He sighs. “I told you it’s not like that.”
“So you guys haven’t fucked?” I quirk a brow, knowing damn well that they have.
He shoves a hand through his hair. “Of course, we have …”
“That’s what I thought.”
“But I love her,” he admits.
I snort, but don’t say anything because I believe the bastard.
“Where the fuck is Shane?” Cole growls, changing the subject.
I don’t wanna be here any more than he does, but we have shit to go over. Secrets just keep coming out like fucking vomit. One of my best friends is fucking my sister. Our other friend was keeping secrets about my ex. Like what else do we not know? At this point, I’m not sure what could surprise me.
Cole’s phone rings, and he shifts on the couch to dig it out of his pocket to answer it. “Hello? When?” He stands after a second. “Okay. I’ll call her.” He hangs up.
“What’s up?” I ask.
“That was Blanche. She said Austin was supposed to pick up Lilly thirty minutes ago but never showed. She’s tried calling her, but she won’t answer.”
I sit back on the couch and take a drink of my beer. “It was snowing earlier. Maybe they got caught in it, and it slowed her down.” Come to think of it, Demi had messaged me a little bit ago about dinner, but she hasn’t read my response.
He places the phone to his ear and then pulls it away immediately. “Straight to voicemail.”
I frown and sit up straighter. He tries again. And again. The worry and anger quickly taking over his features. “I’ll try Demi’s.”
I pull up her name on my phone and push call. It rings five times before going to voicemail. I look up at him and just shake my head as I dial it again. “Nothing,” I say when it does the same.
“It’s not like Austin to have her phone off.” He growls.
“Maybe it died,” Bennett suggests.
Just then, the door flies open, and Shane walks in.
“You’re driving,” Cole orders, not wasting a second.
“Where to?” he asks, spinning around to watch Cole storm out of the clubhouse. “What’s going on?” He turns to ask me.
“The girls aren’t answering their phones,” I answer.
“They’re probably busy.”
“And they never showed up to pick up Lilly,” I add.
Cole and I jump into the back of Shane’s car while he gets in the driver seat, and Bennett falls into the passenger seat. “Where are we going?” Shane asks
“Give me a second.” Cole snaps, his fingers typing quickly on his phone. “I’ve got a tracker on her car. I’m looking it up now.”
“Dear Lord, dude. Paranoid?” Shane chuckles.
I expect Cole to have a snarky comeback or punch him in the back of the head, but he does neither.
“I’m sure they’re fine …”
“What the fuck?” Cole barks, interrupting Shane.
“What?” I ask, starting to worry myself.
He drops his phone in his lap and looks over at me. “They’re at Austin’s dad’s house.”
BECKY
I pull in the circle drive of the Lowes estate. The house looks the same as it always has. From the outside, it looks like the million-dollar mansion her father had built for his young wife ten years ago. It’s over the top, but what house in Collins isn’t? The bigger, the better is their way of life. Three stories, twelve fireplaces, and a six-car garage are more than any family needs. But I understand it. I don’t wanna live in a shack when I get older.
“Get out,” I say to Kellan as I come to a stop in front of the Lowes estate.
He laughs. “What? Don’t wanna come in for a cup of tea?”
I roll my eyes. My phone starts to vibrate while sitting in my cupholder. I see that it’s Deke and pick it up, placing it on silent. Then I put it in the side door pocket so Kellan can’t grab it and answer the call. He’s a dick like that.
“Thanks for the ride, baby.” He opens the door.
I lean over and look up at him. “You’re gonna keep your mouth shut, right? About me letting you in on her birthday?” He can’t tell on me. Who knows what the fuck Cole would do to me if he found out.
He laughs. “Don’t worry, Becky. Your secret is safe with me.” He slams my door shut and walks toward the house.
Obviously, he informed Shane that I let him into the Lowes house the night of Austin’s birthday. I’m just not sure why he chose now to tell them. What changed to make him do that?
Getting out of Austin’s SUV, I slam the door shut and watch David get out of his car. He and Maxwell come around the back of it where I stand. “We’ll get the girls. Just get the front door for us.”
I run up the steps and push the heavy door open, knowing it was unlocked. No one has been here since Kellan killed Celeste and shot Austin. I cover my nose when I open the door because the stench is overwhelming. The blood still covers the black and white checkered marble floor of the grand foyer. It’s a shame they didn’t have anyone come and clean it up after Bruce was arrested for paying off Jeff to cause the car wreck. He got life for three counts of manslaughter. For each of the guys who died in the wreck he caused.
Maxwell carries my unconscious sister over his shoulder while David drags a very pissed off Austin through the front door with his hand fisted in her dark hair. “Fuck, she’s a handful.” He grunts.
I slam the door shut. “Her room is upstairs.”
“Let go of me!” she snaps as he shoves her up the stairs. “You won’t get away with this.”
We both ignore her. He comes to the landing, and I kick her bedroom door open. It looks the same as it did when she lived here. After she was shot, Cole and Deke came over and packed up all her clothes for their move to Texas, so she wouldn’t have to come back here and do it herself. They left everything else.
He throws her onto her bed, and she grunts from landing on her back, her restrained hands underneath her.
There’s not an ounce of fear in her green eyes, just pure hatred. She wants to kill me. Well, she’ll have to get in line. We have a plan, and once we’re done, we’re gonna run like hell. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because the sharks think they are the only things to be scared of.”
She snorts. “You think this is gonna make them fear you?” She shakes her head. “You’re more stupid than I gave you credit for.” Her nostrils flare, and a small line of blood runs down from her forehead where the car door hit her. Her green eyes slide to David, then back to me.
“You guys haven’t officially met. This is David,” I announce, and her eyes widen.
“Your ex?” she demands.
“Who said we ever broke up?”
He walks up to the bed and looks down at her. “Pretty.” He chuckles, and I narrow my eyes on him. “Hello, Austin, I’ve heard a lot about you.” Reaching out, he runs his knuckles through the blood on her face, smearing it.
She yanks away from him.
I slap her, knocking her head to the side, the sound bouncing off the walls in her room. I go to do it again, but David grabs my arm and spins me to face him. “We’ve got all night with her, babe.”
“You better fucking kill me,” she sneers.
“I’m gonna kill her first. Then I’ll get around to you,” I say honestly. We walk out, slamming her door behind us.
We make our way down the stairs and to the living room.
Maxwell has my sister sitting in a high back barstool that he must have taken from the kitchen in the middle of the room and her head hangs back, eyes closed. She’s still drugged and will be for a while. I gave her more than her body needed. Possibly too much. She may die from that alone. We’ll just have to wait and see.
“Here you go, babe.” David hands me a knife, and I look at in my hand. It resembles the one that the fucking sharks used to cut the back of my neck with. A black handle with a black rubber grip. I press the button and the blade pops out. Silver with a blac
k center.
“Is she already dead?” I ask.
Maxwell places his fingers to her neck and then shakes his head. “She’s still alive. Just out.” Then he looks over at the hallway. “What about the other one?”
“Alive and awake,” David answers. “Why don’t you go keep an eye on her?”
Maxwell gives him a smile, telling us that’s not the only thing he plans on keeping on her. I don’t even care. They’ve all betrayed me. She’s a shark, just like the rest of them. They never wanted me or accepted me.
“Just don’t kill her,” I call out as he walks out of the living room.
“I’m not a murderer.” His chuckle carries down the hall. “I just wanna play.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
DEKE
SHANE PULLS INTO the drive of the Lowes estate. Once we clear the trees, I order, “Cut the lights.” It’s not dark yet, but it will be soon. The snow has started coming down again.
Austin’s SUV sits parked out front by the five-tier water fountain, but it’s not alone. A black Maserati is parked next to it.
“Who the fuck is that?” Bennett asks.
“Fuck if I know,” I answer.
“Go around to the side,” Cole snaps. “I don’t want anyone to see us coming.”
Shane puts the car in reverse to back out of the long driveway and then throws it in gear, turning on his lights and punching the gas to pass the house, then takes the next right. There used to be a road that ran parallel to the house leading up to the abandoned cemetery.
He comes to a stop, and we jump out. The house is set to be demolished. You can see they’ve already brought the equipment out to start soon.
Popping his trunk, I grab my black duffle bag. We brought everything we could think of. Throwing it over my shoulder, I look up at the side of the house.
“What the fuck is she doing?” Cole growls. Fisting his hands, he tries her cell again, praying she answers to explain this crazy situation. Any excuse she could have would be better than our imagination. In my mind, they’re both already dead.
“How we gonna get in?” Bennett asks. “I don’t think we should just go through the front.”
“The back door,” Cole answers. “I knocked the glass out to get in when Becky and I came back here while Austin was in the hospital to get the USB drive.”
“Then that’s where we enter,” I order. “Everyone, turn your cells on silent. I don’t want anyone calling us and giving away our location.” I’m not taking that chance. We have no clue what we are about to walk into, but I know the girls aren’t here to take a trip down memory lane.
We make our way around the house, walking alongside the pool and step onto the terrace and go to open it, but I place my hand on Cole’s chest stopping him. “Becky!” I hiss. I watch her through the broken glass. She stands in front of a barstool where another blonde sits slumped over. It’s Demi. David stands next to them.
Motherfucker!
“What the fuck?” Shane barks. “Why the fuck is he with her?”
I shove my phone into Bennett’s chest. “Call my sister. Tell her to get her ass over here right now,” I demand.
“What … Why?”
“Because Demi looks like she’s gonna need medical attention, and I’m not leaving this house until I’ve killed him.” I growl. No way in hell will he walk away from this. Even if he manages to kill me, the guys will get him.
“Where the fuck is Austin?” Cole demands. “I don’t see her.”
“Let’s go find out,” I say. Turning the knob, I enter with Cole and Shane. Bennett stays behind to make the call.
“God, I’ve hated her for so long,” Becky says, gripping the handle of a knife in her hand.
“Well, I’ve always known that, babe.”
“She ruins everything.” She takes a step toward her.
“You’ve got her all to yourself. What do you want to do to her?” he asks, crossing his arms over his chest. The fucking bastard is just gonna stand there and let her have her way with Demi.
“Hurt her. Kill her. I want her out of my life for good. I want to hurt her for Deke ever touching her.” She lifts the knife like she’s gonna stab her, and I step out of the darkness.
He laughs like it’s funny. Like her jealousy turns him on. What the fuck is going on?
“Hello, Becky,” I say, calmly, holding my anger back. I want her to think I’m sane at the moment when I’m really far from it. She’s not the only one who can act.
“Deke,” she squeals, jumping back.
David shoves her away from him as if he can save her. “Deke.” He growls my name.
I lift my gun. “Get on your knees.”
“You don’t fucking scare me.” He snorts. “None of you fucking sharks ever did.”
“Last chance,” I say, aiming the gun right between his eyes. I don’t see Cole or Shane, but I know they’ve got my back.
“Or what …?”
Cole comes up behind him and wraps his arm around David’s neck, proceeding to choke him out. I run to Demi and pick her up off the barstool. I lay her on the couch, and her head falls to the side. I check her pulse, and it’s strong. “What did you give her?” I bark out.
“Fuck you,” Becky shouts as Shane grabs her. He drags her over to me and forces her to her knees next to the couch.
I point the gun at her head, pressing it to her temple. “What did you give her?” I ask again, breathing heavily. Whatever moment of calmness I had is now long gone.
“David got some Valium from a friend. He made it into an injectable …” she cries.
Bennett enters the room and comes over to us just as I hear David hit the floor from Cole getting the job done. “Where is Austin?” I demand.
Demi isn’t gonna be waking up anytime soon, and I know my sister is on her way to help her. I need to know what the situation is with Austin.
She closes her eyes, and her lips thin, refusing to answer me. “Where the fuck is she?” I shout, gripping her face in my hand.
She shakes but answers. “Upstairs in her room … with Maxwell.”
“Fuck!” Cole runs out of the living room.
I jump to my feet to follow him. He may need help. He’d willingly die to protect Austin from harm, but I hesitate, not wanting to leave Demi.
“Go,” Bennett orders. “Shelby is on her way.”
“I’ve got Becky,” Shane assures me.
I run out of the living room, down the long hallway, and come into the still blood-covered marble floor foyer. I grip the banister and spin around to run up the stairs. I enter Austin’s room to see Cole cutting Austin’s wrists free from the rope. But I don’t see anyone else in here.
“Where is he?” I growl.
She points at her closed bathroom door while Cole pulls her to him. He runs his hands up and down her body to check for anything they might have done to her.
I walk over to it and crack it open. He stands at the toilet, whistling as he pisses. I place my gun into the waist of my jeans and push up my sleeves. Walking in behind him, I kick the back of his knees in.
“What the …?”
I grip the back of his head and shove him headfirst into the toilet. I straddle his legs as he kneels on the floor and hold him face down in his piss and water while he struggles against me. Cole enters the bathroom and stands there watching me with Austin by his side.
Maxwell’s hands hit the toilet, his feet kick the back of my legs while I stand over him, but he’s not going to win. There’s no way any of us will let him walk out of this house. And what better way than to kill a man in his own urine? His body shudders one last time, and then he slumps against the toilet. I release him and take a step back.
“You okay?” I ask her, walking over to the sink. She has a cut on her forehead and a trail of smeared blood runs down her cheek along with a cut on her lip.
Lifting her chin, she nods. “I’ll be fine. Is Demi okay?”
I don’t answer because I’m not su
re what to say at this point. I remove my shirt and tuck what little I can fit into the back of my jeans pocket, letting the rest hang out since it now has piss on it from him struggling. I go to turn her faucet on to wash my hands, but there’s no water. “Fuck.” I hiss.
“Maybe there are some bottles of water …”
“Fuck! Fuck” I shout, slamming my fists into the countertop, losing my fucking cool and interrupting her.
Cole turns to Austin. “Go downstairs.”
“I’m staying with …”
“Go downstairs, Austin,” he orders, interrupting her. Then he lowers his voice. “Shane and Bennett are down there with Demi. Shelby should be here by now. Check and see if she needs anything or if you can find any water.”
With that, she pulls away and exits the bathroom.
I turn around and look at the guy I just killed. Fucking Maxwell. He was a year older than us and David’s best friend. He’s on his knees, head in the toilet and arms out to his side. His shirt is missing and so are his jeans. All he’s wearing is his boxers.
He was gonna rape her! If he hadn’t already.
“Did he touch her?” I ask.
“She said no.” He growls, shoving his hands through his hair.
“Do you believe her?” Austin isn’t the kind of girl to tell you everything. She thinks she’s strong enough to deal with shit herself.
“Her shirt was still on, and her jeans weren’t undone. Doesn’t mean he didn’t touch her over them. But I’m gonna make her go to the hospital and have a full workup done,” he grinds out.
I’m not gonna argue that she may not allow that because Cole will find a way to make it happen. Instead, I say, “Help me get him downstairs.”
I take Maxwell’s arms, and he takes his feet. We carry the heavy bastard down the stairs and through the house to the living room, dropping him on the rug.
My sister is sitting next to Demi with her wrist in her hand and another at her neck. Becky still kneels on the floor while Shane holds the gun to her head. Austin is nowhere to be seen and neither is Bennett.
“Where is Austin?” Cole demands, looking around frantically.
“She and Bennett went to the kitchen to look for water.”
DARE SERIES COLLECTION Page 88