CHAPTER 15
HE REMEMBERS. HE knows. That’s all I’m thinking after Saint tosses me out of the room and I make my way back to my friends.
I’ve never blamed that boy for anything, but now I know who the man is, I’m wondering if I’ve been wrong about it all these years. It only adds to the fucked-up-ness in my head, and I’m trying to figure out how this fits into the puzzle as I pick my way through the living room, searching for Sariah’s blonde head.
An arm shoots up from a section in the top left corner of the room, and I spot Emmett waving at me.
“You’re alive!” Sariah says, handing me a beer.
“And still in one piece,” Sean adds, giving me a quick onceover to ensure I’m uninjured.
“We saw Parker, Finn, and company being kicked out,” Sariah adds.
“Man, that chick has some set of lungs on her,” Emmett supplies, sipping his beer. “She was screeching like a banshee.”
“She is going to be gunning for my ass at school on Monday,” I say, quickly filling them in on what went down.
“She can try,” Sariah says. “You were right to put her in her place. Bitch needs taking down a few notches.”
“I’m more worried about you pushing Saint too far,” Sean says, shifting on the couch and wearing a troubled expression. “There’s been a lot of talk at school, and these fuckers don’t mess around. You need to be careful, Lo.”
“I know. He hasn’t gained his reputation for no reason. Rumors say the woods behind Prestwick are full of his kills.”
“Full of all their kills,” Sean says, lowering his voice and scanning the room.
“Murder is only one of their skill sets,” Sariah says, her voice laced with anger. “I’ve heard they’re fond of torture, extortion, setting fire to shit, and all-round mayhem. We can never underestimate them.”
“They should never underestimate me,” I supply as my phone pings. I read the message from Darrow and stand. “I need to do something. I’ll be back in a few. Keep an eye on the assholes, and message me if they move out of that room.”
I grab my jacket from the hall closet and trade my stilettos for my boots before slipping out the back through the kitchen. The noise of the party fades as I cut across the grass, aiming for the pool house. I cast a glance behind me, ensuring I’m not being followed, before I step inside. A form moves in the pitch-black, and I draw the drapes before switching one of the lamps on.
“Do you have it?” I ask, moving toward him.
He holds out his hand, thrusting a piece of paper into my palm. “He’s reliable, and his work is of a high standard.”
I fold the paper carefully and tuck it down the front of my dress. “Thanks.”
“You’ll need serious cash.”
“Not a problem.” Dad left me a sizable inheritance, and the compensation I received from the kidnapping was invested wisely, so a large chunk of change landed in my bank account the instant I turned eighteen.
“When will it be set up?”
“I’m putting it in motion tonight.”
“I want full access.”
I snort. “Not happening. I’ll pass the intel over as soon as I have it.”
He steps up close. “I’m counting on you to come through, Lo. My rep is on the line if I don’t deliver.”
“I said I got this, and I do. I just don’t know how long it’ll take me.”
“Don’t make it too long,” he warns before lowering his mouth to mine.
I push him off before his lips reach mine. “Don’t mistake what this is, Dar. It’s purely business. Go home to Tempest.” I stand, stalking toward the double doors. “I’ll be in touch.”
I message the others as I’m walking back toward the house, asking them to meet me in my bedroom.
They are there first, and I close and lock the door behind me after checking the coast is clear. “I need your help,” I say, propping my butt up against my dresser. “I’m planting cameras in the guys’ rooms, and I need lookouts. Two downstairs, and one up here.”
“Emmett and I will cover downstairs,” Sean says. “It will seem more natural for Sariah to be upstairs, in case of discovery.” He grins at his friend. “And it’ll keep Emmett alive.”
Thank fuck, the Saints implemented a strict “no upstairs” policy and ensured everyone was aware of that when they arrived. The orgy room helped eliminate any complaints—as long as people have somewhere to fuck, they don’t care.
“Cool. Message me if you spot any of the goon squad coming upstairs.” The guys leave while I move to the closet to retrieve my box of goodies. I extract the small bag Diesel procured for me and rejoin my bestie in my bedroom. “Can you keep watch out in the hallway and alert me if you hear anything suspicious?”
“Got it.”
All the guys have locked their rooms, as expected, but I know how to pick a lock in less than sixty seconds. I’m guessing the guys do too, but I haven’t installed the new padlock I bought for my room yet as I want to see what form of surveillance they have in store for me.
I’m scanning my room daily, but so far, there are no cameras and no monitoring devices on my cell phone or my tablet. I know it’s only a matter of time before they try something, so I’m letting them plant what they want, and then, I’ll figure out how best to use that to my advantage.
Sariah grins as I break into Saint’s room first. Using the flashlight on my cell, I do a lightning-fast scan of his room.
It’s unbelievably tidy for a dude.
The large king-sized bed is dressed in crumpled black silk sheets, and the previous gray walls have been painted black and red. Posters of naked chicks, heavy metal rockers, and MMA wrestlers cover the walls. Some schoolbooks litter the top of his desk, and he has a locked notepad and pen by his bed. Apart from some clothes on the floor and on the back of his chair, there is nothing else left in plain sight, and this room gives nothing away. I wish I had time to search his closet and the bedside tables, but today’s mission is to install the cameras and get the hell out before I’m caught.
I unscrew the light socket by the door, drilling a pin-shaped hole in the plastic and inserting the tiny camera chip like Diesel has shown me.
He said this is the latest high-tech equipment, and it will give me image and audio access. After I secure the socket back in place, ensuring it’s tight, I step back to inspect it. There’s no way you’d spot it unless you were looking for it or examining it under a microscope. The guys might find them, especially if they scan the room for devices, but it’s unlikely they know I have access to this type of equipment and the intel to install it. I doubt they’re expecting it, and I’m banking on that.
I leave Saint’s room, moving on to Galen’s much messier room. This place is a pigsty. He has clothes and empty pizza boxes and bottles strewn around the place, and it reeks of cigarette smoke and stale beer. A guitar propped against the wall surprises me, and I wonder if he’s any good or if it’s more for show.
I install the camera and move into Theo’s room next.
Predictably, his room is crammed full of technical equipment and books, and it’s even neater than Saint’s room. I’m just locking his door when my cell pings the same time Sariah’s does.