Fallen Crest Public

30






Three Months Later …

Budd had been arrested for trying to rape Kate. Her uncle was first on scene, and they arrested him right away. He hadn’t gotten far down the road, and there was enough evidence to send him to prison. As for Kate, she moved in with her uncle. Heather heard through the rumor mill that he hadn’t been happy with her parents for years, and with so many problems happening at the same time, he had her move in with him and his wife. Her mom and dad never fought the decision so as everyone else was finishing up their spring semester, Kate was working on getting her GED through the alternative school.
I was just happy that I never saw her again. I was also happy that no one knew who set Budd’s truck on fire. Ben and Kate kept quiet. I was relieved, and I wasn’t going to start questioning her motives. If she talked, I’d set her truck on fire, too. I was done dealing with her.
“You got a visitor.”
I glanced up from the register. Heather had a tense smile on her face. She was standing with her back to where the guys were. Mason, Logan, Channing, and Gus were all lined up on barstools in front of Brandon. A baseball game was on the television, and Logan was goading Gus into betting against his favorite team.
“Who?”
“Ssh.” She leaned closer and rolled her eyes to the back of her head. “You have a visitor.”
There was a message in there somewhere, but I couldn’t decipher it. Mason was leaving in a few months, and I was already dreading his graduation in a week. All emotional energy was spent towards that, not figuring out cryptic messages from my friend.
“Spell the name,” I said instead of guessing. I wasn’t going to go and see. It could be Kate, or worse, one of her friends trying to apologize again. I wasn’t having any of it.
“Just go,” she hissed before expelling a frustrated sound and grabbing my hand. She pulled me through the side door, and announced as she passed the bar, “Smoke break. No boys allowed.” No one moved, but then we were through the doors before anyone had the chance. Before the screen door could slam shut, she caught it and reached inside for the main door. Both were pulled shut.
I glanced around the alley, but no one was there.
Heather dropped down in a chair and pulled out her cigarettes. I started to sit as well, but she waved me away. “No. Go.”
“Where?”
“Oh.” She glanced around and frowned. “Where’d he go?” Then her eyes lit up, and she pointed to the back end of Manny’s, right next to her house. “There. I see him.”
Uh … I was putting my trust in my friend as I started to the back. When I got there, I relaxed. Slightly. “Brett.”
He was leaning against a tree with his hands stuffed inside his front pockets. As he stood, his goliath-sized body unfolded and grew again in front of me. If he hadn’t asked me out and if he hadn’t protected me from Budd, I would’ve been pissing my pants. All I did was wipe my hands off on my pants and give him a relieved grin.
He grinned back, but grimaced. “I’m sorry for not doing this earlier.”
Oh whoa. That wasn’t what I expected to hear. “Do what?”
“Come to apologize.”
“Apologize? For what?”
“For my brother and what he must’ve put you through. For me too.” He glanced down as his shoulders lifted when he took in a deep breath. “I should’ve stopped him a long time ago, but I didn’t. I never had incentive to, and I guess it was easier to let Shannon get in his ear. This all started because my sister told us Mason Kade used her for sex. I know what she did wasn’t right.”
“Shannon?”
“She lied all those years ago.”
Oh, whoa again. “You knew?”
“Not then, but I found out the truth a few months ago. I never told Budd.” He shrugged, reaching up to scratch his face. As he did, his arm doubled in size, and I gulped again. It was the size of a tree trunk. Then he added, “My brother doesn’t work like that. Once he hears something, it’s it in his mind. Your man knows that, too.”
I flushed at the memory. The image of Kate writhing on top of Mason had my stomach churning, but I shrugged it off. It was over and done. He had his revenge. She got her due. I helped her out in the end. My conscience was clear when it came to Kate.
I cleared my throat. “What do you want, Brett?”
“Just to extend an olive branch, I suppose.” His jaw hardened, and he glanced to the side. Lifting his arms, he folded them across his chest. If it was possible, it made him look even bigger. “And to let you know that the beef is over between my town and this one. As far as I’m concerned, we got no problem with Fallen Crest folk anymore.”
“Oh.”
“Is that right?”
I stiffened, but I couldn’t deny the relief that went through me. Mason came up behind me and stood next to me. He didn’t touch me or pull me against him. For some reason, I was thankful.
Brett stiffened too, but he jerked his head in a nod. “I was telling your woman that I consider the rivalry done. Budd’s in jail. Whoever set his truck on fire made that possible.”
“You make it sound like you wanted him in jail?”
He frowned at Mason, and the two engaged in some unspoken message between them before Brett slowly lifted his head up and down. “My brother was hurting a girl. He needs to take the punishment for it. That’s all I’m saying.”
Mason didn’t respond. The two continued to stare at each other.
I shifted next to him, unsure of what to do. The air had filled with tension when Mason spoke up, but I didn’t feel that it was nearing any violence. I hoped not. “So,” I gave each a forced smile, “Brett came to say that Budd’s in jail, and Shannon lied all those years ago. We’ve made progress, I think.”
Faint grins came over both of them, but disappeared instantly.
Mason spoke, “You know Shannon lied? That I never slept with your sister and used her?”
Brett jerked his head in a nod. “I do. Her best friend told me the truth. She came onto you and you rejected her.” His gaze lingered on me. “I know you could have your choice of women so it never felt right, my sister’s story, but she’s kin, so we did what we did.”
“If someone rejected my brother, I wouldn’t force her to date him.” Mason’s jaw had hardened. “It’s an extreme response.”
Brett lifted his head, and his shoulders rolled back. As his arms fell back to his side, my eyes widened. His hands turned back as if they were going to form into fists, but they didn’t. I let out a small puff of air, and then he replied, “We’re old fashioned. Big brothers look out for their little sisters.”
“Your sister’s a bitch.”
I closed my eyes in frustration. Logan had the worst timing. Ever.
He strolled to the group, his eyes narrowed and lethal as he added, “And she’s a viper. There’s no way in hell you have to look out for her.”
Brett’s head lifted even further, and I saw the storm brewing.
“Okay.” I stood between them and shooed Logan away. “Get out of here. You’re not helping.”
“Not going, Sam.”
“Go. I mean it.”
He ignored me. His gaze trailed past me to Brett, and he asked further, “What are you here for?”
I lifted my voice, “He came to make peace, so get out of here before you blow it.”
Logan’s narrowed eyes turned to me in disbelief.
My eyebrow arched high, and my hands found my hips. “I mean it. Go,” but I stopped as Mason’s hand curved around my waist, and he pulled me against him. His fingers slid under my shirt and pressed against me. I got the message. I shut up.
Logan stepped next to me now so that all three of us stood in a line. As he did, I understood Mason’s message. The three of us were together, no matter what. I’d forgotten the rule, and it felt good. It felt like home once again.
Brett skimmed over us and nodded to himself. It was a faint nod, but I caught it. He gave me a small grin before he moved back a step. “I came to see how Sam was doing, but to say what I already said. Budd’s in jail, and he ain’t getting out any time soon, so I run Roussou now. As far as I’m concerned, there’s no beef between us anymore.” He paused a beat. “And Fallen Crest is closer to our farm than Roussou, so I’m also warning you that I might be grabbing a bite to eat every now and then at Manny’s.”
Mason narrowed his eyes.
Logan raised his chin. “You put our buddy in the hospital. We never got even for that.”
“You had a hand in putting my brother in jail. I think that evens the field.”
Oh boy. That can did not need to be opened. I nodded. “That’s fine with me.”
The two glanced down at me as I stood between them. I ignored them. Heather would be fine with it. She’d be happy even. If Brett stopped by for a bite that meant the rest of Roussou could come, too, and that meant Channing’s friends. They had stayed away because of the rivalry. He’d been the only one to come around, and had started an odd friendship with Mason at the same time.
“Okay.” Brett nodded to himself, and then gestured to me. “It’s nice seeing that you’re better.”
I told Mason what Brett had done for me at the street dance, and I felt him relax beside me. I gave Brett a small grin. “Thanks for coming.”
He lifted a finger to his forehead in a slight salute to me, but it was his farewell. Turning, he headed back around Manny’s. It wasn’t long before we heard his truck leaving the parking lot.
“Well, shit. Who do we prank now?”
Mason grinned. “What do you mean? I think we owe Principal Green a few times.”
Logan flashed a smile. “You’re right. We never got him back for not expelling Kate in the first place.” He asked Mason, “Where’s Nate? I thought he was supposed to be here by now?”
“He’s got a new girlfriend. Relax,” Mason chided, but pulled me close and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead.
As he moved back, his eyes caught mine and held them for a second. A shiver went through me at the heated promise, but I caught the underlying message, too. Brett was in the past. So was a lot of other stuff. I caught his shirt and pulled him back for a real kiss. As his lips covered mine, the need for him began inside of me. Logan groaned. “Come on, guys. You’ve been going at it like rabbits since she got all healthy.” His phone beeped. “Thank god. That’s Nate. He’s done with the girlfriend, so let’s go.”
Mason pulled away, but not before giving me a tender kiss.
I shook my head. Every part of me was trembling. No matter the distance and no matter the obstacles, he’d always have this hold over me. As he stepped back, his eyes never left mine. I caught another message. I was his. I sent one of my own to him. He was mine, too. When the corner of his lip curved up, I knew he read it loud and clear.
“You guys were going to prank Roussou tonight?” I asked hoarsely. They had never told me.
“We need to do something. Graduation’s in a week.” Logan threw an arm around his brother and pulled his head down. He tussled his hair before Mason shoved him off. “We got two more months with this guy. We need to make memories, and that means we gotta do some damage.” He let out a loud whoop. “Let’s go, Mase. I’m in the mood to get in trouble tonight.”
He pressed a quick kiss to my forehead. “If we don’t come home tonight, check the jail first, Sam.”
As he disappeared around the corner, I asked Mason, “Is he serious? You’re going to get arrested tonight?”
“Nah,” he paused, “I don’t think so.”
“Come on, Mase!”
He grimaced. “Maybe.”
“Mason.”
He shrugged before giving me another kiss on the lips, then he whispered against them, “We’ll be fine. We always are.”
He started to pull away, but I grabbed him one more time. He caught the need in my eyes and took over. I was lifted in the air and pushed against the wall. He pressed into me, and it was a long time before he pulled away. When he did, both of us were panting. The rest of the night was going to be uncomfortable. I knew I’d be walking with this ache between my legs, and it wouldn’t go away until he got home. He flashed me a rueful grin and smoothed a tender hand down the side of my face. As he tucked some hair strands behind my ear, he asked, “Are you okay?”
“I’m hot and bothered.”
“No,” he chuckled, but stepped close again. His hips pressed against mine, and I felt his own need as he ground it into me. “I meant if you’re okay after seeing Brett Broudou again?”
“Oh.” Some of the desire lessened, but he moved into me in a rhythmic motion, and it came back again. I struggled to think over what he was doing to me. “Uh … yeah. I guess.” My head went against the wall, and I gasped as he moved even closer. “Are you okay?”
“I will be,” he murmured under his breath. His gaze was on my lips. “I will be.” Then his hand went to my pants, and I felt him grab for my zipper.
“No.” I caught his hand. Shit. Then I shoved him back. Logan had been right. Since I was given a clean bill of health, we’d been insatiable. Another second longer, he would’ve slipped inside of me, and I would’ve let him. “Tonight.”
He nodded and stepped closer once more.
“Mason,” I warned softly.
A grin appeared as he kept his hips away, but rested his forehead on mine.
I sighed a breath of relief mixed with bitter longing. He was leaving. I knew that was the reason for this need that had become so overwhelming, and I didn’t want to control it anymore. He was leaving. I couldn’t get enough of him until he left for college. Logan had been right. Two more months was all we had with Mason.
I closed my eyes as my hands went to his jeans. My fingers caught a loop on the waistband, and I struggled. I wanted to pull him back to me. I wanted to forget where we were and forget where we were going. I wanted all of it to go away, but I couldn’t.
“MASON.”
He chuckled softly against my skin and pressed another kiss there.
How many had there been? I needed so many more.
Then he stepped back. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“Do not get arrested.”
He flashed me a grin. “I won’t. Promise.”
Then he was gone, and I was left to collapse and pick up the pieces. I had a feeling this was my future. I’d be picking up the pieces every time he left. Tonight. We had tonight, and we had over sixty more of them before he left early for football practice.
It’d be fine. I’d make sure it’d be fine.
When I was able to go back, I stopped again as I went around the corner.
Tate was in one of the chairs Heather and I sat in when we took our breaks. As I came closer, she readjusted her legs, throwing one over the opposite knee and doing it again before she realized I was there. Her fingers had been tapping on the chair in an impatient motion, but she stopped all of it and threw me a forced smile. “I should’ve figured you were there. Your two men took off a second ago.”
“Yeah.” I frowned at her. “What are you doing here?”
Since she got the blow job video back, Tate had melted into the background. I rarely saw her at school. She called everything off with Logan, no longer hooking up with him when he wanted. If she was here, it was because of Heather and that had me worried.
She sighed, rolling her eyes. “Don’t worry. I’m not here to mess up your holy trinity with the two gods. I’m here to see Heather.”
“Like I said,” I clipped out, “what are you doing here?”
Mason had told me what he thought would’ve happened with Tate and Heather if Kate had done everything she wanted. I agreed with him about Tate. She would’ve turned against me, but I didn’t agree with him about Heather. He thought Heather would’ve distanced herself from me, but she wouldn’t have done that. If they destroyed Manny’s like they were planning to, Heather would’ve torched Kate’s house like I torched Budd’s truck.
I knew she would’ve reacted like that. I told her Kate’s plans, and she exploded. Natalie and Jasmine had been at their lockers at the time, and she tried to head over to them. I held her back, but the two caught the commotion and scurried away.
They were smart. I’d been touched by Heather’s loyalty. She wouldn’t have pulled away from me. Because of that, my protective side was coming out. Tate had hurt Heather too much in the past. I wasn’t going to let her do it again.
When Tate flicked her hair over her shoulder and ignored my question, I yanked her chair towards me. She was trapped by me now, and I repeated my question. “What are you doing here?”
She rolled her eyes. “Seriously. You’re mama bear now?”
“Violence doesn’t scare me. You should remember that.”
She started to roll her eyes again, but stopped at my words. Her shoulders dropped in surrender. “Fine. I finished all my classes. I’m out of here tonight, and I have no wish to stick around for graduation. This school has been nothing but a pain in my ass.” She gestured inside, but the movement was halfhearted and it fell in her lap. “I came here for two reasons. Heather and Logan. I can see now that both reasons were stupid. I’m an idiot.”
My eyebrows went up, and I moved back as she stood up. “Does Heather even know that you’re out here?”
“No, and it doesn’t matter. I’m wasting my time. I’m going to go.”
That was odd, but I wasn’t going to stop her. I agreed. She should go. Heather wasn’t going to forgive her. Ever.
She went a few steps, but stopped and swung back. “You know what? F*ck it. I don’t give a shit. He can’t hurt me anymore.”
What the hell?
She gave me a bright smile. The renewed zeal behind it had me holding my breath. That wasn’t a good look, not on Tate. Then she said, “My dad lost his job, and when he said I could move back with my sister, I had no problem with it. I was an idiot before and because of it I lost two great people in my life: Logan and Heather. I thought I could come back, grovel for a while, and both would let me back in.” She gestured to Manny’s. “You can see that’s not happening. Heather will never forgive me, and I know it. I just haven’t wanted to accept it, but not with Logan. I got it through my thick skull a month after I moved back.”
She grew serious and a knot formed in my stomach. This wasn’t going to be good.
“Logan was never going to love me again, but dumb me. I still tried. It was useless, and I know why.”
It loosened a little, but I knew she wasn’t done.
Tate took a breath, shook her head at me and a bitter smile flared for a second. “Mason hated me. I thought it was going to be the same as last time. I thought he was going to humiliate me at every chance he could, but he didn’t. That threw me for a loop. For a while.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
She shrugged. “I have no idea. Maybe to piss him off one last time? Maybe because I’m the only one who’ll actually say it to your face? I don’t know. I don’t care. I’m done with high school. I’m off to college, and Mason Kade can no longer f*ck with my life.”
That sounded worse than the first part. The knot doubled, and I was starting to struggle with breathing.
“Has he told you that Marissa’s going to Cain University too? That’s where he’s going, right? He and Nate. They’re roommates.”
He hadn’t. A part of me sank inside.
Then she laughed some more, the same bitter sound from earlier. “I started to suspect a while back, but it’s beyond me why no one else has. I was at Fischer’s party earlier, you know. The one where Mason relished ruining Kate’s life. Guess who I ran into there? Miranda Stewart. I heard that she dated Logan for a little bit, but I never thought about it. Who would? He goes through girls like beer. He chugs one down and throws the can away.”
This wasn’t going where I wanted it to go. I knew where it was going, but I didn’t want to know. I didn’t want to hear the words and I began to shake my head. Things were good. Things were better than good. The three of us were united again. Mason and I were together. I needed him …
She kept laughing. “Miranda has no idea what happened. From what I heard, she got all judgment on whoever slept with Logan, then he turned the tides on her and seduced her. She dumped her long-time boyfriend for him, only to get dumped by Logan a month later.” She nodded. “She told me about that night at the party. She told me that she had words with Mason and Logan and that was when he seduced her. It was that night. It was because of Mason, wasn’t it?”
Dread began to form in me. It went deep, all the way down, and I couldn’t answer her. I started to turn away.
Tate kept going, as if she was enjoying this. “You see, Logan rarely does something without a reason. Not a lot of people know that about him, but you and I do. So does Mason. I was curious, so I kept asking her more questions. She explained everything, how she was a hypocrite to her friends.” Tate paused and drew in a ragged breath. She bit out, “She has no idea. That’s the beauty of everything. She has no f*cking clue.”
“No, no, no.” I shook my head. I knew what was coming, and I didn’t want to hear it.
“And she didn’t even say anything. It was all in her look. She told me how she was so confused. She thought you were dating Logan, but then Mason stepped up and set her straight. She couldn’t believe it, but that was all that was needed. Mason saw it. Didn’t he?”
This couldn’t be said. It would make it real.
“She saw what he already knows.” Tate kept going. Her voice was so goddamn cheerful. “And I love it because it sent him into a tailspin. It wasn’t that he couldn’t lose his brother, it was you. He couldn’t lose you. I don’t know what he did, but I’m not stupid. I know how Mason works. He was behind Logan dating her and dumping her, wasn’t he? I love this. I love that I’m the one that’s going to spill it.”
I held my breath. My hands were in fists now, and I pressed them into my legs.
“He wanted to silence the one other person that caught on, and she might’ve said something. Too bad she never figured it out, but she is dumb. Quite dumb, though she acts like a princess.” A hollow laugh came from her. “She saw the same thing. She saw why Mason stopped giving a damn about me this year. That’s what she saw and why she was so confused that you were with Mason.”
I continued to hold in my breath and kept my eyes closed. No, no, no, no …
“Mason didn’t get that video of me sucking off Logan out of the goodness of his heart. He didn’t even get it to help Logan. This is Logan. He doesn’t give a shit if someone watches him getting a blow job. Oh no. Mason got that video because he was hoping it’d keep my mouth shut because he knows I figured it out.” She snorted to herself. “He didn’t want me to tell you what I know. And like I said before, I no longer give a shit. You want to know what Miranda saw all those months ago, even though she never connected the dots?”
I shook my head. I couldn’t lose them.
Tate continued to laugh as she started to back away. “Logan couldn’t love me because he’s in love with you. It’s finally out there now.” She paused and an abrupt laugh came from her. “Logan’s in love with you.”
She kept laughing all the way to her car, but I couldn’t move.
Logan was in love with me.
F*ck.



Stay tuned for Fallen Fourth Down, coming soon. For more information, go to Tijan’s Books or www.facebook.com/TijansBooks.





ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS


I have enjoyed working with Ami so much on this book. It felt like a team effort and that was so greatly appreciated. I don’t think I can express how much that meant to me, but I also need to thank my three beta readers: Jocelyn ([email protected]), Cami, and one that wishes to remain anonymous. All three were wonderful and there if I needed them to read something quick or give me suggestions, or just reassurance.
Need to do a shout-out to my readers and the admins in my fan group. To the admins, I’m continuously amazed at you guys. You guys are always there to promote, inspire, encourage, and even be the bouncers in the group. Thank you, so very much for your work. To the readers, you guys rallied around me and have supported me. I try to give back, but I don’t know if it’s enough to express my gratitude. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Next, I need to thank the ladies at Crazies R Us Book Blog. Holy shit. You two have gone above and beyond for me. You are a great blog, but you have also become like friends to me. Thank you for all your amazing help. Lastly, I need to mention my significant other. Prior to this book, we suffered a tragedy. Thank you for fighting at my side.

Keep reading for excerpts from CARTER REED & BROKEN AND SCREWED.



CARTER REED




Douchebag’s here.
That was the first thought that went through my head as I crept into our apartment. It was my apartment—mine—and I had to slink inside because my roommate’s boyfriend was a pervert. I always snuck in when I saw his car in the parking lot, but this time was different. They were in the living room and my roommate cried out. I heard the slap next as he backhanded her and that stopped everything. I couldn’t move, but I could see them. Then he growled at her to shut up before he went back to his business. She still whimpered, but quieted as he kept thrusting into her.
I couldn’t look away.
He was raping her.
Sickness blasted me. I couldn’t believe what was happening in front of me.
He kept thrusting as he held her down in front of him. His legs held her trapped and he was leaning over with one of his hands holding both of her wrists together. He kept going. My roommate lay there in surrender. He had defeated her, broken her, and I was witnessing it all.
Vomit and hatred spewed up in my throat, but I clamped them down. They wouldn’t burst out of me, not when I had a chance to do something that I knew I would regret. But even with that thought, the decision had already been made in my mind.
Mallory cried out again. Her agony was heart-wrenching. My hand trembled before he ordered her to shut up again. Then he thrust harder, deeper. He kept going, clueless as to who else might’ve been in the apartment.
This was my home.
This was her home.
He was not welcome, but he didn’t care. He kept going into her. Then he growled in pleasure. The sound of it went straight to the pit of my stomach. I wanted to spew my guts once more, but instead my eyes hardened and I went to the kitchen. There was a whole drawer of knives, but none of them would do. Not for him.
I went past the kitchen and knelt at the floorboards of our patio. I removed one of them and gripped the box that I knew my brother would’ve hated to know I had. Another scream ripped from behind me and my resolve grew.
My arm didn’t shake.
I found the gun my brother had never wanted me to know about. I gripped it and lifted it free from the box before I put the floorboard back together. Then, with my heart going slower than it should’ve been and clearer eyes than I should’ve had, I turned for the living room again. The sounds of his thrusting continued. The couch slammed against the wall with each thrust. My roommate cried out with each movement. It never seemed to stop, but I held on tighter to the gun before I turned the last corner.
He had readjusted them. He sat her up against the wall as he kept pumping into her. Now her head bounced against the wall. She was pale as a ghost; fresh tears fell over the dried ones. Her eyeliner streamed down with them so that her face was streaked black, with bruises starting to fill in the rest of the space on her face. Her cheek was already swollen and red from where he had slapped her. There were cuts at the top of her forehead. Blood streamed from them. He had sliced her and pulled her hair out so much that it bled.
Her eyes met mine over his shoulder. A whimper left her again, but his hand slammed over her throat once again. He squeezed with more and more pressure, her mouth gaping open for oxygen. As he gripped tighter, his hips jerked even harder. He was getting off on it. Then she started to thrash around—she couldn’t get any air.
He squeezed harder.
When her eyes started to glaze over, I saw a flash of something in them. It was meant for me. I knew it. And my hand held even tighter to the gun as I lifted it in the air.
I felt his gurgle of release before I heard it. I felt it in the air, through the floor, through my roommate. It didn’t matter. I knew he was near to climaxing and nothing had ever disgusted me more, but my hand was steady as I held the glock. Then I removed the safety and I cleared my throat once.
He froze.
He didn’t look around. He should’ve, but he didn’t.
I waited—my heart starting to pound, but he just started thrusting once again.
“Jeremy.”
My voice was so soft, almost too soft, but he froze anyway and twisted his head back to look at me. When he saw what I held, his eyes went wild—and then I shot him.
The bullet hit the center of his forehead. I wasn’t surprised when Mallory started to scream, still in his hold. His body held her against the wall even as he slumped. He would have kept her in place if not for her frantic hands pushing him off. His body fell to the ground, as much as the bones and tendons allowed. His knees were still bent, but the blood seeped from him slowly. It formed a pool underneath, and as I stood there, it grew and grew.
Still screaming, Mallory scrambled from him and collapsed to the ground not far from his body. She scooted against the wall until she found the farthest corner and curled into a fetal position. She was sobbing, hysterical, as more screams ripped from her throat.
I went to her, but instead of soothing her like I should’ve, I put my finger to my lip and made a ssshing sound. When she quieted, I whispered, “You have to be quiet. People will hear.”
She nodded but gulped for breath as her sobs grew silent.
Then I turned and slid to the space beside her. I couldn’t look away from him. The pool of blood encircled him now. It seeped under the couch.
Absentmindedly, my hand found Mallory’s exposed and bleeding knee. I patted it to soothe her, but I couldn’t tear my eyes from him. I had killed him. I had killed someone. I couldn’t think it or comprehend it, but everything was wrong. I should’ve been at the gym. I should’ve been trying to flirt with the new trainer, but I had been tired. I skipped the gym, just this once, and came home instead. When I saw his car, I almost turned around. I hated Jeremy Dunvan. He was connected to the local mob and he treated Mallory like crap. Still, I hadn’t gone back to the gym. I figured I could sneak inside. They were always in her room anyway.
Jeremy’s face had fallen towards us somehow. I remembered that she had shoved him away from her so his body bent at an awkward angle, but his eyes looked at me. He was dead so they were vacant, but he could still see me. I knew it. A shiver went down my spine as I looked the guy I had murdered in the eye. He was damning me to hell with those eyes.
“Em,” Mallory sobbed.
This time her crying broke through my walls. The sound was now deafening to me. My heart picked up. I worried that they could hear in the next apartment, maybe below us or above us. They were going to call the police. We should call the police, but no—I had killed someone. No, I had killed Jeremy Dunvan. We couldn’t call anyone.
I found her hand and gripped it hard. One of them was cold and clammy. Mine. My hand was pale while hers was warm with blood. I turned and saw she had her other hand to her mouth. She kept taking gulping breaths as she tried to contain her sobbing.
“We have to go.”
My voice sounded harsh to my ears. I flinched from the fierceness in it.
She nodded, still sobbing, still gulping, still bleeding.
“We have to go.” My hand squeezed hers. “Now.”
Her head jerked in another nod, but neither of us moved. I didn’t think my legs worked anymore.



Everything after that was blurry, only remembered in flashes.



We were sitting in a gas station parking lot as we looked at each other. Mallory needed to be cleaned up. Did we go to the hospital? Did I need a camera to prove that she’d been raped? Then she started crying some more, and I remembered who I had killed. Jeremy’s father would come for us. No police would help us, not when half of them worked for Jeremy’s father, who worked for the Bartel Family. His body would be found in our apartment, I hadn’t the stomach to dispose of it.



The bathroom was connected to the outside so I had to get the key. She couldn’t be seen like this. One of the two lightbulbs didn’t work so the lighting wasn’t the best, but I used my phone as I inspected every bruise on her body. She was covered from the top of her head to the two large welts on her calves. When I saw them and looked up, she whispered, “He kicked me.”



I got Mallory sunglasses and a scarf to cover her head. She looked like she was from a different country, but it hid the damage. No one spared us a second glance as we went into a diner and ordered two coffees. My stomach growled, but I couldn’t eat. Mallory’s hands shook so much she couldn’t pick up the cup so both of our coffees grew cold as we sat there. I’d grown numb long ago, but her lip still quivered. It’d been quivering for hours now.



It was past midnight. Neither of us ordered food. When the servers changed, I ordered a new coffee. This time I could finally sip it. Mallory gasped. My eyes shot to hers and then I felt the warmth in my mouth. I had burnt myself, but I barely felt it. After my second cup, I waited ten minutes before I picked it up. I knew it wouldn’t burn me then. Mallory still couldn’t pick hers up.



It was morning now. Both of our phones rang, but we only looked at them. I couldn’t speak. I could barely order more coffee from the new server. Mallory’s lip had stopped quivering, but I knew her hands still shook so she kept them in her lap. Then she choked out as she reminded me to go to the bathroom. We went together.



We were back in the car again. The staff had started to whisper about us so we left. We didn’t want them to call the police, but now we didn’t know where to go again. Then Mallory said, “Ben. We can go to Ben’s.” I looked over. “Are you sure?” My hand was so cold. I barely felt the steering wheel when I turned the car around. She nodded, some tears slipped down again. She had started crying when we left the diner. She said, “Yes. He’ll help us. I know it.” So we went to her co-worker’s house.
The force of what happened hit me full blast after we had been at Ben’s for a few hours. He opened the door, took one look at Mallory, and swept her up in his arms. She’d been sobbing ever since, and now all of us were huddled around his kitchen table. He draped a blanket over both of them at some point, but I couldn’t remember when.
As she told him what happened through her sobs, I slumped in my chair. Jeremy Dunvan. He had been living twenty-four hours ago, breathing. Oh my god. I had killed him—I felt punched in the stomach. No. I felt like someone tied up my hands and legs, threw me in the highway and waited as a bus ran over me, and then ran over me again. And again.
I was going to die. It was a matter of time.
Franco Dunvan worked for the Bartel Family. They killed my brother. It was my turn now. Icy panic seared through me. I couldn’t hear Mallory anymore. It had been in defense. He was going to kill her. He’d already been raping her. I killed him because he would’ve killed me too, but it didn’t matter. As I started struggling to breathe, I tried to remain logical. The police wouldn’t have helped. Why did we take pictures of her bruises then? What did it matter? None of it did. We ran. We should keep running.
“We have to go, Mals,” I choked out.
She looked up from Ben’s chest. He wrapped his arms tighter around her, and if possible, she paled even more. “We can’t.”
“We have to.” They were going to hunt us down and kill us.
“Please, Tomino, please.” My brother had begged for his life, but they shoved him to his knees and took a bat to him. AJ watched me the whole time. As he stared past the alley where they found him, we both knew they couldn’t see me. He made me crawl behind a vent before they saw him in the alley. My hands gripped each other as I kept myself from crawling out and helping him. He shook his head. He knew what I wanted to do.
“Emma!”
I jerked back to the present and saw Ben frowning at me. “What?”
Everything seemed so surreal. It was a dream. All of it was a dream, it had to be.
He snapped at me, “Christ, the least you can do is be there for her.” Then he pushed off from his chair and stormed past me.
What had happened?
“Carter’s going to come for you.”
I went back to that alley. I heard my brother warn them as he gasped for breath. He was choking on the blood, but they laughed at him. They f*cking laughed!
“Whatever. You’re a nobody, Martins. You’re a waste of space. Your boy’s going to get the same as you if he comes after us. In fact, we want him to come to us, don’t we, boys?” Tomino had spread his arms out wide and the other three snickered with him. Then he lifted the bat once more.
AJ looked at me. He mouthed the words, “I love you.”
Then the bat came down at full speed.
I fell off my chair and was slammed back to the present again. I was on the floor now.
“Jesus, Emma. What the f*ck’s your problem?” Ben grabbed my arm and hauled me up. He pointed to the bedroom. “I finally got her to sleep and now you’re going to wake her up? Do you know the hell she’s been through? I can’t believe you. Have some consideration.”
Have some consideration?
I yanked my arm away from him and glared back. “Are you f*cking kidding me?” Was he? He had to have been. I shoved him back and then followed to get in his face. “I killed him, you a*shole. I killed that rapist for her. I saved her life!”
Now I needed someone to save mine.

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