“Deke!” Austin shouts my name, jumping to her feet. “Don’t fucking talk to her that way!” She steps into me, but Cole pulls her back. She spins around on him. “Cole …”
“Austin.” He growls her name in warning, but what Cole doesn’t understand is that he no longer holds any kind of power over Austin Lowes. “This doesn’t concern us.”
“It does,” she argues.
“It doesn’t …”
“He tried to rape her!” she shouts, yanking free of him.
Silence fills the large living room at her words. I look down at Demi, and she still sits with her head down, but I now see the trembling in her small body.
Austin lets out a long breath and sits down next to her again. When she reaches out to touch Demi’s back, she jumps slightly. “It’s okay,” she whispers to her.
I run a hand through my hair. “What happened?” I ask through gritted teeth. This better not be another damn trick! Her sister pretended to be pregnant so who knows what Demi is capable of?
That silence continues, and it makes my jaw tighten. If it’s true, it doesn’t make any sense. First, he hurt her at the Halloween party, and now he tried to rape her? What the fuck is his deal? And why the hell is she with him?
“Demi?” I snap her name.
She stands, keeping her head down. “I’m leaving,” she says in a soft voice, and she turns to exit the living room.
I reach out, grab her arm, and spin her around to face us, about to scream at her, demanding to know what the fuck happened, but the words die on my tongue when I see her beautiful face streaked with tears. And my heart begins to beat faster as I look her over. Her T-shirt has been stretched out; it hangs off her right shoulder, showing the strap of her nude-colored bra. She has a rug burn on her elbow, and her hair is tangled. Her cheek has a small cut on it. But it’s her eyes that make my chest tighten. They look like the saddest fucking thing I’ve ever seen.
I step into her, placing my hands on her face. “What happened?”
She licks her trembling lips. “He was gonna rape me.”
DEMI
I expect him to push me away. To throw me out. I didn’t come here for him. I came here for Austin. I read her journal, so I know what she went through with her mom’s boyfriend. Not only would he slap her, but he also touched her inappropriately, and I wanted to talk to her. Not explain to Deke how my fake boyfriend decided he wanted to fuck me and wasn’t going to take no for an answer. At least that’s what he told me his plan was.
“What makes you think that?” Cole is the one who breaks the silence.
I reach up and push Deke’s hands from my face. Thankfully, he doesn’t fight me. “He …” I swallow. “I went to go see him, and he was acting weird.” I drop my head to the floor. “When I tried to leave, he grabbed me. I told him to stop, and he said he wished he could. Then he threw me face down onto the floor. I started screaming, and he kept saying sorry, over and over. I felt him undo his jeans, and he flipped me over. That’s when I lost it.” A tear runs down my cheek. “I clawed at his face, bit his arm, and managed to kick him off. Then I just ran.” My body shakes. “I left … and … I didn’t know where else to go.” I choke out the words. I can’t tell my mother this. She thinks I was with Lauren. And I can’t tell Lauren because she thinks we are already sexually active. I had nowhere else to go.
Strong arms wrap around me, and I bury my face into Deke’s shirt. “You’re safe now, princess,” he says, kissing my hair.
And I sniff. “I shouldn’t have come here …”
He pulls back and places his hands on my face, forcing me to look up at him. “You’re exactly where you need to be, Demi.” His clouded blue eyes search mine before they look at Cole’s. He nods at Deke once.
“Where was he?” Cole asks me.
I’m not sure what they plan on doing, but Seth deserves it. After everything I’ve done for him … “At his parents’ cabin on Lake Travis.”
Deke’s body stiffens against mine, and Cole’s eyes narrow on me.
“Lake Travis?” Cole yanks Austin back from me and Deke, cutting her off, placing himself between her and us.
“What were you doing there?” Deke demands.
I pull away from him, wiping my face, confused to what is happening. “I told you. He messaged me to come over.”
“Bullshit!” Cole snaps, taking a step closer to me.
Deke reaches out, placing a hand on Cole’s bare chest, bringing him to a stop. But his next words say he doesn’t believe me either. “Can you prove that?”
I’m starting to get pissed off. I’ve had one hell of a fucking night. I cross my arms over my chest. “Why does it matter? I just told you that he confessed he was gonna rape me. Why do I need to prove that?” I snap.
“’Cause I don’t believe you,” Cole answers.
I snort in disbelief at these guys.
“Cole, stop!” Austin tells him.
“No.” He turns to face her. “The guys and I get a message from Evan Scott and possibly go to the very same cabin that Demi’s boyfriend owns, and you don’t think that’s a coincidence.”
She opens her mouth, but I speak first. “Evan Scott? You got a message from him?”
This time, it’s Deke who steps into me. “You mean the message you sent us?”
My eyes widen. What the fuck?
“And it’s game over for you, Demi.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
DEKE
MY BLOOD IS pumping, my fists are clenched, and my mind is screaming that this bitch played us better than anyone else ever has. I reach out for her, and she takes a step back from me. Her eyes are wide, and her face drained of any color. Finally, she shows true fucking fear. Good for her to realize that I can and will hurt her.
“There has to be an explanation.” Austin speaks.
“That was why your name was on the list,” I say more to myself than anyone else. “You put it there to throw us off.” Fuck, Shane was right.
“List? What list?” Demi asks.
Her eyes going from mine to Cole’s. He wants to murder her. I can feel it. Anything that threatens his sweetheart, he would destroy without thought. But I won’t let him have Demi. I’ll handle her myself. She’s had it coming since she pretended to be her sister at Silence.
Austin steps out from behind Cole. He tries to grab her, but she manages to get away from him. “Demi, you have to explain why you wrote that note. Did Seth make you do it? Was he the one who sent out the messages?” She rattles off questions, the next one sounding even more desperate than the first.
“The one from Evan Scott?” Demi asks still putting on her best fucking show of confusion. Like a little lost girl in a forest that is about to swallow her up.
She reaches into her back pocket and pulls out her cell. “I got a friend request from him the night of my Halloween party. I have yet to accept it, but I showed it to Becky a couple of days later and she got pissed. Sent him a message. He responded earlier this week, but I blew it off.”
I yank her phone from her hands and look at it. She has her messenger pulled up, and sure enough it has a message to him a few days ago.
“She said it was an ex of hers.” Demi adds.
Her: I will fucking kill you.
“Becky sent this to him?” I ask, still skeptical.
“Yes. I don’t know the guy. We only had one mutual friend, and it was her. Why?”
I look over at Cole and hand him the phone so he can read it. “He responded to you.”
She nods frantically. And Cole reads it out loud. “Not if I kill you first.”
“It didn’t make any sense, so I ignored it,” she whispers. “Is Seth Evan Scott?”
“Fuck!” Cole hisses. “This explains why Becky was so pissed to begin with. Demi slept with you the night of the Halloween party and then shows this to Becky two days later. She knows you’re Evan Scott …”
“You’re Evan Scott?” Demi interrupts him.
We all
ignore her. “She probably thinks you both set her up,” Cole finishes.
A cell begins to ring, and Cole looks down at the one he holds in his hands. “It’s Seth,” he announces.
I rip Demi’s cell out of his hands and hit answer. He begins to ramble instantly.
“I’m so sorry, Demi. You have to understand. I had no choice. I tried to think of a way around it. I even offered them money. You know I’m good for it. I would never hurt you, not like that, if I didn’t have to. If you would have just taken the drink, I wouldn’t have had to force you. You probably wouldn’t have even remembered it.”
He tried to drug her? What the actual fuck? And he actually thought he was doing her a favor. I stare into Demi’s blue eyes while I listen to this guy who is supposed to be her boyfriend, and I can’t figure out what I’m missing.
“Please say something,” he begs. When my silence lingers, he breaks down like a fucking chick. “I’m sorry,” He sobs. “They have a video of me and Hayden … you know that can’t get out, Demi. It can’t …” He sniffs. “Please tell me that you forgive me.”
“If you’re afraid of a video getting out, wait until I’m done with you.”
He gasps. “Wait … What? Deke, is that you?”
I don’t answer.
“I didn’t …”
“But you tried,” I shout, interrupting him, knowing where he is going. I can literally see the evidence on her body as she stands in front of me. He tried to drug her!
“She has to understand,” He growls, no longer begging for forgiveness since he knows I’m not Demi on the phone. “I helped her out when she wanted to fuck you. Putting on that fake fight for you to sweep in and feel like a fucking man trying to save her. The least she could have done was let me do what I needed to do to save my ass. It’s not like she was still a virgin anymore.”
My eyes swing to Demi’s at his confession, and I take a step toward her. “You’re dead.”
DEMI
You’re dead?
He still holds the phone to his ear, but his eyes are on mine. I’m not sure if he meant that for me or for Seth, but my heart pounds in my chest, nonetheless.
He pulls the phone from his ear, holds down the button to turn it off, and then throws it across the room. I hear it slide on the tile hallway that leads out of the living room. His eyes never leave mine. “Cole, take Austin—”
“No.” She interrupts him, coming to stand beside me.
My eyes shoot to Cole. He looks like he’s debating on staying. As if he wants to have a hand in whatever Deke plans on doing to me. Why do they think I’ve somehow betrayed them? I haven’t done shit to Cole.
“Now!” Deke shouts, making me jump.
Cole steps up to us, grabs Austin by the arm, and pulls her away from me. “Don’t you fucking hurt her, Deke!” she screams at Deke as Cole drags her out of the room. The front door slams shut moments later.
We stand in silence, facing one another with only a few feet separating us. He stands, shoulders pulled back, and he’s breathing heavily. He looks like a storm about to drown me before carrying me out to sea to never be found.
I swallow nervously. “I don’t know what he said …”
“Enough,” he says in a clipped voice.
“Deke, let me explain,” I growl, tired of this shit.
“How you played me?” He quirks a brow.
My jaw tightens. “This has nothing to do with you.”
“Bullshit!” he shouts.
I step into him. If I’m going to go out, I’m going to go out with some fucking balls. Men aren’t the only ones who can have them. “I did what …”
“Needed to be done.” He nods. “You said that before. And Seth obviously feels the same.”
I slam my fist in his hard chest. He doesn’t budge, but he grabs my wrist, and I whimper when he squeezes it tightly. “I never did anything to you against your will,” I shout, feeling the tears begin to burn my eyes. Once again, my sister wins. She fucked me over. I tried to do something to piss her off, and it burned me. I should have never let Deke touch me.
I hit him with my other fist, and he grabs that one too. I cry out when he holds them both captive. His long and strong fingers digging into my bony wrists.
He leans down, placing his face in front of mine, and whispers, “Two can play that game.”
“Deke … what …?”
“Seth told me that he helped you set me up. That first night I fucked you.”
My eyes widen. That sorry little bastard. I will out him. I will no longer keep his fucking secret.
“I’m guessing this is just another game you two are playing.” He spins around, drops my wrists and grips my neck, slamming my back into the wall by the TV. My vision blurs for a second from his force. When it clears, I see his murderous eyes stare into mine. “You asked me before if I wanted to hurt you.” He growls, tightening his hand.
I try to shove it away, but he’s too strong.
“The answer is that I want to fucking kill you, Demi. You’re a fucking pain in my ass. Your sister may be a fucking slut, but you are nothing to me. Do you understand that?” He shakes me and dots take over my vision. “Nothing.”
Panic sits in my bones as my body screams for a breath. To survive. I kick my feet, but all I hit is air. I slap at his face, but I don’t think he even feels it. My already bruised cheek throbs, and my head pounds. When that gets me nowhere, I scratch at his arm and try to shove his wrist away, but he’s just too strong. Tears run down my face, and he watches them as if fascinated. I’ve heard of the sharks and how ruthless they can be, but I’ve never seen one firsthand. Until now. He doesn’t care about me or my life. I’m a problem for him, and he’s going to make me go away. My lips move, but nothing comes out. I try to beg him to stop, but it’s pointless. My head pounds so hard it feels like it’s about to explode. I’m losing mobility, my body becomes heavy.
I reach out to the mantel below the TV and wrap my fingers around the first thing I feel, swinging it into the side of his head with as much force as I can manage.
“Fuck!” He lets go, stepping away from me, and I crumple to the floor.
I gasp for breath. My chest is tight, throat burns, and tears run down my face.
He stands before me, reaching up and wiping his fingers through the trail of blood that runs down the side of his gorgeous face.
I stay on my knees with my head bowed for a few seconds, trying to catch my breath. I don’t have much time before he comes at me again. I can’t swallow without it hurting and gasping for air. When I look up at him, I blink, allowing fresh tears to run down my face.
His blue eyes tell me he’s not done with me. That was just the beginning. I’m a toy he wants to play with. There’s a promise there that I will die, but not yet. Maybe he’ll make me beg first. Men prefer a girl on her knees.
He kneels in front of me, and I push back away from him, falling to my ass. I had dropped the object I had hit him with, so nothing is in my reach now. My back hits the wall again, and I whimper when he reaches out, pushing my hair behind my ear. His bloody fingers graze the bruise on my cheek from Seth, and I swallow a sob. My body shakes, and my heart pounds.
“It’s a shame, Demi.” He sighs as if he hates to do what he is about to do. As though he doesn’t have a choice to kill me or not. “You are very beautiful.” Then his soft blue eyes harden, and his pouty lips thin. “But …”
“I set you up.” My voice is rough, and the pain makes me flinch, but I need to explain it to him. My life depends on it. “We set you up,” I say honestly. It’s time to fill him in because there’s obviously bigger shit going on right now. And I need to know what it is. “I wanted you to fuck me to piss off Becky.”
He pulls away from me and stands. I look up at him through watery eyes, placing my shaking hands on my thighs. “But you already knew that. What you don’t know is that Seth is gay, and I’m his cover. We pretend to be a couple because he is fucking his professor. And if it go
t out, he’d get kicked out of school and lose his scholarship. Not to mention, Hayden would lose his job.” I’m panting, trying to catch my breath.
He stays looking down at me for a few seconds before spinning around and giving me his back. Running a hand through his dark hair, he lets out a growl. “There’s a video. That’s what he doesn’t want to get out,” he mumbles to himself.
I pull myself up on my shaky legs, having to use the wall for help. I can finally breathe a little better, and I suck in a long breath. He turns to face me, and I square my shoulders. “Decide right now,” I demand.
His baby blue eyes glare at me. His jaw sharp and nostrils flared. I think he’s debating on whether to let me live or just finish me off. I deserve all his anger, but I’ve had enough tonight. I’ve reached my breaking point. “Decide!” I shout, but my voice cracks. Obviously, I’m not back to myself just yet.
“On what?” He growls.
“Whether you’re going to kill me or not,” I answer with a huff. “I’m tired of this fucking game, Deke. Make up your fucking mind. Either you want me dead or not.” I’m not dumb. Deke will be harder to fight, especially considering I’m still a little lightheaded from his hand being around my throat, but I’m fucking done.
He takes a step toward me. I glare up at him, muscles tight and ready to pounce on him with everything I got. Shit will get broken in this house, but I will fight until my last breath.
Reaching out, he runs his knuckles softly down my sensitive neck. I tense, expecting him to pull on my hair and throw me to the floor like Seth did. “What have I told you before?” he asks, and I don’t say a word, not sure what he’s talking about. “If that were the case, then you would already be dead.”
I shove him away from me. I have a feeling if I hadn’t hit him, I’d be lying dead on his floor right now. “Then stay the hell away from me, Deke.”
“You came to me.”
“I came for Austin,” I snap. “I don’t need you!” I look him up and down, noticing the way his jeans hug his narrow hips and muscular thighs. How his shirt shows me his pecs and bulging biceps. I hate how attractive he is with everything that I am. The fucker just tried to kill me, but the twisted part inside me likes it. I’ve challenged him before, and he didn’t give me the Deke Biggs I wanted to see until today. And fuck, he’s powerful. Fucking ruthless. I like that. When my eyes meet his again, I say, “You served your purpose.”
If You Dare (Dare Series Book 3) Page 26
