True Colors (Masks #1)

by Melissa Pearl

  “We’ll find her, Micah. It’ll be okay.” I finally tugged the knot free and Micah wriggled out of his bindings, rubbing his chafed wrists. He lurched tall and made an attempt for the door. Two steps in, his legs turned to Jell-O and he had to catch himself against the wall.

  Libby and I rushed to his side, propping his arms over our shoulders.

  “Damn it,” he mumbled. “My head’s spinning, man.”

  “What did he hit you with?”

  “I didn’t see. Something hard and metal.”

  I swallowed, praying it wasn’t the butt of a gun...or a tire iron. The Burbank newspaper article flashed through my brain.

  “Whatever he hit you with was nasty, Micah. You’ve probably got a concussion,” Libby said and then looked at me. “We need to get him to the hospital.”

  “Not without Indie.”

  “But Micah—”

  “We’re not leaving without her.” His languid voice was still firm.

  “He’s right.” I shot a look at Libby. “We can’t leave Indie behind.”

  Libby knew I was right, but she was scared...and she had every right to be. Big, strong Micah was a mess and we’d practically have to carry him out of there.

  I steadied him against me as we made our way out the door and down the hallway.

  “Where do you think she’d be?” I whispered.

  Micah methodically took in his surroundings, obviously scrambling for recall. He winced, annoyed that things were blank. “We came up the stairs and went straight to the office,” he muttered as he looked down the hallway. “Let’s try down here first.” He pointed ahead and we struggled our way forward.

  “Should we just try every room?” I glanced at Libby.

  “I guess so.” She made a face, looking as uncertain as I felt.

  Leaning away from Micah, I checked the first door I came up to, my nerves rattling against each other as I eased the door open. The room looked tidy and untouched. I quickly shut the door and moved onto the next. It was slow progress with having to drag Micah along with us. I was tempted to suggest he wait for us in the hall, but I knew that would never fly.

  We reached the grand central staircase and I toyed with the idea of voicing my suggestion. Micah could wait at the top of the stairs. As soon as we had Indie, we’d collect him and make a beeline for the door. Better yet, he could work his way down the stairs while he was waiting for us. I opened my mouth to suggest that, but then heard a muffled scream. We all did. Our bodies pinged tight as we listened.

  Come on, scream again.

  Although the noise was one of distress, I begged for a repeat. Surely it was Indie. Any noise she made would help us find her.

  “That way,” Micah whispered, tipping his head.

  Following his gaze, Libby and I walked him down the hallway, listening for another scream. We got lucky, if you can call it that, a minute later when we heard a sharp crack and then a wail.

  “In there.” Micah’s voice was like steel as he pointed to the door at the end of the hallway.

  We hustled towards it and I was sure my gut was going to drop out the bottom of my pants by the time I got there. Another crack and this time a whimper.

  “You know I don’t like doing this, Indie, but you leave me know choice. I expect you to be loyal!” Liam’s voice was pulled tight, like a string that was about to snap. “Now tell me what you were doing here with Micah!”

  Silence.

  “You tell me, Indie, or things are going to get really ugly.” His menacing tremor made me want to puke.

  I didn’t want to open the door and see, but I had to. My fingers were clammy as they wrapped around the knob and I eased the door open.

  Poor Indie was on the bed, her wrists tied to the slats of the headboard. She’d been stripped to her underwear and her thighs and torso were covered in red welts from Liam’s belt. Her eyes were round with fear, but I didn’t miss the acceptance either. She’d endured this before and I wanted to rip Liam’s heart out. Looking at Micah’s shocked expression, I wasn’t the only one.

  Liam’s eyes were blazing as he raised his belt and before I could think about it, I yelled, “Liam, stop!”

  He froze mid-action, his eyes clearing as if coming out of a haze. His usual mask was not in place, so his malice was there for all of us to see. Libby shrank back from it, while Micah lurched forward.

  “You asshole. I’m gonna kill you!” His lunge fell short as Jell-O legs kicked in again. Liam stepped toward him, whipping the belt in his hands. Micah caught it and tore it from his grasp as he fell to his knees. Liam’s dark expression rippled with fear. He was taken aback by Micah’s strength in spite of his wounded state.

  Liam’s gaze shot past me as if he were looking for someone. The foreboding that shadowed his expression told me that the person he was hoping would burst through the door to help him wasn’t here.

  That one look gave me the confidence I needed to step further into the room and reach for Micah.

  “Libby, untie Indie.”

  She jumped to do my bidding, rushing to the bed and keeping her eyes away from Liam. Her hands were trembling as she reached for the ropes.

  “She’s mine. Don’t touch her.” Liam’s black voice made Libby pause.

  “Don’t listen to him, Libby,” I quickly said.

  Liam smothered me with his molten gaze. I tried not to let it unnerve me as I helped Micah stand. He was wrapping the belt around his knuckles, looking ready to smash it into Liam’s face.

  “Stay calm.” I squeezed Micah’s elbow before looking back to Libby. She was still standing by the bed with her arms by her sides, locked in place by Liam’s pulsing wrath. “It’s okay, Libby. Set Indie free, Liam’s not going to touch you.”

  His eyes shot back to mine, flinching at my confidence.

  “You’re going to pay for this, Caitlyn. You’re making a really big mistake.”

  I swallowed, fear vibrating up my limbs. “I’m not afraid of you, Liam.” Total lie, but I hoped that it would sound convincing enough for him to shed another layer.

  He spun away before I could read more, snatching something off the nightstand.

  “Liam, no!” Indie sobbed as he turned, aiming a gun straight at me.

  I swallowed, taking a step back before I could stop myself.

  His eyes grew bright with a powerful smirk.

  “You don’t want to do this, Liam.”

  “Yes, I do.” His white teeth flashed and he pulled the trigger.

  28

  The shot exploded across the room. Libby and Indie screamed, while Micah let out a wail and fell to the floor beside me, clutching his thigh.

  Shit!

  I dropped to my knees, quickly assessing Micah’s leg. Yanking his hands away, I pulled at the torn fabric and nearly fainted with relief when I saw the bullet had only grazed Micah’s leg. The cut looked painful, but it was clear that it was only that, a deep cut. I resisted the urge to search for the bullet that was probably embedded in the armchair behind us.

  “You okay?”

  Micah nodded, sweat beading his brow as he tried to control his breathing.

  I whipped off my light sweater and pressed it against the wound. “Keep pressure on it, we’ll get you to the hospital soon.”

  Indie’s sobs filled the room.

  “Shut up!” Liam screamed at her. “Don’t you cry for him, you cheating whore!” With the back of his hand, he clipped her cheek, dulling her cries.

  Libby looked ready to pass out, her white skin stained with tears. I wanted to join the girls, dissolve into a puddle of tears on the floor, but I couldn’t. I was the only one capable of handling the situation.

  Man, I so didn’t want to. I wanted Eric to bust through the door and rescue me. I cursed myself for turning off my phone. What if it’d been him calling?

  Closing my eyes, I willed myself not to fall apart. Liam was stronger than me, not to mention he had a gun trained at my head. The only power I could use against him was
my ability to see through whatever veneer he had in place.

  Could I do it? Could I peel back enough layers to say the right thing and get us out of this? Did I have the guts to not press my lips together and back away like I always did?

  Probably not.

  But I had to try.

  Standing on shaking legs, I raised my hands and took a step toward Liam.

  I couldn’t talk at first, couldn’t make a sound squeeze past the iceberg in my throat. Finally I licked my lips. “Give me the gun, Liam.”

  “Stay back!” He pointed the pistol at my face.

  “Please, Liam” I reached out my hand. “You don’t want to do this.”

  “You don’t know shit about me.” Most would discern that his voice was quaking with rage, but I saw fear...more than fear. I could taste it. Something deeper, greater, was driving Liam to do this. I was still unsure if it would push him to put a bullet through my brain, but I couldn’t back out now. I kept staring at him, willing another layer to fall away, and it did. I saw the guilt and shame and then past that, as another layer fell away, the hurt, the abandonment…the desperation.

  A pity for him began to stir within and I was sure my expression folded to match it. “You don’t want to kill me, Liam. I know you don’t.”

  His eyes flashed, the shame and guilt pressing forward, followed swiftly by self-loathing, and suddenly I knew. It all came clear as I studied his transparent expression.

  “You’ve seen someone die before, haven’t you? Watched the life leak out of their eyes.”

  “Shut up!” The gun shook in his hands, his blue eyes wild.

  “The smell of the blood as it poured from his head. The whisper of his last breath.”

  “Shut the hell up! I will shoot you!” he screamed.

  “You want to go through that again? You want to be responsible for someone else’s death?”

  He blanched, the gun trembling in his hand. “It wasn’t me!”

  “Yes it was, Liam. You hit that man when you were trying to steal his car, didn’t you? Smashed him on the head with a tire iron and then you ran.”

  Liam’s lips pinched tight as all his emotions swirled together like a tornado. His voice was quaking as he yelled, “He was threatening my brother. He had a gun to his head. He was going to kill him. I had no choice!”

  I so needed to calm things down. Liam’s finger was still on the trigger and if the gun accidentally went off, I was dead.

  “I get that. You were protecting your brother.”

  “Mason was the one who finished him off.” Liam licked his lips, glancing at Indie as if seeking her approval somehow. He didn’t want her looking at him like he was a murderer. “I didn’t want to.” His lips wobbled. “It wasn’t my idea, but Mason said we had to or the guy would ID us and we’d get arrested. I can’t go to jail.”

  “You don’t have to go to jail.” Liam spun back around to face me. “You were just doing what you were told. That makes sense. You love your brother. He’s all you’ve got, right?”

  Liam nodded, the relief starting to spread. The gun was still aimed at me, but at least Liam’s hands had stopped shaking. I inched a little closer to him.

  “I know you’re a good person, Liam.”

  LIE!

  “You’ve just been doing what you were told. I know you don’t want to hurt Indie or anybody else. But it’s all you’ve ever known, isn’t it?”

  I had no idea where that line of thinking came from, but I suddenly saw it—a flash of a little boy cowering in the corner. The sick fear on his pasty white face, his bright blue eyes round with terror.

  “Shut up.” Liam closed his eyes.

  “Who used to beat you, Liam? Was it your dad?”

  He didn’t want to answer me, but couldn’t help a small head shake.

  “Your mom,” I said it softly.

  “Get out of my head,” he whispered through clenched teeth.

  “You hated her, didn’t you? You were pleased when she died. You were free to live however you wanted.”

  Liam’s lips pinched together. His eyes were open again, but he wouldn’t look at me. “You and Mason got to live the life you deserved, but then it all fell apart, didn’t it? Mason killed…again...trying to protect you.”

  “He didn’t kill her! She fell down the stairs! It was an accident. If she hadn’t been trying to chase us, she wouldn’t have tripped.”

  “It wasn’t your fault.”

  “No! Even the cops said that.” His chin rose a little. He felt justified, but then that guilt crested over him once more.

  “But the man, the innocent man. What do you think the cops would say about him?” I kept my voice as soft and calm as I could. In all honesty, I didn’t know how I was doing it.

  Liam’s eyebrows dipped together, his lips trembling as he drew in a ragged breath.

  “If you shoot me now, what will they say about it?”

  His nostrils flared.

  “You won’t get away with it this time...unless you plan on killing all of us. How will you hide the evidence this time? Where will you run? How will you live? Start up another cheating ring, get the rich kids to finance your life again?”

  “You don’t know shit!” The words jerked out of his mouth. “You rich bitches with your charmed life. You have no idea what it’s like. We did what we had to. We’ve never had the luxury of choice!”

  “I know that Mason’s been making all the decision for you guys. You don’t want to be this way...and you don’t have to, Liam. You have a choice.” I swallowed, praying this would work. I didn’t know how much longer I could keep going with this conversation. His gun hadn’t dipped or wavered once. Emotionally, he was at the point of breaking, but could I do it? I stepped toward him; the barrel of the gun was now only two inches from my face. “You can shoot me. You can watch my blood splatter across the room.”

  He flinched.

  “And then you’ll need to kill Micah.” I pointed to the floor. “And Libby.” I pointed across the room. “And Indie,” I whispered her name, knowing it would tug at his heartstrings. He loved her. That much was clear. It was a warped love, but it was still real.

  “Do you want see the life leak out of her beautiful eyes? Do you want to see blood matting her hair? You’ll have to carry her limp body out of here. You won’t just want to leave her, will you?”

  Liam couldn’t take his eyes off Indie. His gaze traveled the length of her body, his eyes welling with tears.

  “Don’t be responsible for any more deaths, Liam. It’s time to become the person you want to be. Mason can’t control you anymore.”

  The air went still around us. I had nothing left to say, no more words to win him over. I’d seen Liam down to his core. He was a gaping wound to my eyes and I had nothing left to heal it.

  The wait was excruciating. I couldn’t take my eyes off Liam as I monitored his emotions. He couldn’t take his eyes off Indie. She kept her gaze steady, her expression tender. She didn’t feel any warmth or love toward him, but she was smart enough to put on a show.

  Finally, the gun dipped. I wanted to cry with relief as I stepped forward and gently unhooked it from his hand. Shame, guilt, longing, agony were pulsing from Liam’s face. “I’m sorry,” he whispered to his girlfriend.

  She shook her head, her eyes glistening with tears.

  I nodded at Libby to untie Indie. I wasn’t sure how long the miracle would last.

  “Caity,” Micah said. “The gun.”

  I was about to frown and ask why, but I read his expression and there was nothing sinister within it. He was still pissed at Liam and he wanted to kill him, but I saw honor outweigh that emotion, so I slid the gun across the floor. Micah caught it in his hand and unloaded it, making sure to empty the bullet from the chamber as well. He gave Liam a molten glare as he pocketed the bullets and tucked the gun into his jeans.

  Liam stumbled back on wobbly legs and fell into a chair. Dropping his head into his hands, he let out a hiccuping wail th
en began sobbing like a little kid.

  I wasn’t quite sure what to do. My first instinct was to comfort him, but that was stupid. I needed to get Micah and Indie to the hospital. Libby wrestled with the last of the ropes. Indie eased off the bed, wincing in pain. Reaching for her dress, she pulled it on, biting her lips against a wail.

  “Let’s go,” she mouthed, her eyes still rich with fear.

  I was obviously missing something.

  29

  I raced to Micah and helped him up. He leaned against me as we hobbled out of the room. Indie closed the door behind us and came around the other side of Micah.

  “I’m sorry.” She clung to his side. “I’m sorry.”

  He kissed the top of her head and tenderly squeezed her shoulder. “It’s okay. I’m fine.”

  “We have to get out of here.” Indie’s quivering voice pushed us down the hallway. “He does this sometimes. Falls apart, and when he revives, it’s...it’s terrifying.” She shook her head and whispered, “Mason,” then walked forward before I had a chance to ask her what she meant.

  We got to the top of the stairs and were about to descend when Indie pulled us to a stop. “The memory stick.” She yanked it out of her dress pocket, rubbing her thumb over the smooth plastic.

  “What? Are you insane? You told us we had to get out of here,” Libby whisper-barked. “What about Mason? You just said his name, it must be important.”

  “Exactly. Mason. We need some kind of insurance...against both of them. They’re petrified of going to prison. If we have this evidence, it’ll protect us,” Indie whispered urgently.

  “I want to get out of here. We have to get Micah to the hospital.” Libby argued back, pointing at our bleeding friend.

  Indie’s face crumpled, tears spilling from her eyes. After a quick read, I saw everyone was on the edge of losing it. I snatched the stick off Indie before I could think better of it.