“Okay, okay, okay,” I say, and my voice shakes.
“See …” He goes on. “Celeste is pregnant.” She starts to sob. “With my child.” He rolls his eyes. “After getting Betty pregnant, Bruce had that situation fixed so it would never happen again. That rules him out. And I’m the only other guy you’ve fucked, right, baby?” he asks, pressing the gun to her temple.
She sobs but nods her head.
He goes on, satisfied with her answer. “And just like Bruce and Liam, I don’t want a child. But unlike them, I plan on doing something about it.”
“Please, Kellan,” she begs. “I love you.” She sobs.
He smiles. “You were nothing to me.” Then he shoves her forward. And she falls down the long staircase like a ragdoll. I run over to her as she hits the marble floor and slide on my knees to her side. Her head is tilted to the side and blood pours from her nose and mouth. I feel for a pulse, but there’s nothing.
“You killed her.” I begin chest compressions. I’ve never done it before, but I’ve seen enough medical shows to have an idea.
He comes down the stairs slowly, looking at me strangely.
“You killed her,” I cry out, stopping to pull my cell out to call the police.
“You are trying to save her? She killed the love of your life’s mother. Who just happened to be your half-sister’s mother as well.”
“She’s pregnant,” I say frantically. My hands shake uncontrollably. “The baby didn’t do anything to you.”
“Oh, but it will. That’s why it’s got to go.” He grabs my hair and yanks me back from her. My cell falls to the floor. I twist and turn in his grip as he drags me across the marble floor in the grand foyer.
He yanks me to my feet, and I’m gasping for a breath when he slams my back into the wall. He wraps his hands around my throat and leans in. “You’ve been playing a game all along, Austin, but it’s been my game. My rules. And now it’s over.” He shoves me away, and I slide on my knees, hitting the floor once again. When I turn around, he has a knife in his hand. He twirls it around. “Cole has always been fascinated with blood. And I gotta say, I didn’t understand it until I watched him smear it with his hands all over your skin.”
What? Smear it over my skin? The night in the cemetery. “How did you …?” I trail off at his laugh.
“Celeste called me when you arrived. I had Shane and Bennett take me back to my car. By the time I got back up there, Cole and Deke were already playing with you. I stood back and watched you all night. I knew you were perfect for me the moment I saw you light Jeff on fire.”
Someone had been watching me after all.
He takes a step toward me, and I crawl back until I hit the side of the staircase. Celeste’s body lying only feet from me. Her eyes still open as more blood covers the floor. “Then, when you stole the car with Cole, I tipped the cops off. I have them all in my pocket, after all. My uncle is the chief. I wanted you to get caught.”
“Why?” I demand.
“Because if you were locked up, he couldn’t have you.”
“But you hated me … you tried to kick me out of the group …”
“All part of my plan. Every time I pushed you away, Cole pulled you closer.” He smiles. “And Celeste played along so well. See, I told her the final dare. Killing Bruce. She wanted the guys and me to kill him, and then she wanted me to kill you and Cole and run off into the sunset with her and Lilly.” He snorts. “All the lies she told Cole.” He chuckles. “You. It was so fucking perfect.”
“You sick bastard,” I spit out.
He chuckles. “He and I are the same, Austin. We both used you however we wanted.”
I shake my head. “Cole would never hurt me. Not now.” Lie. He’s hurting me right now. He left me. All because he thought my father was a threat. But he wasn’t. Kellan was the one all along.
“You’re right,” he agrees with a sigh. “He wouldn’t harm a hair on your head. But I’m gonna paint these walls with your blood.” He gives me a sinister smile. “After all, his favorite color is red.” He lunges for me, and I crawl away before jumping to my feet. But he’s faster. “Little bitch!” he snaps, reaching out and grabbing my ankle, causing me to trip. I cry out when my face hits the marble floor. Pain explodes behind my eyes. I’m flipped over onto my back, and he straddles me. He drops his knife, and it hits the floor with a clank and then his hands go around my neck. He cuts off my air.
“I wanted Bruce to take care of you,” he growls. “Just like I wanted him to kill Cole when I drove his car to fuck his wife.” He laughs at that. “But I’ll just have to do it myself. In case you just recorded me killing Celeste.”
I try to push him off, tear his hands free, but he’s too strong. I try arching my neck to get in a breath, but it gives him better access to tighten his grip.
“My only regret is that I won’t get to fuck you.” He sighs as I try to buck him off. “Because I listened to the recording of Cole fucking you inside that bathroom, Austin.” I try to claw at his face, but his reach is longer. Making my hands only touch air. “I got off on it so many times, imagining it was you and me.”
Dots form in my vision as my body grows heavy. My arms fall to my side, and something cold touches my fingers.
It’s the knife.
I wrap my hand around the rough handle and shove it into his side. He immediately releases my throat as he screams out.
I suck in a ragged breath, my throat burning. He falls back onto his ass as he looks at the knife sticking out of his side in horror. I begin to cough.
“FUCK!” he screams, throwing his head back.
I get up to my feet and run to the kitchen where there is a landline. I pick it up with bloody, shaking hands and dial Cole’s number.
He answers on the first ring. “Hello?”
“Cole!” I choke out his name. My voice is now rough and my entire body is shaking uncontrollably.
“Austin! What’s wrong?” he demands. I hear Deke’s voice in the background.
I burst into tears and begin to tell him Kellan is here. Any other girl would call the cops. But since I know Kellan has them in his pocket, they’re out.
“Slow down, sweetheart. I can’t understand a thing you’re saying.”
“He’s here!” I scream out. “Kellan’s at my father’s house. He killed Celeste!”
“I’m on my way …” The line goes dead.
I turn to see Kellan leaning up against the countertop, the cord from the wall in his hand. The knife still in his side.
I should have yanked it out.
Made him bleed out faster. Even now, his face is pale, and he’s hunched over. Blood covers his clothes and there’s a puddle where he stands.
He gives me a bloody smile. “He’s not gonna make it.” Lifting the gun, he fires.
EPILOGUE
COLE
Twelve years later
IT’S THE USUAL cloudy day in Collins, Oregon. Any second, the clouds are going to open up and pour down rain. I miss it here. This town had a lot of demons, but it was quiet at times. You never get that in Texas. There are always people no matter where you go. And the traffic—it drives me mad sometimes.