DARE SERIES COLLECTION

by Tessier, Shantel

  The thought pisses me off. He thinks he can treat me differently than her, but what makes her so goddamn special and me nothing? I’ve never been close to my sister, but I’ve hated her the last couple of years. Ever since she tried to take something from me, I vowed I was gonna make her pay. No matter what I had to do, I was gonna break her fucking cold, dead heart. And this is it. The man standing in front of me is what I’ve been looking for. He doesn’t know it yet, but I’m about to make him exactly what I need. The last piece in my own personal game to destroy my sister. So, instead of showing my anger, I give him a soft smile.

  I open my mouth and lean forward. He stands before me; body stiff and eyes wide as I take his pointed finger into my mouth all the way up to the knuckle. The same one that still tastes like me because it was just inside me twenty minutes ago. My eyes stay trained on his, and I watch as his pupils dilate when I wrap my lips around his finger, then run my tongue along the bottom and slowly suck until it pops out. Then I lick my lips. “Wanna kiss me now, Deke?”

  He doesn’t answer. He doesn’t even blink. Blue eyes burn into mine, and there’s a tic in his jaw. My eyes drop down to his jeans and bingo! He’s fucking hard. Because of me.

  “Deke?”

  He jumps at the sound of his name before looking away from me. Cole stands to the right, behind the trailer with us, holding Austin’s new bag of gummies in his hand. “Everything okay?” he asks. His blue eyes narrow in suspicion as he studies us.

  Deke doesn’t answer. Instead, he just storms off, leaving me against the truck without so much as looking back.

  Cole watches him leave, then his eyes come back to mine, void of any emotion. For as long as I’ve known him, unless he’s angry, he looks bored. I always thought he and Deke could pass as brothers, but where Cole is lean, Deke is bulkier. They’re the same height with blue eyes and brown hair, but Deke’s is a little darker. They’ve worn the same cut for as long as I can remember—short on the sides, long on top, and spiked to perfection. It was the GWS way. It’s as if all the guys on the swim team at Collins High said let’s look the same and make the girls beg us for attention. It worked. Fucking bastards.

  I push off the trailer and wink at him as I walk by. “It was good seeing you, Cole.” Then I laugh.

  BECKY

  I look up from my phone just in time to watch Deke storm by us. I spin around to see Demi also walking our way with Cole right behind her carrying Austin’s gummies.

  What is she doing with him?

  “What’s wrong with Deke?” Austin asks Cole with a frown as she looks over her shoulder and watches him stomp away from us, headed toward the parking lot.

  Yes. We’re leaving.

  My sister was wrong earlier when she said I hate anything scary, but I didn’t correct her. She’s just a bitch who likes to piss me off. I came tonight to get on Deke’s good side. He almost kissed me in the kitchen back at Austin’s house, and I know he planned to seduce me.

  Of course, I’m gonna lie down and give it to him. Deke and I have this love-hate kind of relationship. Even back when we were fucking and I had a boyfriend, I knew I loved him. I just couldn’t be with him and him alone. It was … complicated. Now things are in damage control. I fucked up, and I’ve got to redeem myself.

  It’s possible, but it’ll just take a lot of work. Possibly a lot of time on my knees. But a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.

  “We’re leaving,” Cole snaps. He takes Austin’s hand and begins to drag her toward the parking lot.

  I start to follow them.

  “See you later, sis,” Demi calls out.

  I turn and give my sister a tight smile. She stands with her arms crossed over her chest and a fucking smile on her face. What the fuck is she up to? Ignoring her, I toss my hair over my shoulder, then I turn and walk off after them.

  By the time I make it to Deke’s Range Rover, he’s already got it started and shifted in reverse. I jump into the back seat behind him. The tires grip the gravel, and he backs us out of the spot.

  Austin pouts beside me. “I really wanted to do the blackout attraction.”

  “We’ll come back,” Cole promises.

  I’ll make sure to stay home for that one. Putting myself in a situation where I can’t see is not my idea of fun. Especially with Deke.

  Austin shoves some gummies in her mouth and then pulls her cell out of Cole’s hoodie pocket that she’s still wearing. “Have I shown you Lilly’s Halloween costume?” she asks me.

  I refrain from sighing. This is her life now. Lilly and Cole. Cole and Lilly.

  I really like Austin, even if I was forced into a friendship with her. She was fun and always up for a hit or a drink. But now that we’ve moved to Texas, she’s changed. Ever since she almost died, Cole keeps her on a tight leash. As if someone still plans to hurt her. She waits on the guys and Lilly nonstop. She makes them breakfast, lunch, and dinner. She takes Lilly to and from school. I popped by yesterday when I knew the guys were in class to ask if she wanted to go to the mall, and she turned me down. She said she had to finish laundry and then clean the kitchen. All before running Lilly to ballet.

  She has become a fucking mom.

  It’s a total disappointment.

  I honestly don’t know how she ended up with Cole. Well, that’s not the truth. I’ve read her deepest, darkest secrets. She doesn’t know that, but what’s that saying? What you don’t know can’t hurt you? She’s so full of life, and Cole is just a black hole.

  He’s hot. I’ve always had a thing for him but never went there. His loyalty to Deke is unwavering, and I have a fear of being alone with him. The guy has death vibes, and I don’t wanna die.

  I thought she could change him, but I think he ended up changing her more. But my question is why? Is it because of money? She came from a poor druggie mother. Her father was wealthy, but she didn’t have access to it until she came to live with him at the beginning of this year. I’m not sure what she plans on doing with her life. Be his fucking housewife? Raise Lilly and whatever kids they plan on having?

  She could be a stay-at-home mom and live whatever kind of life she wants because he has money too. His mom died when he was twelve, and she left him her millions when he turned eighteen. If I was Austin, I’d have jumped on that too. Hell, her engagement ring is around fifty thousand. I know ’cause I googled that shit. It’s some kind of rare ruby. Talk about a reason to lie down and spread your legs. The sad part is her expectations are so low that she would have been fine with a rubber band. She has no idea how much it cost him, and she would never ask him because she couldn’t care less. And he’d never tell her ’cause that’s just Cole.

  “It’s a bee.” She beams, showing me the picture.

  Lilly’s standing in a dressing room with a bumble bee costume on. Her blond curls up in pigtails and her hands on her hips.

  “Adorable.” I nod my head as if I fucking care.

  “Isn’t she?” She tilts the screen toward her and smiles down at it.

  I roll my eyes and look out the window. I was supposed to move in with them but decided against it after Deke told me Cole ratted me out. He disclosed to Deke and Austin that I was the one driving the car the night their three friends died. He also snitched that I was fucking Eli. Well, that was only half the truth. I hadn’t quite made it that far yet.

  That fucker.

  He only ever does shit in his best interest. After Deke told me he had enough information to bury me, I decided against living under the same roof as a killer. I chose to move in with my mother and stepdad. And of course, Deke moved in with them instead.

  It’s not awkward when it’s just Austin and me, but whenever Cole is home, I tense, waiting for him to get me alone and tell me he’s gonna make me pay for the lie I told him. When I lied that I was pregnant.

  Junior year

  Cole’s car is upside down. Smoke makes it hard to see anything. My entire body aches, and I feel dizzy.

  “Eli?” Cole coughs
. “Mad … dox?”

  Pain slices through my stomach, and I cry out.

  “You okay?” he asks, coughing again.

  We’re both hanging upside down—our seat belts keeping us in place. The smoke has cleared, and I can see that the entire windshield is gone. I feel blood running from my nose. “I don’t know … what happened,” I cry. One minute, I was driving, then the next, the car was flipping.

  “We gotta get out of the car,” he says. “Eli? Landen?” he screams, making me flinch.

  I sob. What did I do? I’ve been drinking, but I don’t feel drunk. Had I had too much? I thought I could drive.

  I hear Cole feeling around, then he places his hand on the ceiling and releases his seat belt. He falls on his face. “FFFUUCCCKKK!” he growls. He gets out of his broken passenger side window and stumbles over to my side. He gets down on his knees and looks at me through where my window once was. “Cover your face.” He stands, kicking what’s left of the big pieces off the edge. “I’m gonna have to undo your seat belt. Put your hands on the ceiling.”

  I continue to sob as he gets me out. I fall to my knees and grab my stomach. My crop top is ripped, and I’m bleeding. My hands shake.

  “Eli? Maddox? Landen?” He calls out, but no one answers. “I gotta call 911.” He pats down his pockets. “Fuck!” he growls when he can’t find his phone.

  I continue to sob, and he drops to his knees beside me. “Are you okay? What hurts?”

  I look up at him. “I … I …” I don’t know what to say. I can’t get caught with them. Not like this. My father will kill me, and my mother will make me move to Texas to live with her. And I refuse to give up my life here.

  “What is it?” he asks.

  Cole is a fucking shark. A twisted soul. But I’ve never seen his blue eyes filled with so much concern. The guys have to be dead. They weren’t in the car with us, and they’re not answering when he calls out to them. And I can’t go down for that. I can’t go to jail.

  So I take advantage of this rare side of Cole and wrap my arms around my stomach. “I’m pregnant.”

  Silence falls over us. An eerie calmness. Like the calm before a catastrophic storm that is going to level everything in its wake. Fresh tears run down my cheeks, and he places his hand on my back. I begin to shake.

  “Go,” he says.

  I look up at him. Could it be that easy? I pretend like I have a conscience. “But …”

  “Go, Becky,” he orders. “I’ll take care of this. You need to get out of here.” Then without saying another word, he stands and begins to walk along the street, looking for his dead friends.

  I knew if I told him I was with child, then he would tell me to run. I didn’t wanna get caught up in that bullshit. My parents would have killed me if they knew I was driving drunk and wrecked Cole’s car. They all thought I was sober, and that’s why I drove. Big fucking mistake. But I wasn’t about to take the fall for it.

  But when Cole confessed that truth to Deke, he knew I had lied about being pregnant. Cole hasn’t mentioned that to me yet, which can only mean one thing—Deke hasn’t told him the truth. That’s what gives me hope that we can still have a future. That he doesn’t hate me completely yet. He’s keeping my secret as if it’s his own.

  He’s protecting me. A part of him still loves me, and that’s all I need to know to move forward with my plan to win him back.

  My phone vibrates, and I unlock the screen to see I have a new message.

  You still coming tomorrow?

  Me: Yes. My flight leaves at 6:45 in the morning.

  I turn the brightness down on my phone, so it doesn’t draw attention.

  Do they know you’re coming?

  Me: Nope.

  Good. I’ll see you then.

  I lock my phone and smile as I look out the window. I’ve been back to Collins a few times since we’ve moved to Texas. I hate that place, but I have unfinished business there.

  Deke pulls up to Cole and Austin’s house and jumps out, still not saying a word. It’s obvious he’s pissed. I need to try to smooth things over with him. I ignored him earlier when we were with the others at Silence because I didn’t want them questioning me. Austin would be all over that. She still thinks we can work through our problems, but my sister would just tell me I’m a stupid fucking bitch.

  They both need to understand I don’t give a fuck what they think. I don’t want their opinions or need their advice.

  We enter the house, and Misty greets us.

  Reaching into his jeans pocket, Cole grabs his wallet and pulls out some cash. “Here you go …”

  The teenager waves him off. “Mr. Biggs already paid me earlier.”

  “Deke,” he growls.

  “It was my idea,” he mumbles before storming up the stairs and slamming his bedroom door.

  “Thank you, Misty,” Austin tells her. “I’ll walk you over to your house.”

  “I’ll do it,” Cole interjects, and she doesn’t argue.

  Austin turns to face me. “Want me to take you home?”

  I look up at the top of the stairs and then at her. “Yeah.” Tonight is not the night to try anything with Deke. I’m not in the mood to kiss his ass or suck his dick. Plus, I’ve got an early flight out in the morning.

  “Wait until I get back and I’ll drive you guys,” Cole orders Austin.

  “I can drive myself, Cole.” She sighs.

  Just when I think he’s gonna argue with her, he bends down and kisses her forehead. “Hurry back, sweetheart.”

  “Deke was being nice tonight.” Austin speaks once we’re alone in her car. “Until he wasn’t.”

  “Yeah,” I mumble. “He can be like any other man. Hormonal.”

  She laughs. “Things will work out.”

  “I know.” ’Cause I’m gonna force them to. Just like Cole forced me into being friends with her.

  I walk through the back door and step out onto the patio of the Reynolds’ house. I stop when I see Cole swimming laps in their Olympic size swimming pool. I knew he’d be here. Even before the car wreck, he lived in the water. It’s only been six weeks, but it hasn’t slowed him down. Now he uses it for his physical therapy because he can’t afford to lose his position as captain on the swim team.

  “What You Deserve” by No Resolve plays through the outside speakers while he swims his laps.

  He stops and pops his head out of the water. I know he feels me watching him. I shouldn’t have come, but he’s been ignoring my phone calls. Running both hands through his hair, he steps out of the pool and looks at me.

  “Isn’t it too soon to swim?” I ask, sitting on one of the chaise lounge chairs under the awning.

  He doesn’t answer. Taking the towel off the table, he wipes his face.

  I hang my head. “I’ve been texting you. I came up to the hospital.”

  “I didn’t want to see you then, and I don’t want to see you now,” he snaps and rolls his shoulders.

  Tears instantly spring to my eyes. “I lost someone too, Cole. Eli was my friend too …” I lie. He wasn’t my friend. I barely knew him, but I’m too ashamed to say that out loud. And now I can’t let anyone find out I was there or what I had planned that night.

  “No, you were just another girl he was fucking.”

  His words sting, even if they aren’t true. I jump to my feet. “You don’t know …”

  He wraps his hand around my throat and pushes me back against the wall of the pool house. He’s in my face, growling, “You have no fucking clue what I lost! What I did for you!”

  I take in a shaky breath. “I’m so sorry.” Tears run down my cheeks. I’m not sorry for walking away from the accident. I’m sorry for ever being there. “You shouldn’t have taken the fall.” I’ve never known Cole to be a good guy. I don’t know why he took the responsibility for me that night, but I know it will cost me in the long run.

  “You shouldn’t have been there at all!”

  My eyes narrow on him. Then why did he let
me walk away? “I was responsible—”

  “You wanna owe me, Becky? Huh? Is that why you came here? To tell me that you’re fucking sorry that my friends are dead?” he interrupts me.

  I swallow nervously against his hand that holds me hostage. I knew he’d make me pay in some way. Cole Reynolds does nothing for free. Hell, maybe he saw this coming and knew he could use me.

  “I owe you, Cole,” I whisper after a long second, accepting my fate.

  “When I need you for something, you will do what I say?” he asks, arching a brow.

  I give him a slow nod, and whisper, “Whatever you need.”

  “I don’t wanna talk to you or fucking see you until then, do you understand?”

  I’ll gladly stay the hell away from him. “Yes.” My shoulders physically shake, and I can’t stop the tears that run down my face.

  “Good. Now leave.” He lets go of my neck and takes a step back from me. I rub my sore throat as he turns and dives back into the pool.

  “The three of us should get together soon.” She breaks through my thoughts.

  “Three of us?” I ask.

  “You, me, and Demi.”

  “Why?” I can’t help but wonder. “We never hung out with her back in Collins.”

  She shrugs. “I don’t know. She just seems … sad. Maybe she didn’t want to move here.”

  “She didn’t have a choice.” My mother decided that when I was moving to Texas so was Demi. She hates me for that, but I don’t give a fuck.

  “Then it’s settled. We’ll all get together. Maybe have a girls’ night.”

  Like Cole would allow her to do that, but I nod. Hell will freeze over before I’ll have a girls’ night with my sister.

  Placing my head against the window, I think back to the day Cole decided it was time for me to pay up. My payment could have been much worse than the woman sitting beside me.

  I stand in the kitchen of the Reynolds’ house. Cole is throwing a party tonight during Christmas break before we all go back to school in a few days. I was tired of being holed up in my father’s house. I’ve avoided Cole since he wrapped his hand around my throat months ago, telling me I owed him. I knew Deke was gonna be here tonight, and I need to talk to him. See him. I take a drink and set my cup down when I hear my phone go off. I open it up to see I have a text from Cole, and my stomach drops.