The Devil You Know

by Morgan James

  The Devil You Know

  Quentin Security Series, Volume 1

  Morgan James

  Published by Morgan James, 2019.

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  THE DEVIL YOU KNOW

  First edition. October 10, 2019.

  Copyright © 2019 Morgan James.

  ISBN: 978-1393389392

  Written by Morgan James.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Devil in the Details

  Chapter One

  Also by Morgan James

  About the Author

  Find Morgan on Social Media

  Prologue

  Ten Years Ago

  “Bekah, look! There’s Andy Williams.” Before she could even glance over her shoulder, Leah’s elbow landed in her ribs. “No, don’t look!”

  “You know, you shouldn’t tell someone to look if you don’t want them to actually look.” Bekah rolled her eyes and turned back to the wall of DVDs, running her fingers over the title of the new horror movie that had just been released. Her parents would flip if they knew she was even considering watching the gory, R-rated film. Hopefully they would never find out. Since she was staying at Leah’s house tonight, she prayed the Wilsons wouldn’t tell them at church tomorrow.

  She and Leah both loved scary movies. Their parents, though? Not so much. The Wilsons and Bekah’s family were all dedicated to the church and, while a good cause, Bekah had to admit that it was sometimes exhausting. For supposed Christians, they could be awfully judgmental sometimes. She had nothing against the institute of religion; she just didn’t like people who took it upon themselves to be God’s judge, jury, and executioner. Dropping her hand from the DVD case, she moved on down the row.

  “Oh, my gosh, he’s so cute!” Leah’s voice squealed in her ear as she grabbed Bekah’s arm.

  Ignoring her friend’s enthusiasm for a boy who was notorious for being a player, Bekah gestured to the movies. “What are you feeling tonight?”

  Leah spared her the slightest glance before grabbing the horror flick. “This one.” She clearly didn’t have the same compunction about angering their parents.

  “Are you sure? Your mom and dad freaked out last time when they caught us watching The Hills Have Eyes. They’ll kill you if we get this one.”

  One shoulder lifted in an indifferent shrug and she tossed her mane of long blonde hair behind her. “Whatever. We’ll be going to college next year. We’re old enough to make decisions for ourselves.”

  Leah had always been the defiant one, pushing boundaries that Bekah abided without question. She’d lost her virginity at fifteen to one of the school’s bad boys and rebelled at every turn, from stealing merchandise to smoking pot. Leah was often in trouble, but her parents always smoothed the way, keeping any infractions off her permanent record. Bekah had wondered on more than one occasion if Leah was crying out for attention from her parents, but she never said anything to her friend.

  Of the two, Bekah was decidedly the shy one, self-conscious of her own petite, curvy figure and mousy brown hair. Leah was popular, outgoing, always comfortable in her own skin, and she exuded confidence to the point of arrogance sometimes. The Wilsons were wealthy, Leah’s father being the third-generation owner of a very successful local plastic manufacturer, so her self-importance came honestly. Yeah, Leah was kind of a mean girl, but Bekah loved her anyway. They’d been friends forever, and she knew that behind the blonde exterior lay a smart, sweet person, even if Leah didn’t let her out nearly as often as she used to. Since they’d been in high school, Leah had lorded her superiority over others, and Bekah sometimes wondered if Leah kept her around to make herself look better.

  Leah spun on her heel and strode toward the counter, DVD in hand. With a resigned sigh, Bekah followed her to the front of the store. She made her way to the rental counter where her friend was flirting shamelessly with the cashier and barely refrained from rolling her eyes. Leah could have any guy she wanted and had hooked up with several different guys over the past couple years. Leah had told her how wonderful sex was, but Bekah hadn’t met anyone yet that made her want to take that next step. Maybe once she got to college, she’d find a nice guy who did it for her. Until then, she was happy enough to just listen to her friend’s exploits and learn from the best.

  Bekah felt a presence in line behind her and a glance over her shoulder revealed Andy Williams. She bumped her shoulder against Leah’s to get her attention. Leah threw a flirtatious smile at Andy and Bekah drifted away to peruse the DVDs at the end of the aisles. Her friend’s too-loud laugh drew her attention and she decided to save Leah from herself. Making her way back to front of the store, she laced her arm through Leah’s.

  “Got the movie?”

  “Right here.” She held it up and smiled at Andy.

  “Cool. See you later, Andy.” Bekah dragged her toward the exit, and the doors opened with a whoosh as they stepped into the warm summer night.

  Leah leaned into her and glanced through the window at Andy as they rounded the corner of the building. “He’s so hot! I wonder if he’s going to Angie’s party next weekend.”

  A figure in the shadows caught them both off guard, and Leah let out a high-pitched squeak of surprise. A man stood on the sidewalk, lit from above by the yellow glow of the four-foot-tall Blockbuster sign on the side of the building. Bekah’s heart jumped into her throat as her eyes swept over him. Somewhere in his early twenties, his eyes were black as midnight behind his thick glasses, and his sandy blond hair was parted to one side, giving him a serious, bookish demeanor. The most outstanding feature, though, was the abnormal cleft in his upper lip.

  Swallowing down her initial fear, she nodded at the man and skirted him as she continued toward her car, pulling Leah with her.

  “Oh, my God!” Leah exclaimed. “What a creeper.”

  Elbowing her friend in the side, Bekah admonished her under her breath. “Stop it, he can hear you!”

  The man lifted a hand toward them and she offered a small smile even as Leah yanked on her arm.

  “Um...” His voice stopped Bekah in her tracks just as she clutched the handle to open the driver’s side door. The man’s gaze dropped to the pavement as he shifted from foot to foot. “I hate to ask, but um... do you think you could give me a ride?”

  “We’re busy, sorry,” Leah’s unrepentant voice cut in before Bekah could even open her mouth. Looking over the roof of the car, Leah made a face and slid into the passenger seat.

  Torn, Bekah studied the man. “How did you get here?”

  He shrugged uncomfortably, his eyes reluctantly meeting hers. “My friends.” He pointed to a car peeling out at the red light on the main road. “T
hey decided to play a joke on me and left me here.”

  That didn’t sound very friendly to her. “I have a cell phone. Can you call one of them?”

  “Thanks, but I don’t have their numbers memorized.” He dropped his gaze to the ground and shoved his hands in his pockets. “It’s no big deal, I can walk. Maybe someone at the truck stop will help me out.”

  The truck stop was all the way out by the freeway, several miles away, and it was already dark out. Sympathy gripped her. How often did this happen to him? How often did people treat him badly just because of the way he looked?

  “Where do you live?”

  He glanced up at her, hope and wariness mingling in his eyes. “Just out of town, near Cherry Ridge.”

  Surprise flashed across her features. Cherry Ridge was a fairly upscale rural area, the homes large and placed far apart, surrounded by dense woods flanking the river. Her eyes swept over him again. He didn’t really look like he fit in with the Cherry Ridge crowd, but she’d learned not to judge a book by its cover. His clothes were cheaply made but clean, a sign that he took care of himself.

  A thought hit her with amazing clarity. The trailer park. Rolling Meadows was out that way, too, a rundown grouping of doublewides spread over a few dozen acres. Her heart went out to him. He probably couldn’t afford a car, let alone a cell phone. Here she was, a spoiled seventeen-year-old with both of those things. Guilt assailed her.

  “Well...” She bit her lip, carefully considering the dilemma. She’d been raised to help people, and he seemed harmless enough. “I guess we can take you.”

  “Bekah!” Leah screeched from inside the car. “Are you crazy?”

  “Hold on one second.” She held up a finger to the man and leaned into the car, her attention directed at Leah. “He’s stranded, Leah. We should help him.”

  “Look at him!” Her friend shook her head in disgust. “No way is he getting in this car!”

  “Leah.” Her voice was stern. “He needs help.”

  “Not from us!”

  Bekah clenched her jaw. It was rare that she ever stood up to Leah, but... She shot the guy a look again. Standing with his shoulders slumped forward dejectedly, he made for a pathetic sight.

  “What’s your name?”

  His eyes darted to hers. “Marcus. My friends call me Marc.”

  “Hop in, Marc.”

  “Really?” Hope lit his features, and Bekah smiled.

  “Yep, come on.”

  “Thanks!”

  Bekah slid into the driver’s seat and shot a look at her best friend who glared back at her, arms crossed over her chest.

  “This is a terrible idea,” she tossed over her shoulder as Marc climbed into the backseat and closed the door with a thunk. “I can’t believe we’re doing this.”

  Bekah glanced in the rearview mirror and caught Marc’s grim expression. Having been on the receiving end of Leah’s sharp tongue before, she felt a pang of sympathy.

  “Cherry Ridge, right?”

  He met her gaze in the mirror. “Yep. Head that way.”

  Something in his tone made Bekah’s insides quiver with trepidation. The way he phrased it made her think that her initial assumption had been correct. He’d have them drive toward Cherry Ridge, then let him out before they got to the trailer park. Probably a good thing, too. Rolling Meadows wasn’t exactly known for its upstanding citizens.

  Putting the car into gear, she backed out of the parking spot and pulled into traffic on the main road, then headed toward the truck stop. Passing the ramps for the freeway, she gestured at the road. “How much farther?”

  “Just a few miles. There’s a road up here to the right. I’ll let you know where to turn.”

  With a nod, Bekah turned her attention back to the road. Streetlights became fewer and farther between, and traffic was almost non-existent at this time of night. Out here in the country, most everyone was probably already bedded down for the night, ready to greet an early dawn and work the land.

  “Right up here.”

  A road came into sight and Bekah flipped on her blinker. Dust clouded the rearview mirror in the red glow of the taillights as they churned down the bumpy road. Trees flanked them on both sides, blocking the light from the moon, and Bekah glanced around. She hadn’t seen any houses out this way yet, not even a light of any sort indicating anyone lived out here. Unease crept into her stomach.

  “How much farther?”

  “Not long now.”

  Bekah took a deep breath and pressed her foot to the brake. “I’m sorry, this is all the farther we can go. We really need to get home.”

  “This is close enough.” Marc’s voice was suddenly at her shoulder as he leaned forward between the front seats.

  “What are you doing?” Before Bekah could even blink his hand whipped out, and the blade of a knife pressed against the delicate flesh of her throat.

  Leah sucked in a gasp as Marc stretched his free arm toward her, shoelaces dangling from his fingers. “Tie her hands to the wheel.”

  Leah hesitated, and the blade dug deeper into Bekah’s skin. Tears welled in her eyes and she cried out in pain. “Do what he says, Leah.”

  Leah’s hands trembled as she reluctantly took the shoestrings and secured first one hand, then the other to the steering wheel. Marc deftly slipped the keys from the ignition, and she heard the soft jangle as they hit the floor somewhere behind her.

  Beside her, Leah whimpered. Bekah twisted toward her friend, fighting her bonds. “Leah, run!”

  With one last beseeching glance at Bekah, Leah pushed open the door and sprinted from the car. Marc let out a low curse and slid out behind her, then took off into the darkness. Fueled by terror, Bekah pulled at the bindings. The more she struggled the tighter they became, rubbing her skin raw. Tears coursed down her cheeks as panic assailed her.

  Oh, God. The silence outside was deafening, and Bekah did everything she could think of to get someone’s attention—she screamed at the top of her lungs, pressed her head into the horn. The night air remained quiet and still, devoid of life. Bekah’s heart rate increased with each minute that ticked by. How long had it been?

  A loud thump on the window made her scream, and she jumped in her seat as Marc threw the door open. The deadly, metallic glint of a knife suspended the breath in her lungs as he slashed at the shoestrings binding her to the steering wheel.

  “Come on.” He jerked her roughly out of the car, and Bekah stumbled as the rocks slid precariously under her flip flops.

  “Where’s Leah?”

  His grip tightened on her arms, fingers digging into the tender flesh. “Don’t worry about her.”

  His words sent a ripple of terror racing down her spine. She had to find Leah and get the hell out of here. Bekah could barely make out his face, even from just a few inches away, but she could feel his cold gaze on her. A breeze whipped through the trees, parting the branches overhead and allowing the bright light of the moon to spill over them. His face looked demented in the dim light as his deformed mouth curled into a menacing sneer.

  Her mind spun frantically as she followed beside him, tripping over branches littering the uneven forest floor. To her relief, he clicked on a flashlight and the ground in front of them glowed yellow in the bright beam of light. The leaves on the forest floor looked disrupted, and her blood ran cold as her gaze fell over a scrap of fabric. The material was ragged and marred with dark brown stains. Bekah stepped closer to inspect it and froze, her heart tripping in her chest as a logo jumped out at her. Leah had been wearing a shirt with that same distinct alligator logo tonight.

  Reluctantly, her gaze followed the trail to a large, pale lump on the ground twenty feet away. A familiar shoe stuck up from the leaves and she stared uncomprehending at Leah, her body twisted at an unnatural angle, the same brown stains marring her skin. Bekah’s eyes fell to the wide, dark gash that split her throat, stretching from ear to ear.

  No, no, no...

  Bile rose up, burning the ba
ck of her throat. Dropping to her knees in the crumbling leaves, she retched until there was nothing left in her stomach. A rough hand bit into the flesh of her arm again, and she pulled against his grasp.

  “Get up.” Marc dug his fingers in and yanked her to her feet.

  Swaying unsteadily, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and regarded her abductor. Rage welled up inside her. Pulling her arm back, she threw as much force into the punch as she could. His hands flew up to cover his nose, and she placed a well-aimed kick between his thighs. With a muffled shriek of pain followed by a string of curses, he dropped to his knees.

  Not wasting a second, Bekah broke free and ran. Her feet stumbled and slid over the uneven ground, and her lungs heaved with exhaustion as she searched the darkness for some sign of life—a house, a road, anything. The reflection of moonlight glinting off of metal came from up ahead as a bridge came into sight, and her heart leaped in her chest. With a burst of energy, she pumped her arms faster, pushing herself to keep going despite the urge to break down and cry. She would not think of Leah right now.

  Obscured by darkness, she didn’t notice the railroad ties until it was too late. Her foot caught on the rail and her teeth gnashed together as she sprawled face-first onto the tracks. Shaking off the pain, she scrambled to her feet and dashed forward as the sound of footsteps reached her ears.

  Just as she reached the middle of the bridge, she was yanked back roughly as a hand closed around her hair. The motion brought her body to a jarring halt, and she fell to her knees as pain exploded over her scalp.

  Hand still fisted in the long strands, Marc dragged her to her feet. “It didn’t have to be this way.”

  Those fathomless black eyes bored into hers, and ice streamed through her veins. She’d invited this monster into the car with them—and now she was going to die at his hands.

  Slowly backing her toward the railing of the bridge, he continued to speak. “You want to know about your friend?”

  Tears clouded her vision, and Bekah shook her head violently. She wanted to remember Leah vibrantly alive and happy, not cowering in fear before she died.