“That was Blanche. She said Austin was supposed to pick up Lilly thirty minutes ago but never showed. She’s tried calling her, but she won’t answer.”
I sit back on the couch and take a drink of my beer. “It was snowing earlier. Maybe they got caught in it, and it slowed her down.” Come to think of it, Demi had messaged me a little bit ago about dinner, but she hasn’t read my response.
He places the phone to his ear and then pulls it away immediately. “Straight to voicemail.”
I frown and sit up straighter. He tries again. And again. The worry and anger quickly taking over his features. “I’ll try Demi’s.”
I pull up her name on my phone and push call. It rings five times before going to voicemail. I look up at him and just shake my head as I dial it again. “Nothing,” I say when it does the same.
“It’s not like Austin to have her phone off.” He growls.
“Maybe it died,” Bennett suggests.
Just then, the door flies open, and Shane walks in.
“You’re driving,” Cole orders, not wasting a second.
“Where to?” he asks, spinning around to watch Cole storm out of the clubhouse. “What’s going on?” He turns to ask me.
“The girls aren’t answering their phones,” I answer.
“They’re probably busy.”
“And they never showed up to pick up Lilly,” I add.
Cole and I jump into the back of Shane’s car while he gets in the driver seat, and Bennett falls into the passenger seat. “Where are we going?” Shane asks
“Give me a second.” Cole snaps, his fingers typing quickly on his phone. “I’ve got a tracker on her car. I’m looking it up now.”
“Dear Lord, dude. Paranoid?” Shane chuckles.
I expect Cole to have a snarky comeback or punch him in the back of the head, but he does neither.
“I’m sure they’re fine …”
“What the fuck?” Cole barks, interrupting Shane.
“What?” I ask, starting to worry myself.
He drops his phone in his lap and looks over at me. “They’re at Austin’s dad’s house.”
BECKY
I pull in the circle drive of the Lowes estate. The house looks the same as it always has. From the outside, it looks like the million-dollar mansion her father had built for his young wife ten years ago. It’s over the top, but what house in Collins isn’t? The bigger, the better is their way of life. Three stories, twelve fireplaces, and a six-car garage are more than any family needs. But I understand it. I don’t wanna live in a shack when I get older.
“Get out,” I say to Kellan as I come to a stop in front of the Lowes estate.
He laughs. “What? Don’t wanna come in for a cup of tea?”
I roll my eyes. My phone starts to vibrate while sitting in my cupholder. I see that it’s Deke and pick it up, placing it on silent. Then I put it in the side door pocket so Kellan can’t grab it and answer the call. He’s a dick like that.
“Thanks for the ride, baby.” He opens the door.
I lean over and look up at him. “You’re gonna keep your mouth shut, right? About me letting you in on her birthday?” He can’t tell on me. Who knows what the fuck Cole would do to me if he found out.
He laughs. “Don’t worry, Becky. Your secret is safe with me.” He slams my door shut and walks toward the house.
Obviously, he informed Shane that I let him into the Lowes house the night of Austin’s birthday. I’m just not sure why he chose now to tell them. What changed to make him do that?
Getting out of Austin’s SUV, I slam the door shut and watch David get out of his car. He and Maxwell come around the back of it where I stand. “We’ll get the girls. Just get the front door for us.”
I run up the steps and push the heavy door open, knowing it was unlocked. No one has been here since Kellan killed Celeste and shot Austin. I cover my nose when I open the door because the stench is overwhelming. The blood still covers the black and white checkered marble floor of the grand foyer. It’s a shame they didn’t have anyone come and clean it up after Bruce was arrested for paying off Jeff to cause the car wreck. He got life for three counts of manslaughter. For each of the guys who died in the wreck he caused.
Maxwell carries my unconscious sister over his shoulder while David drags a very pissed off Austin through the front door with his hand fisted in her dark hair. “Fuck, she’s a handful.” He grunts.
I slam the door shut. “Her room is upstairs.”
“Let go of me!” she snaps as he shoves her up the stairs. “You won’t get away with this.”
We both ignore her. He comes to the landing, and I kick her bedroom door open. It looks the same as it did when she lived here. After she was shot, Cole and Deke came over and packed up all her clothes for their move to Texas, so she wouldn’t have to come back here and do it herself. They left everything else.
He throws her onto her bed, and she grunts from landing on her back, her restrained hands underneath her.
There’s not an ounce of fear in her green eyes, just pure hatred. She wants to kill me. Well, she’ll have to get in line. We have a plan, and once we’re done, we’re gonna run like hell. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because the sharks think they are the only things to be scared of.”
She snorts. “You think this is gonna make them fear you?” She shakes her head. “You’re more stupid than I gave you credit for.” Her nostrils flare, and a small line of blood runs down from her forehead where the car door hit her. Her green eyes slide to David, then back to me.
“You guys haven’t officially met. This is David,” I announce, and her eyes widen.
“Your ex?” she demands.
“Who said we ever broke up?”
He walks up to the bed and looks down at her. “Pretty.” He chuckles, and I narrow my eyes on him. “Hello, Austin, I’ve heard a lot about you.” Reaching out, he runs his knuckles through the blood on her face, smearing it.
She yanks away from him.
I slap her, knocking her head to the side, the sound bouncing off the walls in her room. I go to do it again, but David grabs my arm and spins me to face him. “We’ve got all night with her, babe.”
“You better fucking kill me,” she sneers.
“I’m gonna kill her first. Then I’ll get around to you,” I say honestly. We walk out, slamming her door behind us.
We make our way down the stairs and to the living room.
Maxwell has my sister sitting in a high back barstool that he must have taken from the kitchen in the middle of the room and her head hangs back, eyes closed. She’s still drugged and will be for a while. I gave her more than her body needed. Possibly too much. She may die from that alone. We’ll just have to wait and see.
“Here you go, babe.” David hands me a knife, and I look at in my hand. It resembles the one that the fucking sharks used to cut the back of my neck with. A black handle with a black rubber grip. I press the button and the blade pops out. Silver with a black center.
“Is she already dead?” I ask.
Maxwell places his fingers to her neck and then shakes his head. “She’s still alive. Just out.” Then he looks over at the hallway. “What about the other one?”