DARE SERIES COLLECTION

by Tessier, Shantel

  Austin slows down and turns onto the gravel road parallel to Lake Travis. She comes to a stop in front of the cabin, and my heart begins to pound when I see Seth’s Jeep parked out front. Shutting off her car, she exits, and I follow. We make our way up the stairs, and I enter behind her.

  I come to a stop as I look down at the hardwood floor in the entryway.

  “Seth! Please stop!” I cry as he lies on top of me. I reach out in front of me, trying to grab something, but there’s nothing there. My cheek throbs, and it’s hard to breathe with all his weight on me.

  I hear his zipper lower, and then his hands are on my hips. He lifts up enough to flip me over onto my back. And I slap at his face.

  “I have to.” He growls.

  What is he talking about? “No.” Tears run down the sides of my face. “You don’t.” I slap at him again, and he jumps up off me.

  I get to my shaky legs and reach for the door, but he grips my hair with his fists and starts dragging me across the floor. “Stop!” I cry, trying to twist in his grip. “Please,” I beg.

  He kicks the bedroom door open and shoves me inside. “It’s just sex, Demi. Not like you’re not already a fucking slut.”

  He reaches out for me, but I dart to the left. He gets a hold of my shirt and yanks on it, stretching it out before shoving me onto the bed. I kick and scream, knowing I won’t be loud enough. No one will hear me.

  He takes a second to shove his jeans off his hips, and I ram my head into his face, smashing it into his nose.

  “Fuck!” He growls, rolling off me.

  I jump to my feet and run for the front door. I don’t look back. I don’t even stop to grab my bag. Nothing is more important than getting the fuck out of here.

  “Demi?” I hear him scream my name as I run outside and to my car. “Demi!”

  I yank open my car door, start it up, and throw it in reverse, not even bothering to look behind me.

  “Demi?”

  I blink to see Deke standing in front of me. “You okay?” he asks softly. His blue eyes searching mine.

  “Yeah,” I lie. “Fine. Why are we here?” I look around to see a chair sitting in the middle of the living room. It’s empty, but a rope sits next to it on the floor along with a black duffle bag. Cole stands behind it, wiping his bloody knuckles off with a dish rag. And Bennett sits at the kitchen table with his phone in his hands.

  I look at Deke and notice that he too has blood on his knuckles and shirt. “Are you okay?” I ask, placing my hands on his chest. His heart beats slowly, and his breathing is even. Whatever he did, didn’t even work him up.

  “It’s not mine,” he says.

  I swallow, immediately knowing who it belongs to. “Where is he?”

  “He’s in the bedroom.” Cole is the one who answers.

  I go to walk that way, but Deke places his hand on my shoulder and pulls me to a stop. I look up at him, and his blue eyes soften. “I’d rather you not.”

  “But …”

  “Can you trust me that I took care of it?”

  “Did you kill him?” He had told me while in bed that he was going to kill him.

  “People don’t have to stop breathing to stop living,” he says, and I understand. They took something from him, but it wasn’t his life.

  I drop my eyes back to the chair and take a step back, letting him know I won’t go back there. No matter how badly I want to see what they did to him, he’s trying to protect me from something that he thinks I can’t handle. I like that he’s trying. That he actually cares to keep me innocent in their world filled with blood and chaos.

  “Let’s go,” Deke orders.

  Cole reaches out and snatches Austin’s car keys from her hands. Deke places his hands on my shoulders, spins me around, and ushers me out the front door. He opens up the back door of Austin’s SUV, and I crawl in with him. He pulls me into his side as Bennett gets in on the other side of me. Cole throws his dish rag and a black duffel bag into the back before he gets in and starts up the SUV as Austin gets in the passenger seat.

  I snuggle up to Deke, and he kisses my hair. I close my eyes and release a sigh. It feels good for someone to stick up for me. I used to hate the GWS, but it seems they all came together to help me tonight.

  “Where is Shane?” Austin asks no one in particular.

  “He’s got my car,” Deke answers. “He had to run an errand but will meet us back at the house.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  DEKE

  I PACE THE gravel road, holding my phone to my ear, but I’m met with silence. The drizzle slowly soaks my shirt, making it cling to my body. The Collins night air is cold, but I don’t feel it. I’m too wound up. My free hand is shoved into my jeans pocket, and I kick a loose rock around.

  “I miss you,” she finally says. Her voice so soft, I barely hear it.

  I smile and admit, “I miss you too, princess.” Coming to a stop, I turn and look at the clubhouse where the sharks and I spent most of our time over the past year and a half. “What are you doing right now?” I ask her while watching Cole pack his black duffle bag into the back of Bennett’s car.

  “Lying on your bed,” she answers. “Naked.”

  I moan at the visual. “You better be that way when I return tomorrow.”

  The guys and I decided last night to make a quick trip back to Collins. Well, Bennett and Shane were coming home, but after Shane suggested Becky was Evan Scott, Cole and I decided it was time to find out once and for all. And if she is, we’re ending it.

  We weren’t putting anyone else in danger. Evan had threatened Demi when Seth didn’t do as he ordered, so the clock was ticking. I wasn’t taking that chance again. I won’t gamble with Demi’s fate. Especially if her sister is the one calling the shots. She’s already hurt her enough. I was gonna end it for her. That’s the least I can do after trying to kill her myself.

  “We’ll see,” she teases me. “Depends on what time you get back.” She’s fishing.

  The guys and I didn’t tell the girls much. Just that we were taking a quick trip to Collins to take care of something. They knew. They exchanged a look. Austin turned and left the room. She’s still not talking to Cole. And Demi just nodded, leaving it at that.

  They both knew they weren’t going to change our minds. It’s not like we’re gonna kill Becky. We’re just gonna make sure this shit ends once and for all.

  “You ready?” I hear Austin’s voice on the other end of the phone.

  “Yeah, give me one minute,” Demi answers her.

  “What are you girls doing?” I ask. It’s a little after seven here. That makes it past nine there.

  “Austin and I picked up Lilly earlier, and she asked if we could have a girls sleepover tonight since you guys are gone. So we’re gonna make a pallet in the living room, pop some popcorn, and eat our weight in chocolate while we get drunk off cherry Kool-Aid.”

  I laugh.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Just remembering when we were at Silence standing in line to get popcorn and you told me that you admired my lack of empathy,” I recall. She stays silent, and the smile drops off my face.

  “I still do, Deke.” she says in a soft voice. “I never once wanted you to be or pretend to be someone other than who you are.”

  I hate how much I needed to hear her say that. Deke Biggs doesn’t need permission to do anything. I always kept Becky in the dark regarding what I did with the sharks. She would have hated it, bitched about it, and made me out to be the bad guy. Which I am, don’t get me wrong. I know where I stand in the world of good versus evil. The one drowning in blood and full of hate. But look what she did. Look how far she went to hurt Demi. Or what she did to her back when they were younger. She’s tried to have her raped twice now. She deserves to pay for that. And that’s what the sharks do. They make you pay. In blood.

  “I gotta go,” she says.

  But how would she feel if I said those words to her? Her imagination isn’t nearly as da
rk as our actions are. “Demi—”

  “I’ll be here when you get back tomorrow.” She interrupts me. “Waiting on you.” Then she hangs up.

  I drop the phone from my ear and walk over to the door of the clubhouse. Cole stands over at the table, leaning up against it. Shane sits on the couch typing away on his phone, and Bennett is standing in the small kitchen area looking down at a piece of paper in his hands.

  “What’s that?” I ask him.

  He looks up at me and lets out a long sigh. “There’s something I need to tell you guys.”

  “What is it?” Cole asks, pushing off the table.

  “I received this right after you guys moved to Texas.” He hands me the paper.

  “This glass can break as easily as your promises. What would you do to keep them both intact?” I read the typed letter out loud.

  “What the fuck is that shit?” Shane asks, jumping up from the couch.

  “I don’t know.” Bennett shrugs. “Another cryptic letter.”

  “And you’ve had this the entire time?” Cole growls.

  “I didn’t say anything because it didn’t have my name on it. It could have been to any of us or all of us.” He sighs. “I honestly thought it was for you, Cole, since you own the place. I figured it was someone who knew what you did to Kellan.”

  “It was just sitting in here. Waiting on you?” I question.

  He nods. “It was in the glass bowl. On the table.”

  “Fuck!” Cole growls.

  “So why tell us about it now?” I rip the fucker to pieces and throw them in the trash.

  “Well, ’cause now I think it was Becky who gave it to me,” he answers.

  Cole shakes his head. “She didn’t know anything. And why leave it in the bowl? People knew we did dares but not specifics.”

  “That’s not true,” I argue. “He said he received it after we left for Texas. Becky got Austin’s journal while Austin was still in the hospital. We waited three months after she was shot before we moved.”

  Cole nods once and growls. “So the bitch has been playing us for six months now? And none of us saw it?”

  “The letter has to be for me.” Shane speaks.

  We all turn to face him. “What makes you think that?” Cole asks him.

  He squares his shoulders and takes a deep breath. “Because … I know some secrets. Some that would totally change how this night is going to go. And that letter was threatening me to keep my mouth shut.”

  I frown. “I don’t understand, Shane.”

  “We all have secrets,” Cole grunts. “Why you specifically?”

  “I know something that you guys don’t. And if I told on the person who I’m guessing sent me that letter, I would also be implicating myself.” His eyes go to Cole, and I stiffen at the challenge in his eyes.

  What the fuck does he know? And why hasn’t he told us?

  Cole takes a step forward, closing the distance between them. “Just what in the fuck do you know, Shane?”

  And with that, he informs us of something he should have told us a long time ago. With each word, the room grows smaller. Colder. I watch Cole’s body tighten, his fists clench, and his breathing picks up. I cuss, Bennett kicks the table. Shane was right. Tonight is going to go differently than we had planned, but I have no problem adjusting it accordingly.

  BECKY

  I sit at my father’s kitchen table eating a piece of pie. He’s out of town for the week so I have the house to myself. It’s actually nice to be alone. I’ve always had to share. My school. My space. My car. My father made me take Demi everywhere. I was so fucking happy once she turned sixteen and could drive herself to school. I should have told my mom to let her stay here while I moved to Texas by myself.

  Finishing off the pie, I place the plate in the sink and make my way upstairs. The thunder shakes the walls, and I hear the rain pick up. Typical Collins. This place is such a downer.

  I enter my room and fall onto my bed. I close my eyes and let out a sigh. But they snap open when I hear a noise. “Hello?” I call out, looking outside my room but see nothing.

  I remove my shirt. Tossing it onto the bed, I undo my jeans and push them down my legs. Standing in a black bra and matching thong, I enter my bathroom to take a bath. I need to relax. My entire body has been tight for days. I’ve been in a bad mood. Nothing has been going right, and I don’t like that.

  I hear another sound and walk back into my bedroom. “Hello?” I ask again. Silence follows. My clock on my nightstand shows it’s a little after midnight. The thunder rattles the walls again and lightning flashes, lighting up my room. I shrug it off, knowing it must be a tree branch hitting my window or something.

  My phone rings on my bed, and I look down to see Deke written across the screen. My heart begins to race with excitement.

  “Hey?” I try to say calmly, but my high pitch gives me away. I turn, placing my back to the door and walk toward the windows. The falling rain making visibility nonexistent. “What are you …?”

  “Do you miss me, Becky?” he asks in greeting.

  A cold chill runs up my spine at his tone. There was nothing affectionate about it. Just cold. Detached. “Of course, … I …”

  “What if I said I wanted to see you?”

  I swallow, and the hairs on my neck rise. “Deke.” I give a nervous laugh. “What do you mean? I, uh, I’d love to see you, but you’re too far away.” Thank God. He sounds like a serial killer calling his next victim. He’s probably drunk and playing some sick game with me.

  “What if I told you I’m here?”

  I whip around to face my bedroom door, my chest rising and falling quickly. “In Collins?” My voice shakes.

  He gives a dark chuckle, and my stomach drops when I watch a man dressed in black jeans and a black hoodie move to stand in the doorway of my bedroom. His blue eyes look me up and down, taking in my half-naked body, but he shows no sign of interest. When they reach mine, I hear him whisper in my ear. “Your bedroom.”

  I drop the phone and run into my en suite bathroom. I slam the door shut and lock it. He begins to pound on it from the outside. “Stop,” I cry as I press up against it, knowing he’s fucking with me. If he wanted in, that lock wouldn’t stop him. “Deke, please …”

  It stops banging, and I take a step back from it. Tears sting my eyes, and my body shakes. What the fuck is he doing here? Is my sister with him? Are they both trying to scare me?

  I take another step back and bump into a hard surface. I gasp, spinning around only to come face to face with Cole Reynolds. They tricked me. The phone call was to distract me to allow him into my bathroom. Where Deke knew I’d run. His blue eyes stare down at me emotionless, and my breath hitches. “Cole …”

  He grips my hair and shoves my face into my bathroom mirror. Pain explodes behind my eyes. The impact takes my breath away. He yanks me back and shoves me away from him so hard that I slide across the countertop, knocking off my beauty supplies in the process. I hit the tile floor on my side as my shaking hands come up to shield my bloody and busted face. I sob into them, and it just intensifies the pounding in my face.

  Cole opens the door, and I get up on my hands and knees, crawling away from them. “Fucking bastard,” I cry. He’s a fucking psycho.

  Deke enters followed by Shane and then Bennett. I begin to shake. They’re gonna kill me. Right here. In my bathroom. “Fuck you guys! All of you!” I shout.

  “You like to play, Becky? So do we.” Deke speaks, dropping a black duffel bag to his feet.

  Shane gives me a cruel smile and kneels by the bag. Slowly, he unzips it. “Sorry, Becky. I ratted you out.”

  My chest tightens. “I don’t know what you’re talking about …”

  “But you do.” He nods. “Kellan had told me ...”

  “No, no, no, no,” I chant.

  “And you knew that I knew … How long did you expect me to keep that secret?”

  Now it all makes sense. That’s why Cole slammed my fac
e into the mirror. Because that’s exactly what Kellan did to Austin. The night I helped him break into the Lowes house.

  Eight months ago

  Austin walks into the kitchen and grabs the Fireball off the counter and takes a sip from the bottle. Her birthday party has been in full swing for over an hour now. She’s already pretty drunk. I’m sober as shit.

  “What the hell was that?” I demand, running up next to her. I just stood in her father’s game room where she told the sharks that she has insurance on them. Whatever the fuck that means.

  “Me putting them in their place,” she says and tips it back again.

  I sigh. “What do you have on them?”

  “Enough.”

  I roll my eyes. “That’s not what I asked, Austin.”

  She takes another drink as Deke walks into the kitchen, and I tense. What the fuck have they been up to? I know Cole is playing a game with Austin, but I didn’t know they were all playing with her. Now I know everyone is involved.

  He comes over to us, his eyes on mine. “We’re leaving, babe,” he says, and I watch Cole storm past the kitchen and out the front door.

  She takes another drink.

  “I’m staying again tonight,” I tell him. I stayed last night as well to bring in her birthday.

  He nods, already knowing that. Then he looks at Austin. He opens his mouth to speak and then closes it.

  “What?” she snaps.

  He just shakes his head. “Nothing.” Then gives me a kiss before he turns and leaves.

  “You can go with him if you want,” she offers.

  I shake my head. “Absolutely not. I’m your only friend, remember?” I give her a smile before taking the bottle from her hand. All the girls hate her ’cause of Cole and all the boys want her ’cause of him as well. She’s fucked either way. “Someone has to watch over you.”

  She rolls eyes and sighs in disappointment. I can tell he’s ruined her birthday. Things have been tense since we stood at the clubhouse and he confessed that her father raped his mother and she has a half-sister.