a wicked smile on his face.

  “I fuck them up twice as hard.” I press the lit cigarette to his neck, right over his racing pulse, and hold it there.

  He struggles in Deke’s grasp and screams out behind the tape, but Deke’s hold doesn’t loosen. I remove the cigarette and let it fall to my feet. “Let him go,” I growl, taking a step back from them.

  He drops to his knees on the tarp, head bowed, and his shoulders shake from his sobs.

  “Fucking pathetic.” Deke spits on him.

  I reach up and remove my shirt, tossing it to the floor. I hunch down and grip his chin, making him look up at me. “I’ve always been the kind of guy who prefers the fight and likes the sting from a punch. But you’re gonna be the exception.” Then I swing and hit him on the side of the face. His head snaps to the left, and his body falls flat to the tarp.

  “Turn him over,” I order.

  Deke grabs his hip and rolls him over onto his back, his tied wrists now underneath his weight. I walk over to my black bag and unzip it. Pulling out the knife, I hold it up to inspect it. It’s the same one I used to cut Austin’s forearm when I tried to blackmail her. He thrashes on the tarp, his wide eyes looking up at me. “Sit on him.”

  Deke drops to straddle his chest, facing his legs. I bend down and undo the belt and zipper of his pants, then yank them down his shaking legs as he mumbles against his gag. He wears a pair of white boxer briefs, and it gives me an idea. There’s no telling how many times he jacked off to the thought of Austin.

  I remember what she once told me. “I walked into my bedroom one day and found Phillip going through my photos in my phone. Photos that I had taken of myself and sent to Martin. After that, I knew I needed to put a lock on it that he wouldn’t be able to guess. Retina scanner was the best bet.”

  Yeah, the bastard had definitely jacked off to her. I sit on his legs to keep them from moving. He struggles underneath our weight, but it’s useless. “Does this turn you on?” I ask. Blood pours from the wound, and he screams out into the duct tape.

  One time, Maddox dared Shane to swim in the ocean late at night. He cut himself on something, and we had to take him to Shelby. I remember her cussing at how stupid we were and how close the cut was to his femoral artery. She told us he would have bled out in three to five minutes had it been a little to the left and hit his femoral artery.

  I cut this sorry bastard in the same exact spot. Who knew our dares would teach us so much. Not sure which one will cause death at this point.

  Then I trail the knife a little higher, hovering over his limp dick. Deke chuckles darkly as he reaches down and wraps his hand around the head and stretches it out. “You won’t be needing this anymore,” he says.

  Phillip begins to thrash underneath us. I smile before placing the blade at the base of his dick and slicing through the flesh.

  A muffled howl comes out of him. The woman screams while she watches in horror, waiting her turn.

  Deke tosses the dick to the side. I signal for Deke to get off him, and I toss the knife away as well. I’ll let him bleed a little before I finish him off with my bare hands.

  He sobs behind his gag, and his body shakes uncontrollably. Tears run down his face mixed with snot. I smile down at him as the smell of his blood fills the room.

  “I wish Austin were here to see this.” I smile. Then I order, “Stand him up.”

  Deke pulls him to his feet, no problem, and the guy shakes his head quickly. I raise my fists and smile with excitement. This is exactly what I needed—a fight.

  “You should have kept your hands to yourself.” Then I punch him, and I don’t stop. I punch him in the face over and over as I picture his hands on a younger Austin. I see her begging him to stop. I see no one there to help her. To care for her.

  When I finally get to the point that my shoulder screams and I’m out of breath, the fucker is dead. His face no longer recognizable. I’m panting, and my body is covered in sweat and blood. I’m physically exhausted.

  When his body lies limp in Deke’s arms, he tosses him to the tarp. I lower my bloody hands and sway on my feet.

  Deke now stands off to the right, his legs wide and arms crossed over his chest. His blue eyes are narrowed on my latest victim. “He touched Austin?” It’s the first time he’s asked why I wanted him to help me kill two people he didn’t even know.

  I swallow the lump in my throat. My answer is breathless. “Yes.”

  “For how long?”

  I haven’t questioned her much on it because I know it’s a sensitive subject, but I would say once he started, he never stopped. “First time, she was ten.”

  “Fuck!” he snaps, taking a step back. “If I had known, I would have never—”

  “I know,” I interrupt him, knowing he is referring to that first night in the cemetery when he undid her jeans. Deke might be a lot of things, but a rapist isn’t one of them. That was just to scare her.

  I turn to her mother. “Your turn.”

  “What do we have in here?” Deke asks, opening the bathroom bag we found in their hotel.

  We cleared out everything; that way, when housekeeping comes by in the morning, they will think they bailed. Deke pulls out a syringe, a red rubber band, a spoon, aluminum foil, the inside of what looks like a makeup compact that’s been washed out, a Q-tip, and lastly, rubbing alcohol. Then he pulls out a small round container and opens it to find a ball of heroin.

  “Fuck! You guys are hardcore.” Deke whistles. “I like it.” He looks at all of it and nods a few times. “You know, I’ve never done heroin, but I’ve seen kids use it at parties before.” He takes the Q-tip and tosses it to the side. “You won’t be needing this.”

  He places the ball of heroin on the spoon and then takes a lighter to heat it up. Once it’s liquefied, he draws the heroin into the syringe.

  “Where do you want it?” he asks, turning to her in the chair.

  She struggles, eyes wide and tears running down her face. I run my hands over her arms tied behind her back and to the chair. Her body shakes as she stares at her husband’s dead body. She has track marks all over her skin.

  “I don’t think she’s picky. Most junkies aren’t.”

  “Well, lucky for her, I’ve watched the kids at school do it enough.” He drops to his knees before her and rips off a shoe and sock. “Hold this,” he orders, holding up the syringe.

  I take it from him while he wraps the band around her ankle to tie it off. He holds out his hand once he’s satisfied, and I hand it back to him. He pulls her toes apart and inserts the needle between them, slowly injecting it into her. He then puts everything back in the bag and zips it up.

  We stand and watch her body go limp. Within seconds, her head is bowed, her dark hair covering her face. Deke grips it and yanks her head back so we can see her. Her eyes are half open, and sweat covers her forehead. Her body jerks involuntarily.

  “Think she’s vomiting?” he asks.

  “Possibly,” I offer. Fuck if I know. I’ve never done drugs before.

  “She’s pissed herself.” He observes her wet pants. “Hey?” He taps the side of her face, but she doesn’t show any response, and he frowns. “Well, this didn’t take as long as I thought it would.”

  I sit in the chair that the bastard occupied and watch her mother die. It’s pretty quick if you ask me. And too easy. She died by something that she loved.

  “Come on. We’ve got to get rid of them.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  COLE

 
SITTING IN THE waiting room, we’re all restless at this point. Becky cries, and Deke tries to console her. Bennett sits with his head down and his arms crossed over his chest. I’m pretty sure he’s passed out. I just got off the phone with Blanche and told her that I didn’t know when I would be home and to take Lilly to her house later on today. I don’t want my sister alone with my father during this time.

  I look up from my phone when I see Shane entering the double sliding glass doors. Shooting to my feet causes Deke to look up. He does the same.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” I snap.

  Bennett does a little snort, waking himself up. His head pops up, and he wipes some drool off his chin with the back of his hand before he too stands. “What’s going on?” he asks roughly before clearing his throat and trying to focus his eyes on his surroundings.

  I look at him. “I don’t know. You tell me.” What all did he say to Shane?

  He holds his hands up when he sees Shane standing there. “I haven’t said anything—”

  “I saw the news,” Shane interrupts him and then looks at me. “Hours ago. I’ve been calling you guys. Why aren’t you answering?”

  I don’t respond. He should know how to take a fucking hint. Also, I didn’t have my phone while I was being interrogated. I left it with Deke on purpose, knowing they would take it from me while I was in custody. He didn’t give it back until a few minutes ago for me to call Blanche.

  His jaw clenches at my silence, knowing he’s not going to get shit from me. He takes a quick look around the waiting area, and then asks, “Where’s Kellan?”

  Silence follows again. Shane steps up to me, his eyes narrowing. “Where. Is. Kellan?”

  I take a step toward him, closing the small distance. “Why don’t you ask—”

  “Cole!” Deke interrupts me and yanks me back by my upper arm. “I’ll talk to him.”

  “It’s none of his business,” I snap.

  Shane lets out a rough laugh. “Did you make him disappear, Cole? Is that why his phones are off, and he’s nowhere to be found?”

  “He fucking shot her!” I yell.

  Bennett walks over to Shane, grabs his shirt, and all but drags him out the double doors.

  Deke comes to stand before me. “You need to calm down, man,” he whispers harshly. His eyes search the room, probably looking to see how many people are watching us. “Cole?” I stare past him to the doors. He reaches up and slaps my face. Not hard enough to hurt but enough to get my attention. “Listen to me! If you make a scene and get kicked out of here, then that’s it. You’re done.” He places his hands on my upper arms. “The police are just looking for a reason to lock you up, so keep your shit together just a little longer.”

  “What is going on?” Becky asks, confused about what just happened.

  I shove Deke out of the way and storm out the sliding glass doors to see Shane and Bennett walking down the sidewalk to the side parking lot. “Did you fucking know what he was gonna do?” I demand.

  They come to a stop, and Shane spins around to face me.

  “Shit!” Bennett hisses under his breath.

  I storm over to them, coming face to face with Shane, and shove at his chest. “Did you fucking know?”

  He stumbles backward but gets his footing before he falls to his ass. Bummer.

  I hear the doors slide open behind me. “Cole, don’t—”

  “No,” I interrupt Deke. “If he wants to be a part of this group, then he’s going to fucking tell me.”

  “Group? What group?” Shane demands, throwing his arms out wide. “You guys have completely lost your fucking minds.”

  I fist my busted knuckles. They sting, but I’m ready for more. “No! Kellan lost his mind the moment he decided to want what was mine!”

  He throws his head back, letting out a loud laugh that makes my brows rise. He knows something. When his eyes meet mine again, his laughter dies. “She was never yours. His plan all along was to make her his.”

  I go to jump him, but an arm wraps around me, and I’m hauled backward. “Cut it out!” Deke growls in my ear. “You’re causing a scene!” Then he whispers, “He could be lying just to get you wound up.”

  I shake him off but make no move to kick the shit out of Shane. I don’t want to make a scene. I just want answers, and I’m used to getting them with my fists.

  Bennett stands beside Shane. “He remembered her,” Shane spits out. “He wanted her! He was only fucking Celeste for his own revenge on Bruce!”

  “What did Bruce do to him?” Deke asks.

  He laughs, shaking his head. “It doesn’t fucking matter. None of it fucking matters anymore.” Then he turns and walks away, and I allow it. Because my biggest battle is waiting behind me, lying in a hospital bed. And although I’ve never had to pick my battles before, I know that she is the one I want to win.

  _______________

  It’s been six hours since she called me, and the clock on the wall reads a little after five a.m. Shelby notified us when she was out of surgery, but I haven’t been able to see her yet. All I can do is sit here in the waiting room and pray that Shelby can pull some strings to get me back there to her room. If not, I’ll have to sneak my way in. I’m not above breaking a few rules to see her.

  Becky lies passed out in a seat across from me with Deke’s jacket over her like a blanket. Bennett sips on his third cup of coffee. He reappeared alone after shit went down outside and never mentioned Shane after that. And I haven’t cared enough to ask. Deke is to my right on his phone when a familiar voice comes through the silent waiting room.

  “Cole! Oh God, Cole …” Austin’s voice cries out.

  “What the fuck?” I demand as my head snaps over to look at him.

  Deke silences his phone and shifts uncomfortably in his seat.

  “What the fuck was that?” I question stupidly. I know exactly what it was. And I want to kick myself in the ass for forgetting about it until just now.

  He sighs. “It was the recording of you guys in the bathroom the night we went to the party to get Austin. The video popped up on my Facebook.”

  Four months ago

  Deke and I come up to Nate Wax’s parents’ house. I sit shotgun in his Range Rover as “Born Ready” by Zayde Wolf plays. This party I’ve heard about for the last two weeks looks to be in full swing. Deke got over a hundred invites to it on his Facebook. The GWS are invited to every party, but that doesn’t mean we go. When we decide to show up, they consider themselves fucking lucky that we grace them with our presence.

  “What’s the plan?” Deke asks. He came over to my house while I was doing some laps to show me a pic of the girls out at a party. “We gonna drag her out kicking and screaming?”

  Good question. And I don’t really have an answer at the moment. I told her not to go to this fucking party! And what does she do? Whatever she wants! She’s going to learn real quick that this shit doesn’t fly with me. “No, that would defeat the purpose of proving to everyone that she belongs to me.” She has to come willingly.

  “True.”

  “Here.” Getting an idea, I dig my phone out of my pocket and hand it to him.

  “What am I gonna do with this?” he asks, looking down at it.

  “Just be ready to record.” I’ll figure something out. Everyone needs to know that she’s mine, and nobody better fucking touch her! What better way than to blast it to the ones who always have their faces in their phones?

  “Okay. What exactly?”

  I look back over at the mansion and find myself smiling. I’m gonna teach you a lesson, sweetheart. One that you won’t forget. “I’m about to up the game.”

  “Meaning?”

  “She’ll challenge me.” I know her well enough to know she’ll push me, especially if she’s drunk. And not like it’ll be hard for her to want me. She begged me to fuck her just last week at my party. That video is still getting hits from what Deke showed me yesterday. “Record whatever you can get, then send it to
yourself. Depending on what she does, you can upload it tomorrow.”

  He nods. “And Becky?”

  “What about her?” I ask. She’s not my problem. In fact, she’s my help. I climb out of his SUV but smile to myself. “Actually, you should make your move.”

  “What? She’s with David.” He shakes his head.

  “I heard he dumped her over winter break.” I may not talk to people, but that doesn’t mean I don’t listen when they’re running their fucking mouths.

  “Really?” he asks excitedly.

  I just nod. Not like it mattered. She wasn’t faithful, but only me and a few others know that. One more loose end I can tie up between Austin and me. Her best friend dating a GWS? She’ll still feel outnumbered. It won’t take long for Deke to convince Becky to love him. I know Deke Biggs. He’ll pull out all the stops. And Austin will have no one to help her escape me.

  Present

  “Delete it,” I snap.

  When I had him record us together, it was to prove to the school that she belonged to me. I wanted to degrade her as part of my plan to destroy her. But now? Everyone knows she’s mine. And after Kellan mentioned how he had gotten off so many times listening to it, I want it gone. I didn’t really know she was going to let me fuck her in the bathroom when I walked into that party that night. Shove her up against a wall and make out with her? Yes! But fuck her? She surprised me when she allowed me to go that far, but of course, like the jackass I am, I didn’t stop it. I wanted her. There was no reason to deny it at that point.

  Becky sits up and rubs her eyes. “What are you guys talking about?” she asks through a yawn.

  We all ignore her. “Delete it right fucking now!” I order.

  “I am,” Deke informs me, his fingers rushing over his iPhone.

  “What?” she asks, looking back and forth between us. “You didn’t … you didn’t upload that video.” Guess she wasn’t in that deep of a sleep.

  He doesn’t look up at her.

  “Deke?” she growls. “Tell me you didn’t upload that video!”

  He stops typing and finally looks up from his phone. “I did.”