Darkness Falls (Darkness Series Book 3)

by Drake, J. L.

  “Hurting Emily is the best way,” Garrett finished for him with a grim expression.

  What the hell would Avery and Lasko have against me? I wanted to kill Avery with my bare hands. I couldn’t get past the fact that he had known where Emily had been taken…fuck, he had even had a part in it.

  “Jesus,” I blurted out, “it was fucking Avery who planted that camera in our hotel room. The one Emily mentioned she saw right before she escaped.”

  Garrett cleared his throat. “Anything else you want to share, Crew?”

  “Not yet, just that we have two agents tailing him. He’ll slip up soon, and we’ll nail him.”

  “Slip up! You know Avery is Lasko’s brother, go arrest him.” I banged my fist on the table.

  “On what?” Crew shrugged, unfazed by my outburst. “Can’t arrest someone for being related to a psychopath.” He held up his hands. “Look, we don’t have any proof right now that Avery is guilty of anything. He’s good, he’s careful, he covers his tracks well. If he is up to something, well, everyone slips at some point, and when he does, we’ll book him. But, guys,” Crew rested his elbows on the table, “we have to play this carefully and by the book. We’re talking about bringing down a cop. One fuck up on our end, one leak, one suspicious glance at him, and we’re over. This case will be thrown out. So stay calm, but stay alert.”

  “So, what is the good news?” Garrett asked as Crew started to put the papers back into the folder. He stood and pushed in his chair.

  “The good news is you know who Avery is and can keep an eye on him. Let’s keep it that way.” He glanced at his watch. “I’ll be in touch. Keep in mind, your phones, computers, anything electronic can and will most likely be tracked. He’s smart, so be smarter.”

  With that, he was gone. Garrett and I sat in silence for a few moments. The idea that a trusted friend was connected to our nightmare was a hard thing to comprehend.

  ***

  Avery

  Blood drained from my face, my skin prickled, and my heartbeat pounded in my head. Why the fuck did Agent Crew have a photo of me? Did they connect me to Jims? My hand reached out as I felt like a vice was tightening around my neck. Black spots appeared, and it tainted my vision. I slowly backed up to my car and sank into the seat.

  If Agent Crew dug hard enough, he could match my brother’s DNA with mine, but he’d have to have a reason to. Then it hit me, and a layer of sweat broke across my upper lip. Hank-motherfucking-Wallace must have rolled over. Jims must have told him he had a brother. I never met the man, but if Jims was strung out on drugs, who the hell knew what he’d spill.

  Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

  My wrists banged on the steering wheel until the pain shot up to my elbows. I grabbed my phone and called her.

  “Hey.” Her cheery voice didn’t go with how I felt today.

  “We need to do this tonight.”

  There was a pause.

  “What’s going on, Avery?”

  “I think I was made—”

  “How?” she interrupted.

  We didn’t have time for this. I’d explain later. “Grab your shit and be ready for me in one hour. You remember the plan?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well?” I sighed. She knew I needed her to repeat it like always. I needed to know she knew exactly what to do.

  “We out Jack and demand the money. “

  “Right.”

  “No one gets hurt, right?” she whispered. I could tell she was nervous.

  “Interesting you’d ask that, considering—”

  “I’m not like Jimmy. I couldn’t live with myself if I hurt someone.”

  I pulled into a gas station and hopped out of the car. “Only in it for the money, nothing more than we deserve,” I reassured her. “Now pack your shit, ’cause we’re not coming back.”

  Opening my trunk, I pulled out three gas cans and filled them to the top. Time to make things right.

  ***

  Seth

  I pulled into Garrett’s driveway and turned off the car. We both got out with our food in hand—not that either of us felt hungry—and went inside.

  “So the camera in the hotel room was planted by Avery.” Garrett handed me a beer and unwrapped his sandwich. Now that the shock had worn off some, we started to connect the dots to everything, and it was fucking mind-blowing.

  “Most likely killed Matthews,” I added and swallowed back the loss of my friend. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he was connected to Davis somehow.”

  Garrett’s face went white. “Campbell.” I nodded. “I bet he saw Campbell poking around and thought he was onto something.”

  My phone vibrated on the table, and a quick glance had me typing away a quick response.

  Maddy: I have a surprise and I need you ALL here to see it.

  Seth: Now?

  Maddy: Please, Seth, I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.

  “Shit,” I muttered, “I gotta go.”

  “Everything okay?” Garrett popped two chips in his mouth.

  “Maddy has a surprise and wants us all there to see it. She said it was important. I’ll call you later.”

  My head spun as I drove over. How could Avery be related Lasko? How could I have not known? I cringed at all the times I left him alone with Emily. Why did he never hurt her? Was I the target? If so, why? This was insane.

  I nodded at the guard as I drove through. “Have a good day, Mr. Connors. Your company arrived about twenty minutes ago.

  “Company?” I whispered and wondered what the hell Maddy was up to.

  “Hello?” I called out as I stepped into the entryway. Chatter came from the other room.

  “In here,” my mother called out from the kitchen.

  Nicholas sat with Mom, and my father was off in the corner with a pissed-off expression. Gretchen was preparing coffee and cake. The only one missing was Maddy.

  “Drink?” Nicholas asked. I gave a quick nod as my phone vibrated again.

  Emily: Any idea where Maddy is? She missed our lunch date.

  Huh. Normally I’d give her crap about texting my phone right now, but it was an innocent text.

  Seth: No, she told us to meet her at Mom’s for a surprise. Teenagers.

  Dammit, Maddy. I rolled my eyes at the thought of Emily being stood up. That wasn’t typically something Maddy would do.

  “Here.” Nicholas handed me a beer. “Any idea what’s going on?”

  “Did anyone try her phone?” my mother asked as she pulled hers free from her purse.

  “Went straight to voicemail earlier,” Nicholas answered, then studied my face. “Care to share?”

  “Later.”

  A loud ring echoed down the hallway. I looked at Mom, and we all started to move in the direction of the sound. I was the first to round the corner and see my baby sister tied to a chair in the center of the living room. She was crying, but her sobs were silent since a wide piece of duct tape covered her mouth.

  “Mads!” I shouted as I ran to her side. She started to panic, her hand pointing behind me. One moment I was looking at Maddy, the next I felt a jab to the ribs. I whirled around to find Avery pointing a semi-automatic rifle in my face.

  Oh shit!

  “Sit,” he commanded. I looked over his shoulder to Nicholas, who had raised his arm at someone behind me. I glanced and saw a woman standing there. She had light brown hair, a skinny body, and big boobs. My eyes widened at the gun she was pointing at us. Who the hell is this? She stared at my father, then at me, her gaze going back and forth. I recognized her from somewhere. She’s the girl from the supermarket. Avery’s one night stand. What?

  “Everyone sit down, shut up, and do as you’re told.” Avery nudged me with the tip of the rifle. Mom pulled my arm so I would sit. Maddy shook in place. I caught her eye and gave her a little nod to tell her I had this.

  Avery pulled up a chair and motioned for my father to take the offered seat.

  “Jack, would you be so kind as to take this seat
facing your family?” he said. His voice had an oddly formal tone to it.

  “What is this about?” my father challenged as he crossed his arms and stayed put. His classic asshole move.

  Avery gave us a little smile before he swung the gun around and butted the handle of the rifle into the side of my father’s head. A loud curse flew out of his mouth as he fell to the floor. Avery dragged him up and threw him in the direction of the chair.

  “You don’t get to ask the questions.”

  I took this distraction to pull my cell phone free.

  Seth: 31/32

  Garrett: 4

  Avery looked away from my father toward the nervous girl and ordered her to remove our cell phones. I had quickly slipped mine back in my pocket. Her hands shook when she collected them. Who the hell was this girl?

  Mom let out a little cry as Avery pointed the weapon at her. “Trust me, Martha, you’ll want to hear this.”

  My father crawled into the chair and held his head where the blood dripped.

  “Now,” Avery stood behind my father, “it’s time for you to confess your sins.”

  I glanced at Nicholas, who had the same ‘oh shit’ expression as I now wore.

  The letters, shit!

  “Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. It’s been…” Avery started for him. When my father didn’t speak, Avery rolled his eyes. “I’ve got all night, Jack.” Avery looked at the girl. “Maybe he just needs a little reminder. Tina Upton.” My father’s head snapped up to look at Avery. How the hell do they know that name? I felt my mother shift next to me. “There it is,” he said to the girl, “the recognition.”

  “This has nothing to do with you, boy!” my father snapped. Rage flickered across his face.

  “This has everything to do with me,” Avery shouted at him.

  My mother spoke up. “Who’s Tina Upton?” This was going to kill her, and I felt a pang of hurt for my mother and my sister.

  Avery whirled around. “My mother.”

  “What?” I blurted without a thought. “Tina Upton was your mother?” I didn’t get to read all the letters. Fuck, in hindsight, I wished I had. Maybe I would have seen this coming.

  “Yes.” Avery gave me a hard look, but I could see the wound was raw. “You see, your father met my mother on a business trip.” He turned to my father. “Did you think of Martha while you fucked my mother, Jack?”

  Jack’s gaze shot over to Mom’s, as did mine. Her face was shocked, and her eyes filled with tears. I took her hand in mine and held on tight. My poor mother.

  “Did you tell her you had a family?” When my father didn’t answer, Avery pointed the gun at his hand on the armrest and pulled the trigger.

  Everyone screamed, including the girl who came with Avery.

  “Shut the fuck up!” Avery pointed the gun at all of us while my father cried out and held his bloody hand to his chest. “Christ, Jack, all you had to do was answer the question. How will you be redeemed if you don’t wash your soul clean?” Avery shook his head impatiently. “Right, so where were we?”

  “No,” my father grunted, “not until the end.”

  “But you knew she did.”

  When my father didn’t answer, he went for his other hand, but this time the girl stepped forward.

  “Alexander, no.” She held up her hand. “You promised.”

  “And so did he.” Avery aimed the gun, but not before he shot her a dirty look.

  Interesting.

  “Yes, I knew,” Dad cried. “I knew her husband beat her, and I knew he beat his kids too.”

  “Then why?” Avery grabbed his face so he would look at him. “Why did you promise to save her, then leave her to die?”

  I knew my father was a terrible person, but to know all this and do nothing about it…he was nothing but a waste of human space.

  “Because she was crazy,” my father blurted. “Because she wouldn’t see herself for what she was. A piece of ass to entertain me while I was away.”

  “Jack!” My mother nearly leapt out of her seat, her expression furious, but I caught her. I didn’t want her getting hurt any more than she was.

  Avery laughed. “I know, Martha, I know.”

  “Avery,” the girl whispered, and we all looked over. Tears streamed down her pale cheeks. “Stop it; this isn’t what you said we’d…”

  Avery held up his hand, his expression shutting her down. “Tell me something, Jack, did you leave before or after you found out my mother was pregnant?”

  “Oh, God!” Mom’s voice was flat. I didn’t think she could take much more. My mind was swimming laps—this was insane!

  “Oh, please, Martha, Jack has fucked many women, haven’t you, Jack? I’m sure this is the only one who kept the baby.”

  I looked back at my mother’s face. She had devoted her entire life to us kids and her husband. My mother was old school and stood by her choices. She knew my father was not a good person, but she never thought he would cheat.

  “Mom,” I whispered, “breathe.”

  “Martha,” my father’s voice felt like acid to my ears, “it’s not what you think, I—” In a flash, Nicholas lunged forward and punched my father square in the nose, then repeated the process. Avery left him to it, enjoying the move, but when he began to step toward Nicholas, I leapt up and pulled my brother back to the couch. Poor Maddy had her eyes closed tightly, sobbing through the duct tape. I knew I would find a way to tear Avery apart piece by piece, like he was doing to my family.

  “As much as I love a good, old-fashioned family fight, I need Jack awake for my grand finale.” Avery reached for the girl’s arm and pulled her to stand in front of my father. “Alyssa, I want you to meet Jack. Jack, say hello to your daughter.”

  Everything went quiet. I thought we all stopped breathing at that moment. My father’s gaze went from Mom, to the girl, then to Mom again. Holy shit, this girl was our half-sister! The fact that it also made her Lasko’s half-sister wasn’t lost on me either. I felt sick. Then a rage bubbled up inside of me, making my stomach roll.

  “Holy shit,” I hissed. There was no damn way I could be connected to this fucking freak show of a family. Sweat raced across my hairline. This was not happening.

  “Did you know about her, Jack?” My mom suddenly found her voice, and it pulled me off the ledge.

  “Don’t lie, Jack, the Lord is watching and judging. Plus, I have letters to prove that you did.” Avery looked at Mom. “He’s known for years. My sister was two months old when my parents were killed. Jack here promised our mother he’d come and take us away. He knew her husband would hurt us. He told her we would be a family, that he would protect her. But that never happened, did it, Jack?” Avery kicked my father’s leg, then kneed him in the nose, and blood spurted across the floor.

  As much as I wanted to kill my father myself, I needed even more to know what the hell Avery wanted out of all this. “What is it you want, Avery?”

  “What I want, Connors, is my goddamn life back. I wanted to have my mother raise me, not my psychotic grandmother, who beat me on a regular basis. I want my brother. I want the life my sister deserved, to grow up with her own mother and brothers, not passed around like a toy through the foster care system, not to end up a runaway and forced into prostitution. What I want is a goddamn payment for all the shit your father put us through!” He dropped a paper onto my father’s lap. “A half a million in this account, now.”

  My father started to laugh. “You stupid fool,” his bloody head flopped back, “do you know who I am?”

  “A coward.” The words dropped from my mouth without a thought. My father snickered something, but I ignored it. Avery gave me a smile, and I shot him a dangerous look. “You may have the face of my friend, Avery, but you are proving to be the son of the Devil.”

  “Oh, Seth, you have no idea.” He pulled a bag free from behind the couch, then he looked at the girl and nodded. “Tie them up.”

  Her face fell. “This wasn’t the plan.”
<
br />   “Plans change.”

  “Avery.”

  He moved to stand in front of her, but made sure he could still see us all. His hand moved to her chin, and he took it roughly in his hands. “Alyssa, you bounced around in foster care, new daddy after new daddy, only to get caught up with Donald. How many men did you sleep with to keep your place at that seedy motel?” Her gaze dropped to the floor. Jesus Christ, he was trying to brainwash her. “Who saved you from that hell? I didn’t have to do it, but I did because I loved you.”

  “No, you’re right, Avery.” She nodded, but something about her tone made me look over. She took the bag and dropped it by Nicholas’s feet.

  “Start with him.” Avery pointed to me.

  “Hands,” her small voice demanded. Avery raised the gun, but then moved it over to Maddy, who was now staring at the wall. Moving my hands into place, she started to wrap the rope around my wrists, though she didn’t make it very tight. Gretchen, who I’d completely forgotten, was on the other side of my brother, and she started to cough and draw Avery’s attention. The girl made a strange knot and slipped the end into my hand. She bent down to grab the other rope, and when she caught my eye she motioned to the bag next to her. A handgun was tucked into the corner. I gave a slight nod so she knew I saw it.

  I’m not sure what her angle is, but who the fuck cares? I need to get my hands on that gun!

  Avery moved to stand in front of Gretchen and shoved the gun in her face.

  That’s when I smelled it, smelled the fear that was to come. Nicholas must have caught it too, because his knee pressed into mine and he made a sniff sound. I looked all around to see if I could find it. The girl finished tying Nicholas’s wrists, and I noticed she did it the same way she did mine, loose. Then she moved on to Gretchen. I watched as she did my mother’s. She was extra gentle, but tied hers differently than mine. I had a feeling Avery played mind games with his sister—our sister—fuck, I wasn’t ready for that thought yet. She seemed different than her brothers. She must have more of her mother in her. My impression of Tina Upton, from her letters, was that she loved her kids and would do anything for them. I wasn’t blind, though, to the fact that this girl was pointing a gun to my head and those of my family.