by Fox, Logan
I spin around, the paintings blurring as the first tear works its way past my defenses.
Moments later, I’m in the woods. It was the only place I could think of to go where I’d be alone with my thoughts. Where I could scream, and no one would hear me.
Except Briar, perhaps, if he happened to be out here. But what are the chances, right?
* * *
The straight lines of the church pull me out of the thoughtless fog I’d lost myself in. I stop walking, staring ahead at the blackened shell of a building.
Now I regret coming here. It reminds me too much of my house that night; black and gray and white with char, ash, and smoke.
Marigold must have heard wrong. No one can close a case that quickly. Maybe she’s overreacting. I’ll contact the Deputy and speak to him. That’s what I should have done instead of coming here. The sun’s already dipped behind the Devil’s Spine mountains. It’ll be dark soon.
But maybe I want to get lost in the woods again. At least, then, I’d have something else on my mind.
I push on, stepping into the church and taking my time to look around.
It must have been a stunning sight with its white walls and stained glass windows. Enough of the shell is still standing — I can see it was built in the shape of a Christian cross, with the pulpit up near the top and the pews down the longest branch of the cross.
Before the fire.
It’s beautiful now, how the forest has reclaimed it. The brambles don’t even look as sharp as they did that night—
I shove away the thought. I’m trying to stay positive; thoughts of Briar won’t help.
I run my fingers over the back of a burned pew, rubbing the black char into my skin and lifting it to my nose. It hardly smells burned anymore. Guess this happened a long time ago.
Who builds a church in the middle of—?
Footsteps.
I freeze, for a moment too terrified to turn around.
See, this is what happens when you think about someone too much. You end up summoning them.
I turn to face him, because fuck, I wanted to be alone with him, didn’t I?
But the figure headed for the church isn’t Briar.
It’s Marcus.
Something primal takes control. I drop into a crouch and glance around, scurrying to the back of the church, to the small area behind the pulpit.
It’s dark here — most of the wall is still intact, and the spreading boughs of a tree act as a roof a few feet above my head. I carefully wedge myself behind a bramble bush and try to stop breathing.
Footsteps crunch closer.
What the hell am I doing? If Marcus sees me, he’s gonna think I’ve lost my mind. I should just have greeted him and left.
But he won’t see me here, and that’s the fucking point. I won’t have to speak to him, explain my presence.
Crunch.
Crunch.
He stops walking. My heart pounds harder as I wait for him to move again. Despite every atom in my body screaming at me not to, I lean to the side, craning around the bramble to try and see if I can spot him.
He’s standing close to the main entrance of the church, head bowed. Even if he were to look up, I doubt he could make me out in these dark shadows.
Head still down, he starts walking toward me with utter precision, one foot in front of the other, heel touching toe.
Is he measuring the distance from the door to the pulpit or something? Sure looks that way.
Shit. I shift further back, huddling into a ball. If he comes much closer, he might spot me.
For some reason, the thought terrifies the living shit out of me.
Closer.
Closer.
Closer.
Then he stops. There’s a soft sound, like he’s scraping dirt off the floor with his shoe.
“Hey!”
I almost wet myself. I squeeze shut my eyes and try desperately not to have a heart attack.
“What are you doing here?” Briar’s voice echoes through what’s left of the church. Too loud, too cheery.
“What, now I can’t come here anymore?” Marcus says grimly. “This place out of bounds or something?”
“Course not.” Briar sounds either flustered or out of breath. “Just didn’t know you still came here.”
“Hardly ever.”
Briar’s footsteps stop. “What’s up? Your dad come back again?”
“Was out for a run.”
“What, in your school clothes?”
Marcus makes an angry sound. “Christ, I’m sorry I dared set foot in your fucking church, asshole.”
I can’t help myself — now I have to look. Moving as carefully as I can, I peek out behind the bush again. There’s almost no daylight left, so both guys are just silhouettes. Marcus has his arms crossed, and Briar’s are on his hips. “What the fuck’s wrong with you?”
Marcus puts out his hands like Briar’s about to storm him. “Nothing, man. Just…I was just thinking about stuff.”
“Sorry to interrupt. But I’m kinda glad you’re here.”
“Yeah? Why?”
Briar moves back and leans against the pulpit. “Was there anyone with us that night, when we took Jessica upstairs?”
Every single hair on my body stands on end. I stop breathing in shock, leaning forward as I strain to hear Marcus’s response.
“What the fuck are you on about?”
Briar runs a hand through his hair. “There, on the stairs. Did someone come up with us?”
“No. Course not.”
“You sure?”
Marcus shrugs. “I don’t remember seeing—”
“She sent me a video.”
She? She who? Dammit people, use your words!
“You’re shitting me,” Marcus says, a light laugh in his voice. “What’s on it?”
“Nothing much. Us talking. One of us opening your bedroom door.”
“That it?” Marcus snorts. “What’s that prove? Nothing.”
“Yeah, but she says there’s more.”
Marcus shakes his head, but before he can say anything, Briar starts talking again. “How fucked were you that night?”
Marcus steps back, and his profile changes as if he’s tilting his head. “The fuck you suggesting, bro?”
“Is it possible someone saw us? Came up with us? That you didn’t notice?”
“I was fucked, but I wasn’t that fucked.” Marcus swipes his hand through the air. “You know what, I’m done cleaning up your messes, Briar. This one’s on you.”
“I thought you cleaned this up already,” Briar growls.
My stomach sinks into my shoes.
Oh my fucking God.
He did it.
He raped Jessica.
Most likely killed her, too.
My body starts trembling, part rage, part terror.
It’s still my word against theirs. Who the fuck would believe that I just happened to eavesdrop on this conversation out here in the middle of nowhere?
My phone! I can record this—
I pluck it out of my pocket without thinking and unlock it.
A glow envelops me. I shove my phone under my school blazer, but it’s too late.
“You see that?” Briar says, his voice changing direction.
Because he’s looking straight at you, you fucking idiot.
My eyes roll into the back of my head as I await my fate. Dry leaves and grit crunch under shoes as someone heads over to where I’m hiding.
Fuck. If they know I overheard them…
My skin goes ice-cold.
Closer.
Closer.
Fuck!
“What does she want?” Marcus calls out.
Briar stops walking, and his shoes scrape as if he’s turning to face Marcus. “I dunno. Justice, I guess.”
“If she wanted that, she’d have gone to the fucking cops.”
“Then what?” Briar storms back to Marcus. He sounds so furious, I wouldn’t be surpri
sed if he lands a punch on his friend.
No, not his friend. His fucking accomplice.
They did this together, Briar and Marcus.
Bile floods my mouth.
No wonder no one could prove anything — Marcus helped Briar cover it up. Probably his other friends, too. So much for breaking into their little group and finding a weak link. No doubt they’ve all vowed to keep Briar’s horrible secret.
“So why’d she do it, huh? Just to put me on a guilt trip?”
I’ve never heard such venom in Briar’s words. I cringe back, hugging myself hard. Oh God, Addy wasn’t kidding. This guy’s a fucking psycho…and I was alone with him.
Willingly.
What the fuck does that say about me?
“Addy’s a vindictive cunt,” Briar continues, “but she’s gotta have a better reason than that.”
Addy? That’s who they’re talking about?
My mouth drops open.
“I bet you it’s money.” Marcus points at Briar, nodding. “I hear her folks’s business is going belly up. Tax evasion or some shit.”
Briar cocks his head. “You’re shitting me.”
Marcus shakes his head. “You’ll see. She’s gonna extort you for everything you’ve got.”
“Fuck!” Briar whips around and punches the closest wall and that thump feels like it goes straight through me.
I don’t think I’ve ever been this scared in my life.
Those two silhouettes don’t look like high school boys. They look like full-grown men.
Dangerous.
Edgy.
Psychotic as fuck.
I press my lips into a line, and do my best to vanish into the bramble bush.
“But…she can’t have anything, can she?”
They’re blocked out by the brambles now, but when Marcus answers, I can tell from his voice that he’s lost interest in the conversation.
“Whatever, bro. Pay her, don’t pay her. Maybe she’s bluffing, who the fuck knows. That bitch is crazy enough, she’d do anything to get you to confess.”
“I’m not confessing,” Briar grates out.
I bite my lip, giving my head a small shake.
At least Addy won’t have to try convincing me anymore. After tonight, I know for a fact that Briar is every inch as guilty as Addy claimed he was. My jaw bunches as fury wells inside me. My hands fist, digging into my sides as I squeeze myself.
I let this monster touch me.
“Whatever man.” Footsteps signal Marcus’s exit.
For a terrifying moment, I think Briar’s heading back in my direction. But I guess he has a lot on his mind, because a second later he calls out, “Hey, wait for me,” and hurries after Marcus.
No wonder they’re so close. Blood brothers usually are.
I have to speak to Addy. I have to know what she has on Briar. And then we’ll figure out a plan, once and for all, to take these fuckers down.
* * *
My quest for answers is met with failure. As soon as I’m back home, I try calling Addy.
Her phone is off.
Screw this. Have car, will drive.
But before I’ve gone more than a foot out of the front door, Marigold’s imperious voice brings me up short.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
I haven’t even bothered to change out of my uniform yet. I adjust my blazer, facing down Marigold as best as I can. “Out.”
Marigold lets out an unpleasant chuckle. “Not a chance, young lady. One of your teachers called a few minutes ago. Said you have something for me?”
She holds out her hand. The other’s gripping the edge of her golden cigarette holder.
I never even knew she smoked, now she’s a chain-smoker?
“I don’t know what you’re—”
She clicks her fingers at me like I’m a dog, and I bite off the rest of my pathetic excuse.
I storm up to her, rip my detention slip from my pocket, and hold it out for her to take.
She snatches it from me, drags at her cigarette as she scans it, and then hands it back.
“You should have gotten two weeks.”
My shoulders slump. I shake my head and open my mouth, but she beats me to it.
“Go upstairs and get ready for bed.”
“I’m going out,” I say slowly, in case she’s already going senile.
“You’re grounded.”
My mouth falls open. “You can’t ground me.”
Marigold tilts her head. “Really? Did I miss a few months and not realize you’ve turned eighteen already?”
I bite so hard at my bottom lip, a piece of skin comes off. I swallow it down, grimace at Marigold, and storm upstairs.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Briar
I’m woken by a new message from Addy. I have to read it twice to get it through my sleep-fogged mind, and then I let out a dry laugh and collapse back on my bed.
I try calling the number, pissed off with this childish back-and-forth, but it goes straight to voice mail.
Her phone’s off.
So I call Marcus instead.
“You were right,” I say as I head downstairs to get a cup of coffee. “She wants money.”
“How much?”
“Five hundred kay.”
“Shit,” Marcus breathes into the phone. “You even got that kind of green laying around?”
“Jesus, no. How rich do you think we are?”
“Pretty fucking rich,” Marcus says, but it sounds as if he’s about to laugh.
“You think this is funny?”
“Dude, relax. If she wants money, it means she can be bought. Which means she’s probably willing to negotiate.”
“Didn’t sound like it. And anyway, what guarantee do I have she’ll get rid of that video? She could keep it and then pull this gig a month down the line.”
Marcus is quiet for so long, I glance at my phone’s screen to make sure we’re still connected.
“You there?”
“Yeah. Lemme think on it.” Marcus hangs up and I toss my phone onto the kitchen’s granite countertop.
I drum my fingers, waiting for Marcus to phone back, but by the time my cup’s finished, he still hasn’t.
Fuck this. I’m done having Addison Green fuck with my life. If her plan was to get a rise out of me, then it worked. But she seems to forget — keep poking at that tiger, and he might get pissed off enough to break open his cage.
And then you’d just better run like hell.
* * *
I stick around in the hall at Lavish Prep that morning, hoping to catch a glimpse of Addison, but I have a feeling she’s not gonna show up today.
Why should she? She’s got such a tight grip on my balls, she doesn’t even have to be in range to squeeze hard enough to make me puke.
I’m just about to head to homeroom when I spot a dark head bobbing through the crowd. If I hadn’t been so tall, I would probably have missed her — Indi being a few inches shorter than most of the seniors.
She spots me and instead of dropping her eyes or changing direction, heads straight over.
I lean my hip against my locker, a smug smile touching my mouth as she gets near. Strange how just the sight of her can change my mood.
“Morning, Angel,” I say.
Astonishingly, instead of giving me one of her usual death glares, she smiles. It’s a bit stiff, but it’s a fucking smile.
What the fuck?
“Morning.” She looks around, and then turns back to me and shrugs. “You seen Addy anywhere?”
I bark out a laugh. “Yeah, I keep real close tabs on her.”
“So that’s a no?”
I narrow my eyes at Indi. What fucking game is she playing? A comment like that would have deserved some snarky response, not a polite reply.
Then I remember about our talk in the woods yesterday. I guess, for this chick, every day’s a roll of the dice. I rub the back of my neck, and turn up my smile a little.
“Shit.” Indi shakes her head and lets out a long sigh. Then she glances up at me through her lashes.
My body straightens on cue.
That look makes my nether regions start paying way more attention to this conversation than before.
“You busy?” she asks. “I don’t know if you smoke, but I usually have a morning blunt with Addy, and now I can’t find her, and I just thought…maybe…” And then she bites her bottom lip.
The fuck did I just get a semi for? I turn back to my locker and open it again as if I forgot to take something out, willing my dick to get its head out of the fucking gutter. I shove an extra textbook into my backpack and close the door again.
I pivot. She’s holding one side of her blazer away from her small, curvy body. It takes me way too fucking long to see anything more than her cotton shirt clinging to her perky little tits. In fact, she has to wiggle the joint she’s letting peek from her pocket before I spot it.
“Oh, yeah. Okay. Sure.” I rip away my hand from the back of my neck and nod at her.
She smiles and lets out a rough laugh that makes my skin grow warm. “You okay?”
“Yeah, sure. Just…” I grab her elbow and hurriedly steer her through the crowd of students milling about the hallway. “We probably shouldn’t be seen together.”
“Right, detention and shit.” She laughs again. “My first time, but probably not yours, right?”
I let out a strangled laugh and hesitate. We’ll be in shit if we’re spotted anywhere on the grounds.
“We could just drive around the block?” Indi says.
I glance down at her and do a double take, but in that instant her expression changes.
“Yeah, sure. Sounds good.” I release her and head for my car.
Was I imagining it, or had there been trepidation in her eyes?
No, of course not. Only time I’ve ever seen anything resembling fright in those fierce eyes of hers was when I had her pinned against a tree.
And she wouldn’t suggest we go someplace quiet if she was scared of that happening again.
I hesitate at my car door and glance back over my shoulder. She’s standing a few yards away, a hand on the strap of her backpack, no expression on her face.