I bet I did. “I’m sure he knows all your secrets.”
He nods. “He knew enough.”
I take a step forward, closing the small space between us. We both stand eye to eye at six feet two. “And what about his secrets, Dad? Did you know this whole time that he paid to have me killed?” I have to ask. “See, I thought that you fought to keep me out of prison because you were afraid that having a son in jail would lose you multimillion-dollar deals. But maybe it was because you didn’t want them to investigate and get your best friend in trouble.”
He knew I wasn’t at fault, but he never tried to get me to confess. Or even bothered to ask who was really driving.
“What were you thinking?” my father snaps at me while we stand in his office.
I say nothing.
“You could have ruined your life! You’re lucky that I have pull in this town, or you would be spending your life in prison.”
“Lucky?” I can’t help but ask. “Three of my friends are dead!”
“But you’re not!!” He slaps his checkbook down on his desk. “Fuck, you know what this town thinks of you now? I mean, they already knew that you were a fuckup. Now they know you as a murderer.”
“Because I am!” I shout. “I killed them!”
“Don’t you fucking say that!” he barks, pointing his finger at me. “You keep that shit to yourself!” He falls into his seat and sighs. Then he looks at my right arm that is in a sling. His eyes narrow on it. He knows I wasn’t driving. I lied to the cops. The paramedics. Everyone. And no one questioned it. But he knows. Nothing gets past him. “Eli’s funeral is tomorrow.”
I swallow around the knot in my throat. I’ve already missed the others. Landen was cremated, and Maddox’s was held while I was still in the hospital. “What time?”
“Doesn’t matter. You’re not going.”
My jaw tightens. “Yes, I am—”
“This is not up for discussion.” He interrupts me. “You are not going to his funeral. The entire town is going to be there, and you think they want to see the boy they all think killed him?”
I look away from him, hoping he doesn’t see the tears that sting my eyes. “I made him a promise.” I have to check on Aimee. Eli was so sure that something was wrong with her, and I can’t let him down. Not now. I just got released and haven’t had the chance to get over to his house to grab his computer and see what he was talking about, her not being safe. What Jerrold does to her when no one is looking.
My eyes find his again when he doesn’t speak right away. He watches a tear roll down my cheek with disgust. I hate that for once I look so weak in front of him.
“You should have thought about that before you took the fall.” He stands from his desk and crosses his arms over his chest. “You made a decision, and now you must face the consequences.”
The next day while the whole town was at Eli’s funeral, Deke and I set three crosses at the scene of the accident. We silently cried and said our own goodbyes to our brothers.
Liam places his hands on my shoulders, and I stiffen. “It doesn’t matter why I did it,” he finally answers.
I shove his hands off me. He’ll never tell me. Even if he were to answer, it would be a lie. “Did you know Celeste killed Mom?”
The corners of his lips turn up before he looks me up and down. “You look like shit, son.” Then his eyes slide to Austin. “Get some rest. You’re gonna need it.” He pulls away and smiles at me as though I just told him a joke. “When she is released, I want you to come by the house …”
I snort. “That won’t be happening.”
“Yes, it will,” he says matter-of-factly. “I have something to show you. And we will be releasing a statement to the press together.”
He’s lost his fucking mind! “I’m not doing a press release.”
“You are. My best friend paid to have my son killed. And you were a prime suspect in the murder of your girlfriend’s stepmom. We will speak to the media. Together. Jacob will be there as well. Then you are free to go. And after that, I don’t care if you come back.” He pats my cheek. Hard. To onlookers, it may have seemed like a love tap, but we both know it was a warning. He turns to walk out of the room.
“I’m taking Lilly with me,” I call out.
He comes to a stop and turns to face me. That smile still in place. “I’ll make sure Blanche packs her things.” Then he exits without another word.
I stand, breathing heavy with my limbs shaking. Running my hands through my hair, I begin to pace the small room. He fucking knew everything! All this time! That’s why he challenged me to prove he had killed my mother because he knew who it was. Over time, I convinced myself that it was just an accident. Nothing more. “Motherfucker!”
“Cole?”
“What?” I bark, coming to a stop.
Shelby enters and licks her lips nervously. “He can’t do that …”
I wave her off. “He was just fucking with me.” I make my way over to the chair my father had occupied and fall into it.
He knows he has no control over Austin and just wanted to piss me off. See what I had in me. He’s always pushed me for as long as I can remember. But the question remains—how long can she go on like this before someone steps up and takes control of her care? How long will they wait for her to get better?
“Cole?”
How much power does Bruce still have over her?
“Cole?”
I look up at Shelby, trying to calm my breathing and not to lose my shit. There aren’t very many things in this room I can destroy to help calm myself. I feel caged. I need a pool or my punching bag. Hell, even Deke will go toe to toe with me when I need it.
“She’s improving.” Shelby speaks softly. “We are going to wean her off sedation tomorrow.”
“What?” I sit up straighter.
She nods, giving me a soft smile. “You look tired. You need to rest.”
“I’m sleeping just fine,” I lie.
“Go home tonight, Cole. Get a good night’s sleep.” She pats my shoulder. “And come back tomorrow because the hard part isn’t over. She’s gonna need you now more than ever.” Then she exits the room, leaving Austin and me alone.
I get up, walk over to the side of her bed, and grab her cold hand. I lean over and run my busted knuckles down her bruised cheek, avoiding the tape that holds her breathing tube in place. “I’m not leaving, sweetheart.” Then I lean down and kiss her forehead.
CHAPTER EIGHT
DEKE
COLE: THEY’RE WEANING her off sedation tomorrow.
I read the text from my best friend while I stand on the porch of Becky’s parents’ house. And smile. Finally, some good news.
Me: That’s great news!
Becky has been ignoring my texts for three days. She even ignores me when we’re up at the hospital, so I decided to show up here where she can’t run from me. I ring the doorbell again after a few seconds and put my cell away.
I see a small figure walking up to it through the stained-glass double doors, and I smile, expecting to see Gretta, their housekeeper. But when it opens, it’s Becky’s younger sister. “Hey, Demi.”
She stares up at me. She has the same ice blue eyes that Becky has, and just like hers have been the past few days, they are narrowed on me. The kid hates me. Not sure why. When I asked Becky about it, she said just to ignore her and that she hates everyone.
“What do you want, Deke?” she asks, crossing her arms over her chest. She wears a white tank top and dark gray yoga pants with her blond hair up in a messy ponytail. She looks like she just walked out of a gym.
“I’m here to see Becky.” I cross my arms over my chest as well.
Demi doesn’t look intimidated in the least. She lifts a brow, her lips thinning.
“May I come in?” I ask when she just glares at me like if she does it long enough, I’ll go up in flames.
She spins around, and mumbles, “Whatever.”
I lick my lips and enter t
he house, making sure to close the door behind me. “Will you let her know I’m here?” I call out.
She continues walking away from the grand foyer, lifting her right hand to throw me the finger.
“Okay then.” I take the stairs two at a time and knock on her bedroom door. “I said not right now, Demi …” She yanks the door open but stops when she sees it’s me.
“Hey,” I say gently.
She has her blond hair up in a high ponytail, and my Hollywood Undead T-shirt on that I got at the concert the guys and I went to last summer with a pair of skinny jeans and pink high heels. My cock instantly hardens. She knows what it does to me when she wears my clothes.
“What do you want, Deke?” she demands, before looking out in the hallway to see if we are alone. Her arms cross over her chest, and those big blue eyes narrow on me—just like her sister. Both Holt women seem to hate me today. This house is like a motherfucking ice castle—cold. “Or should I call you Evan Scott?”
My jaw tightens at her sarcasm. “You know my name is Deke.”
“I’m not sure what I know anymore.” She shrugs.
“Becky …”
A noise to my left has us both turning to look, and we see Demi coming up the stairs carrying a bottle of water. She looks at her sister and then at me before she walks right past us with her nose up in the air.
Becky grabs my arm and yanks me into her room, slamming the door shut behind us. I take that as an invitation and step into her. She stiffens. Placing my hands on her hips, I pull her to me. My hard cock straining against my jeans.
“Deke,” she warns, feeling it.
I lower my head to her neck and inhale. Her scent of strawberries hits my nose, and I bite my tongue to keep from moaning. I love it when my clothes smell like her. My bed. My car. I love knowing she was there. With me. All mine.
“Well, let me remind you it’s me, baby.” My voice is rough, and my cock throbs. I wish we were alone. I’ve fucked her in this room so many times before, but since I know Demi is in the room right next door, I won’t.
“No.” She shoves me away, and I go willingly. I honestly didn’t come here to get between her legs. Although that would be a bonus. Or her mouth. “Who the fuck is Evan Scott?”
I run a hand through my hair. “I had to create a fake profile for a dare.”
She rolls her eyes. “Why am I not surprised?” I just stare at her. And she glares at me. “And?”
“Shane dared me to record myself setting his dad’s boat on fire in a live video. I couldn’t upload it to my real profile because then they would know it was me. So I invented Evan Scott.”
“That is the dumbest shit I have ever heard.” She sighs. “When was this?”
“Remember when the police were investigating the man burning in a boat a few years back?” Think it was sophomore year.
“Yeah,” she answers slowly.
I point at myself, and her eyes widen.
“That was you? They had divers searching the water for hours. They were pissed when they found out it was some stupid prank.”
I nod. “Shane and I made a scarecrow and dressed him in black jeans and a black hoodie. And we put him in his dad’s boat. We drove it out into the middle of the water and set the straw on fire. Then we took a Sea-Doo back. We stood at the shore recording it as it burned. It was in the middle of the night, so all you could see was this figure burning. Bennett took care of it, making sure to hide the IP address so it couldn’t be traced back to us.”
She hangs her head and sighs. “I can’t believe this.” Then her eyes are back on mine. “That doesn’t excuse you for what you did to Austin,” she snaps.
“Becky …”
“No, Deke!” She shoves her finger into my chest, and her eyes begin to well with tears. I’m not like Cole. I hate it when Becky cries. “What made you share them kissing on your page but not them having sex in the bathroom?”
The answer is simple. “Cole told me what he wanted to be posted and what page to post it on. And Austin knew it was me! Kellan was the one who claimed I did it in front of all the guys one night at the clubhouse.”
“She accused me of knowing about it!” She points at her chest, shouting.
“Becky, baby … that was months ago. And Austin got over it.”
“Got over it?” She gasps.
“Maybe that wasn’t the best choice of words,” I mumble.
“You think?” she snaps.
I run a hand down my face and sigh. “Why are we fighting about something that doesn’t even concern us?” Like when she was pissed at me for Cole’s dare to fuck Kaitlin.
“What will keep you from doing that to me?” I watch as a single tear runs down her cheek.
I close the distance between us and wrap my arm around her waist. “I would never hurt you like that. I love you.”
“I love you too, but the stupid group always comes first. No matter what,” she whispers.
“The group is over with.”
“Cole!” She corrects herself. “Cole comes first!”
I don’t say anything to that because she is right. My brother comes before anyone else. If he called me right now needing something, I would run to help him. That’s just how it is.
“You lied to me, Deke,” she snaps, breaking my silence. “I asked that day after school if you posted that video of Austin and Cole, and you lied to me.”
Oh, good, we’re back to that now. I can handle this. “If I wouldn’t have done it, Cole would have had someone else do it.”
She snorts. “What about me?”
“What about you?”
“Was I a bet that night at the party? Did Cole bet you to take me home?”
What the fuck? “You can’t be serious?” She knows that she was never a fucking dare. “That night was not our first night together, or have you forgotten?” I growl.
She jabs her finger into my chest, and I let go of her to take a step back. “So? And I’m dead serious. Did you record us that night too?”
“Fuck, no!” I snap. She’s lost her fucking mind! “I would never do that to us.”
“How am I supposed to know that?” she shouts, her gorgeous face turning red with anger. She bows her head and sighs. When her eyes meet mine again, I feel my chest tighten. “The bottom line, Deke, is I don’t trust you. And I can’t be with someone I don’t trust. I’ve done it before, and I won’t do it again.”
“You can trust me. I would never cheat on you. Or film you. Fuck, I love you.” Becky may not know who I really am, but I’m loyal.
“But you hurt my best friend. Humiliated her. All because Cole Reynolds told you to. How many other secrets do you have?”
I open my mouth to say none but shut it. I have many.
“Right.” She walks over to her bedroom door and opens it. A clear sign she wants me to get the fuck out.
I wasn’t lying when I said I love her. I’ve been obsessed with her for years now. Here she is, breaking it off with me when I haven’t done shit to her. Not personally. Did I play my role when it came to Austin? Fuck yes, I did. Do I understand she’s mad because Austin is her friend? Yes. But I was telling her the truth. Austin got over it, and they moved on. Hell, she and Cole fell in love. Even if they haven’t said it yet, everyone knows.
She stands there by the open door with her eyes narrowed on me and her hands on her hips. This is it. There will be no going back if I leave here without making it right.
“What about Kellan?” she asks with an arch of her brow.
Fuck! I run my hand through my hair. “What about him?” I try to play stupid.
She’s not buying it. “What did Shane mean when he said disappear?”
There’s a lot I haven’t told Becky. She knows we do stupid dares, but she’s not like Austin. She has no idea that I’ve recently become a murderer. And if she knew, she’d walk away from me without a glance back. I can’t lose her over this. Over them. They all deserved to die.
“I spoke to him earli
er today,” I lie.
She tilts her head to the side and eyes me with suspicion. I hate when she does this, acting like she can see through me. She can’t. She can pretend all she wants, but we both know the truth. She’ll never know the real me because I won’t allow it. “Becky …”
“Leave, Deke,” she says with a heavy sigh.
I walk out into the hallway and turn to face the door, trying one last time. “Becky …” She slams it in my face.
A door opens to my right, and I see Demi walk out of her room. She looks at me with disgust. “Never tell someone how you feel twice. That bitch heard you the first time.” Then she walks past me before walking down the stairs.
I slowly make my way out of the house and to my Range Rover. I sit there for a few minutes, wondering if I can do anything to make it better and what the fuck Demi meant.
CHAPTER NINE
COLE
DEKE, BENNETT, BECKY, and I all occupy Austin’s small room. Shelby told them they could visit for an hour since she’s doing so well. She’s been awake for most of the day now. Shelby allowed me to stay in the room earlier this morning while she brought Austin out of sedation. Then after Shelby did her assessment, she gave us a few minutes alone.
“Sweetheart?” I ask softly.
Her eyes close, and she whispers, “Cole.”
I swallow the knot in my throat. Now is not the time to be a little bitch. She’s been so strong. I need to be too. “It’s me, sweetheart.”
“Where …? What …?”
“Shh,” I tell her when she opens her eyes again. “You’re okay, baby.”
Her eyes meet mine, and they instantly fill with tears. “Cole …” She chokes on my name. “I’m … so sorry.”
“Hey.” I drop her hand and take her face in both of mine. “Don’t apologize, Austin! Do you hear me? This was not your fault. None of it was your fault.” I place my forehead against hers. “It’s all mine. And I’m so sorry,” I whisper. “Please forgive me.”
She begins to sob.
DARE SERIES COLLECTION Page 45