“What are you doing here?” Shane demands, coming to stand in front of me.
I don’t answer. He’ll die slow and painfully. He betrayed me! Why didn’t they carve his neck up? Because he has a dick? Or maybe it’s because he has murdered with them. He knows too much about them for them to turn on him.
A brunette I’ve never seen before clings to his side.
“Hi,” she says with a tilt of her head, her high ponytail pulling her hair back tightly. “I’m Brynn.” She introduces herself like I give a fuck.
Her gray eyes twinkle at me. She’s too bubbly. Too fucking annoying. She’s dressed in a pair of skinny jeans with a pair of black heels, and a black and white shirt that hugs her small frame.
I instantly hate her.
She reminds me of myself. Back before the sharks ruined everything I had.
He whispers something in her ear, and she bites her lip before nodding like the good little slave she is. They all have one. Each of them feeds off a helpless, willing victim. Fulfilling their need for sex and blood. He pulls away from her, and she turns, all but bouncing away.
He reaches up and pushes my blond hair behind my ear. I slap his hand away. He lost the right to touch me when he told one of my secrets. I wonder if he knows the other.
What would he do if I told them what I know? What would Deke do if he knew about Bennett? That’s why I went to the clubhouse the other day. To blackmail Bennett. Boy, did that plan backfire on me. They always seem to.
“Becky, you gotta get over it,” he says.
I place my hand on his chest and push him away from me. He backs up, and I jump off the counter, almost tripping over my own heels.
“Whoa.” He reaches out for me, but I shove him away.
“Leave me alone.”
He doesn’t know what it’s like to love someone who you don’t really know. To have that one person betray you in the worst possible way.
None of them do—the GWS. They’re all just a group of spoiled-ass rich boys who have always been allowed to do whatever the fuck they want. In a town of people who either fear them or take payment from their parents to look the other way.
I always thought they were harmless.
Stupid girl.
I, of all people, should know that nothing is what it seems.
I fake a lot of shit. I learned it from my mother. Angelica Lawrence is the perfect model for a broken soul under flawless makeup and a fake-as-shit smile. People will only see what you show them is her motto.
I know I’m a hypocrite.
A liar.
A slut.
I’m what everyone whispers behind my back. I’ve never had any real friends. Not until Austin Lowes came along, and I was even forced into that friendship. But I managed to fuck that one up too.
I thought I could outsmart all of them. Thought I could play them at their own game. Told myself I could keep up with the lies and wouldn’t get caught.
Turns out, I was wrong.
The worst part? Deke has always had a part of me, since the first time he kissed me on a hot and sunny day by the football field of Collins High. After he took my breath away, he gave me his back and walked away. I let him go. Even then, I knew I couldn’t keep him. Not much later, he was standing in front of me again. It didn’t matter that I was unavailable at the time. No one tells Deke Biggs no. He wanted me, and I swore I could use him for popularity. To get into a crowd that could make me more than the spineless bitch I was. I would use him the way he and his friends used others. But I promised myself I would not fall for him like all the dick-whipped girls in our school.
Fuck, I fell to my knees so fast. Like I was a sinner in church who was shown the light and needed to repent.
But instead of forgiveness, I got burned alive at the stake.
It was bound to happen. No one lies and gets away with it like the GWS. There was a frenzy of them and only one of me. I was never a shark. It was a loan. I played nice with Cole’s girlfriend, Austin, while fucking his best friend—I was supposed to get a pass.
Instead, I got fucked without the benefits of the actual orgasm. Well, I guess I can’t say that. Deke knows his way around a woman’s body. But it’s not like the bastard hadn’t had any practice. I may not have been innocent, but I didn’t have half the experience he did. He flashed his pretty blue eyes and panty-dropping smile at me, and I was gone. Just like all the others before me. And the ones to come after me.
I never had a fucking chance. Just like everyone else who goes up against any of them, failure was my only option. They come together and rip you to shreds before you can even blink. Then they step back and watch you bleed to your death. They find a sick pleasure in watching you wither in pain. They thrive on it. Feed off it.
They’ve always liked to play a little game of dare. They may have called it quits, but I’m about to call their bluff. And what’s a game if not everyone plays?
I’m going to show them that Becky Holt can play just as ruthlessly. Deke Biggs is my target, and he’ll never see me coming. I’m going to put on my makeup and my mother’s smile. I don’t care who you are—no man can resist a painted face and scandalous dress with a pair of heels as tall as the sky.
He may be a shark, but I’m about to show him that the bait can be just as threatening.
“Becky?” A hand grips my upper arm and spins me around.
“Get the fuck off me, Shane,” I snap.
He grips the back of my neck, and I cry out as he shoves me through a door into a room. He lets go and I bend over, my hand flying to the back of my neck over the cuts he just grabbed. Tears fill my eyes, and my breathing has hitched.
“Listen.” He grips my hair and yanks my head back. “You belong to us, Becky. Do you understand that?”
“Fuck you,” I hiss.
He lets go of my hair and cups my face with both of his hands. I bare my teeth, ready to bite him if need be. “You think I want you?” he asks, arching his dark brows in amusement.
“Are you saying you don’t?” I growl.
“If you’re doing this to piss off Deke, it won’t work. He doesn’t care about you anymore, Becky.” He leans and whispers. “Those cuts were a warning, baby, to always watch your back. You never know when we’ll be there.” He lets go of me. “You’re lucky to still be alive. So, enjoy your life and go fuck someone who doesn’t know what kind of whore you really are.” With that, he pulls away and walks out the room. I exit behind him and see him find the brunette standing by the wall with two drinks in her hands. She hands him one and sips from the other.
I fist my hands and turn, storming out the back door of the house, but I run into a hard body. “Sorry …” I look up and gasp.
A hand slaps over my mouth, and I’m pushed up to the side of the house. He takes his free hand and places a finger over his lips, silently telling me to be quiet. Then removes his hand.
“What are you doing here?” I whisper, looking around to make sure no one is looking our way. “No one can see you.”
He gives me a soft smile as his hand grips the hem of my shirt before sliding underneath it. “I needed to see you, baby.” Then his lips land on mine.
DEKE
It’s officially Thanksgiving, and we are back at Collins for the week. We had planned on flying but then decided we wanted to have access to vehicles. My father has plenty to go around, but I’m still not talking to that fucker. And same thing goes with Cole’s father. It took us two days to make the thirty-hour drive. We had to stop and stay the night in Utah and watched Lilly swim in the indoor pool with the girls. Things seem to be going pretty good lately. Cole is on edge again, though. He hasn’t told Austin what all he knows. That wouldn’t bother the old Cole, but it’s eating the new one alive. I think he’s afraid to tell her just how deep her friend’s betrayal ran. And I think the fact that we’re back here in Collins adds to that.
“Are you glad to be back?” Demi asks from the passenger seat.
“Yes,” I answer,
pulling up to my sister’s house. I haven’t spoken to her in a few hours. We’re a little ahead of our scheduled time to arrive.
I frown when I see a white SUV parked in the driveway that I know all too well. I exit my Range Rover and walk inside with Demi right behind me. “Sis?” I call out.
I walk down the hallway and turn to enter the kitchen, thinking I’ll find her at the table, but she’s not there. “Shelby?” I yell this time.
“Deke?” She answers from behind me.
I turn to see her standing in the hallway with a dark gray towel wrapped around herself. Her blond hair, wet and sticking to her bare shoulders. She still has some soap on her face. “What are you doing?” I ask.
“I was in the shower.” She smooths her hand down the towel and looks over to Demi who comes to stand next to me. She swallows nervously. “You guys are early.”
I narrow my eyes on her neck. She has a couple of marks that resemble hickeys. What the fuck? I’ve never seen hickeys on my sister before. “Is that a problem?”
“No,” She laughs like I told a joke and changes the subject. “Are you hungry? Want me to make you something …”
“Babe, what’s taking you so long?” A man interrupts her, coming into the hallway. “Deke?” His wide eyes meet mine.
I fist my hands down by my sides. “What the fuck are you doing here?” I demand, looking him over. He too wears a towel low on his hips. And soap still covers his chest and arms. No fucking way! “At my sister’s? Also dressed in a towel?” I snap.
He runs a hand over his wet hair and squares his shoulders. “We were going to tell you.”
“When?” I snap and look at my sister. This motherfucker … “How long?” I demand.
She drops her blue eyes to the floor.
“How fucking long?” I shout.
“Hey.” Bennett pushes her out of the way and steps up to me. “Don’t yell at her. I was the one who wanted to keep this a secret from you.”
I reach out, gripping the back of his neck and yank him to me. “I’m not gonna ask you again.”
He gives me a smile, and says, “A year.”
I punch him in the face, knocking him into a wall.
“Deke!” my sister and Demi both shriek.
“You fucking bastard …” I slam my fist into his face again. He doesn’t fight me back, and I take full advantage of it.
I take him to the floor right here in the hallway. The force making a few pictures fall as well.
“What the fuck?” I hear Cole growl, and then I feel his hands on my shoulders. He yanks me off him, pulling me to my feet.
I stand, hands fisted and breathing heavily.
“What the hell is going on here?” he demands.
“What’s it look like?” I shout. “He’s fucking my sister.”
Cole looks from Bennett to Shelby. But looks away quickly when he realizes she’s only dressed in a towel. He throws his hands up and takes a step back. “By all means.”
“Cole!” Austin growls his name as she pushes Lilly behind her legs. “Not here,” she tells him.
He nods and tells Bennett. “Get dressed. Deke can beat your ass in the backyard.”
Without a second thought, I turn and exit the house. Rolling my shoulders, I get ready to kick my best friend’s ass when Demi walks out back behind me.
“Deke …”
“Don’t,” I growl, interrupting her. I’m in no mood to hear it. Whatever she has to say, she can save it.
“But …”
“Drop it, Demi!” I snap. He’s been fucking her for a year. He deserves at least a broken nose for that.
She lets out a growl and turns, running back into the house just as Cole and Bennett exit.
I lift my fisted hands ready to start punching his face.
“Can I explain?” he asks, lifting his hands in surrender.
“Nope.” I slam my fist into him, knocking him back a few steps.
“Goddammit, Deke.” He growls, covering his face. “Cole …”
“I can’t help you out, man. I’m with Deke. We all knew she was off-limits.”
I step into him ready to throw another punch.
“Just listen for two …”
This time, my fist connects with his jaw, sending him onto his ass.
“Motherfucker!” he shouts, jumping to his feet.
“Is she who you messaged nonstop while you were down in Texas?” I snap. The fucker barely ever looked up from his phone, but I never questioned it because I didn’t give a shit who he was talking to. Obviously, I should have.
“Yes!” he snaps.
Cole falls down into a chair and takes a bite of an apple. The fucker is enjoying this too much. “And the girl you ushered out of the clubhouse the night I called you …? That was her, wasn’t it?”
My hands drop to my sides as my mouth falls open. No fucking way …
“Yes!” he answers Cole.
I let out a growl and run at him. My shoulder hits him in the chest, and I lift him up off the ground before slamming his ass to the snow-covered grass. “I’m gonna kill …”
“I love her!” he shouts.
I pause, one hand fisted in his shirt and the other about to hit him in the face again. “What?” I pant.
He lets out a long sigh and licks the blood off his lip. “I fucking love her, Deke.” He shoves me off, and I go willingly. Sitting up, he runs his hands through his hair. “You think I would risk losing you as a friend for a fuck or a fling?” I don’t answer. “I’ve been in love with her for a long time, and a year ago, I got my chance to show her just how much.” He looks over at Cole who continues to eat his apple with a smirk on his face. “I’m sorry we didn’t tell you. She wanted to, but I didn’t. I knew you wouldn’t understand. I was selfish and wanted as much time with her as possible before you found out.” He hangs his head. “She broke up with me after Cole killed Kellan. She thought I helped, which I did, but she said she wanted nothing to do with our lives.” He glares up at me. “It took a lot of groveling to get her back and show her that I can be different for her.” He huffs. “And I’ll be damned if I’m gonna allow you to come in and fuck that up for me.”
I stand staring down at my friend sitting in the snow with blood running down his nose. I should be mad, but all I can think about is how my sister can’t accept him for who he really is. I’m not surprised. She never really did me either. But she doesn’t understand our need for revenge. Demi understands it. She’s lived it with her sister for years.
I walk over to him and reach out my hand. He looks at it and then up at me before taking it. I pull him into me and slap his back. “I already consider you a brother, Bennett. But if you hurt her, I’ll have no problem killing you.”
He chuckles pulling away. “That’s not gonna happen.”
The three of us enter the house to find my sister sitting at her kitchen table. She jumps up the moment she sees us and gasps. “What the hell, Deke?” She runs to him, placing her hands on his bloody face.
“He’s fine.” I wave her off. “Just a scratch.”
“Where are the girls?” Cole asks, looking around for Austin.
“They left to go take Lilly to see Blanche for the day. They’ll be back later.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
DEMI
I SIT IN the spare bedroom scrolling through my Facebook when I hear a knock on the door. “Come in.”
Austin pops her head in. “Hey, I’m gonna go pick up Lilly from Blanche’s. Wanna ride with me? I thought we could grab dinner on the way back for everyone.”
“Yeah,” I say, getting up and grabbing my jacket. “Sounds good.”
She backs out of the driveway, and I send Deke a quick message. I haven’t spoken to him much today. Austin and I left earlier while he was outside beating the shit out of his friend. We had dropped Lilly off at Blanche’s and then met Shelby at the mall for some girl time. She explained the guys made up and how they were going to meet Shane at the clubhouse la
ter to go over some things. Whatever that meant.
Me: Gonna pick up Lilly and grab dinner. Ask the guys what sounds good.
Locking my phone, I put it down in my lap and look out the windshield. When we arrived in Collins earlier today, it had been snowing. It’s stopped for the time being but looks like it could start again at any minute.
We’re on a two-lane road heading back to Blanche’s. She lives on the outskirts of Collins. The road is curvy with lots of hills so we’re going slower than normal due to the weather. We make a curve, and Austin slams on the brakes. Her hand comes out, shooting across to my chest to hold my back to the seat.
“What the hell is going on here?” she asks as we come to an abrupt stop.
“Maybe they wrecked,” I say, looking over the tire tracks of a car that sits in the middle of the road. You can tell that they were heading in the same direction as us and then spun around, doing a one-eighty. When it finally stopped, it’s now facing us head on but still across both lanes.
Austin opens her door and gets out, so I do the same. “Hello?” she calls out.
I look over at the ditch, and my heart begins to pound in my chest when I see the three, white wooden crosses that Deke and Cole placed here after their friends were killed in the car wreck. I remember being at Eli’s funeral and hearing people whisper that Cole and Deke didn’t show. They had been here, setting these.
Right where we stand.
“Austin?” I turn to face her, and she’s got her hands on the window of the car, trying to look through the blacked-out windows. “I think we should leave,” I say, getting a bad feeling about this.
“I don’t see anyone …” The door opens, hitting her in the face, knocking her off her feet and onto her ass.
“Austin?” I shout, running over to her, but an arm wraps around me from behind, and I’m yanked off my feet. Oh, no. God, no!
She rolls over onto her hands and gets up on her knees. A guy steps out of the car, and my breath hitches. No, no, no. “Austin … run.”
He walks over and kicks her in the side, and she cries out, grabbing it.
“Stop!” I scream, trying to fight the hands that hold me.
If You Dare (Dare Series Book 3) Page 33
