Second Nature (Crimson Cove Mysteries Book 2)

by Tara Brown

  “I won’t ever get past this.”

  I smiled at her, not mocking her pain but trying to offer love. “You will. We are just like anyone else who goes through something traumatic. We have to decide if it defines us or if we define ourselves.” I looked at Jake. “He’s still him, even after everything. Sometimes when he’s sleeping he screams and cries. He wakes Ashton up. His mom told mine he even peed the bed once the first week he was home.”

  “Jeeze, Lain!” Lindsey recoiled.

  “But he still gets up and he goes to physiotherapy, he’s seeing a shrink, and when he sees me he says gross stuff that never goes anywhere. We don't do anything but kiss and hug. I don't know if he even wants to do anything else or if he’s respecting me and my need to take things slowly. He’s honestly trying, and he’s seen the worst of this.”

  “No, you have. He might have suffered the worst, but you have seen the worst. I’d almost think this is a vendetta against you personally. You were the first to find Rachel. Your dad gets screwed over and your parents get separated. Your house gets torched. Your dad’s threats against a dead person are stolen. The boy you like gets run out of town. Your boyfriend ends up kidnapped and left for dead. You find him and almost lose fingers and your sanity trying to save him. You find Mr. and Mrs. Henning—granted it was with me—but you were there for them both too. Then you find the servants’ mass grave. Lainey, how are you still functioning, and why is this person trying so hard to mess with you?”

  I blinked and thought about it all. The plate I’d called full so many times was now actually there. “If I were the killer, I’d go after me first too. I am the biggest threat to anyone.”

  “Your memory.”

  “Yeah.” I nodded.

  “I guess I’d go after you first too.” Lindsey looked around the Halloween dance and sighed. “Who would you hit next?”

  I looked at her. “You. You are very good at sneaking and snooping and you have that intensely encrypted phone with secrets about everyone that never leaves your sight.”

  “You’re right. I would go after me next too.” Her eyes widened. “I wonder why Rachel was first?”

  “We’ll figure it out. I know we will.”

  “AFTERPARTY AT MY HOUSE!” Rita shouted as the song ended. She looked so perfect as Princess Jasmine with Ashton as Aladdin.

  His eyes darted to me, like they did all the time. I offered a simple smile, wishing we’d never had the conversation we’d had. I wished we’d just pretended our feelings for one another never happened.

  Needing to look away from his stare, I glanced down at my phone and moaned, “It’s only ten. I feel like it’s three in the morning.”

  “Come on, we can stop by Rita’s for a bit and then I’ll take you home.” Jake leaned in, kissing my neck and poking me with the nose of his costume.

  Lindsey made duck lips and sighed. “I don't know if I can make it. I’m bagged.”

  “I’ll take you home now.” Vincent wrapped a fluffy arm around her, looking serious with his huge black mustache and slicked-back dark hair.

  My gaze lowered as I muffled my snicker.

  “We have to say bye to Rita first. I’ll text you tomorrow.” Lindsey squeezed my hand. I nodded, holding back the huge laugh I had sitting in my chest.

  Vincent gave me a death stare as he waved at Jake and walked out with her. That was the end of my control. I burst out laughing, trying to cover my mouth. He flipped me off and left with Lindsey, also now sniggering.

  “If you laugh he’ll never wear one again. She begged him for three days to wear that.” He pulled me with his left arm, wincing and holding out the other arm for me. “Is it weird I keep forgetting?”

  “Yes. Definitely weird.”

  Sierra came running over in her bride of Frankenstein dress. The guy she’d been hooking up with, Jenson, had come as Frank himself. “Hey, we’re going to Rita’s. You guys coming?”

  “Yeah.” I nodded. I glanced past her at Jenson. “So you came together?”

  She shrugged and toyed with her crazy black and white hair. “I guess.” She blushed and glanced back at him, batting her lashes.

  “That's cool.” I kept calm about it. She was like a horse and spooked easily.

  “I guess,” she repeated and giggled. “See you guys there.” She waved and stalked off, sashaying her butt.

  “I love that she’s undaunted, even after everything.”

  “I told you, it’s all about attitude.” He kissed the side of my head and walked me to the car.

  Sage was waiting for us with Rita and Ashton. She was, of course, Cinderella. She hadn’t ever been anything but a princess for every single Halloween since we were old enough to trick or treat. She waved, offering the sweetest of smiles. It was the one she saved for public or when someone she really liked was there.

  Most were fooled. I assumed Jake was too, but he muttered, “That smile means trouble.” He didn't even try to look pleasant as I walked to her. He seemed annoyed with her, like he knew something I didn't, or he was holding something back from me.

  “You look beautiful.”

  She brushed her fingers over the puffy ball gown. “I’m just glad the dance happened so I got to wear it. Are you coming to Rita’s?” Her eyes darted to Jake. She looked back to me immediately.

  “Yeah.”

  “Did Lindsey and Vincent go home?”

  “She’s still really tired.”

  Sage rolled her eyes. “We’re all tired, Lain. We have to remember everyone is watching.” She sounded like her mom. I hoped that day wouldn't ever come for me. She reached for me, squeezing my hand. “You look super sexy. I’m proud of you for coming out of your shell on this one. No more Harry Potter costumes.” She laughed and gave Jake a smile.

  He didn't laugh so I did. I laughed at myself. “How’s it going at Rita’s house?”

  She shrugged. “It’s okay. But I was going to see if Emily and I can come and crash with you.”

  I gave Jake a look. “I’ll see you at the car.”

  He bit his lip but nodded and offered Sage a slight wave.

  “Is everything okay?” I looked back at Sage.

  “Emily isn’t liking being at Rachel’s. It’s creeping her out.”

  “It would creep me out too.” I shook my head. “No offense to her or her family. I just couldn't stay there.”

  “Me either.” Sage’s blue eyes watered, but she somehow got it under control before the tears came out. “So tomorrow night? Can we come there?”

  “Of course. I’ll run it by my mom, but you know she won’t say no. She’d probably like to have a reason to not mope.”

  “Thanks.” The fake smile was gone and the real Sage, not the puppet her mother had made, squeezed my hand.

  “See you at Rita’s.”

  “Okay.” She put the smile back on and nodded.

  I waved to Rita and Ashton as they joined Sage, and turned away, walking to Jake at the limo.

  His driver, a new guy with a long list of protection detail experience, opened the door for us. When we sat down, Jake winced and adjusted himself, getting comfortable in the seat. Everything was still sore. Especially his heart. Andrew had been one of his closest friends since he was two years old.

  Jake, Ashton, and Vincent had all been betrayed, more than the rest of us. I liked Andrew, but I hadn’t seen him as anything other than a friend. They saw a brother.

  “What did she want?” Jake looked out the window as everyone in costumes got into limos and family cars. The parking lot was filled with black sedan-shaped vehicles. Not one of us had driven. Freedom was being revoked in every corner of Crimson Cove.

  “She wants to sleep at my place for the next bit. My dad said that her mom is going to list the house when the police are done with it. So I have to assume they will find something to let until their new house is built and the old one is sold. Until then, they want to stay where they feel safe. Emily and Mazy feel safe together.”

  “So Ashto
n at my house and Sage at yours.” He looked disappointed, even behind the mask.

  “It could be Ashton and Sage at my house.”

  His dark-blue eyes narrowed. “I don't think Ash should sleep at your house. Ever again.”

  “When you lower your voice and narrow your eyes like that, you actually sound like Batman.”

  “Did you have fun?” He laughed, changing the subject.

  “No, I hate dances. These contacts are scraping my eyeballs out. Sage was weird all night, pretending she didn't see me unless she was staring at you. Rita looked like she was actually trying to eat Ashton so I couldn't even talk to her. She should have come as Raja instead of Jasmine. And Lindsey looked miserable all night, regardless of the fact she got Vincent to dress up as something other than Al Capone. And my mom made me wear the fat-sucking-in underwear so I didn't stand a chance at not holding my stomach in the entire night.”

  He wrinkled his nose. “You don't have any fat.”

  “Try telling that to my mom.” I moaned and wriggled, adjusting the underwear so I could breathe. “Sage at least was having a good time. Of the five of us, she was the only one.”

  “I had fun,” he offered. “Even if you didn't.”

  “You’re way more social than I am. You can have fun in a corner alone. So much so that you convince everyone else that the corner is fun and the whole party moves there.”

  He rolled his eyes, which was an even bigger gesture in a mask. “Oh man, you exaggerate.”

  “It’s true. Everyone likes you.”

  “Everyone likes you too.”

  “No.” I shook my head. “Not the same way they like you. And I don't mind. I like being the girl who flies under the radar.”

  His eyes lowered to my chest. “I did notice something was not flying under the radar.”

  I shoved him and covered my boobs. “My mom made me wear a push-up bra.”

  He bit his lip and nodded. “Yeah, noticed that.” He wrinkled his nose. “And everyone else noticed it too. Maybe the tensor bandage isn’t such a bad thing.” He laughed.

  “Oh, you’re not comfortable with everyone in the room staring at my boobs? What? That's crazy!”

  “Not so much. I feel like a pretty confident guy, and I think I’m comfortable in most situations, but having every dude at the party eyeing up my girlfriend’s chest, even my best friends, that’s not awesome.”

  I tried not to gush or get excited that he had called me that. “Welcome to my life.”

  “Maybe your dad should see some of that action, and he’ll make sure your mom never gets her way again. In fact, you might end up in a tower. He still whispers death threats to me when no one’s looking.”

  I turned sharply. “What? Is that why you don't want to—?”

  “Yeah,” he answered like I should have known that. “I want to. I just get worried he’s there, and because Ash is always at my house, we’re always at your house, and then your dad’s like eyeballing me from every corner. Corners I didn't even know you had. He was leering at me through a plant two nights ago when we watched that movie.”

  I started laughing, relieved that it wasn't his mental state or me. “My dad lives with Judith now. He was just staying at the house because of the whole Andrew thing. He’s trying to be there more for Mazy and me.” I bit my lip and contemplated not telling him the next part.

  “What? Why do you look like you’re laughing at me in your head?”

  “My dad went back to Judith’s today. Mazy’s sleeping there tonight and dad took her and Michael trick or treating. He’s really trying harder.”

  “So he’s not home?” His lips started to toy with the grin that was growing on me.

  “Not home.”

  “What about your mom?”

  “She’s home, but Sage and Emily will be at my house tomorrow night.”

  His dark-blue eyes sparkled from behind his mask. “Your mom doesn't really scare me.”

  “She should. You just naturally have no survival skills.”

  He leaned in and kissed me, gently brushing his lips against mine. “Girls aren’t scary.”

  “Liar.”

  He smiled against my mouth and knocked on the partition, getting the driver to lower it slightly. “Take us to Miss Allen’s house, please.”

  “Certainly, Mr. Van der Wall,” the English driver spoke softly as he closed the partition again.

  Jake gave me a look. “You know what this means, right?”

  I pulled back. “That we’re going to my house to have—”

  “No, I mean the costumes.” He offered me a completely sleazy grin. “Catwoman and Batman have a thing. I saw Michael Keaton and Michelle Pfeiffer getting it on.”

  I rolled my eyes. “It’s my second time. I think we can hold off on costumes.”

  He shook his head. “Trust me, this is a good idea.” His childish grin made me want to slap him.

  It was incredibly gratifying to be able to laugh and joke and breathe a little easier. Yes, the girl terrorizing us was still missing, but Andrew and Tom were both behind bars. Things in the world were slowly working their way back to normal, only a better version of it.

  Epilogue

  Halloween Scream: Part Deux

  October 31, 2015

  Sierra

  The noise of the creaking stairs, the ones I had just crept up, echoed in my ears. Had someone followed us there or was Jenson back with the champagne?

  I almost laughed at myself for being silly, but the past couple of months had been horrible and laughing at noises in the dark was a foolish mistake I no longer made.

  “Jenson,” I whispered, hoping he was messing around. If he was, I would be angry. Taking a step I cringed at the sound of my heel clicking on the floor.

  I lifted one leg after the other and slipped my high heels off, holding them both so I could tiptoe through the half-constructed mansion without making noise.

  Jenson didn't answer, but the footsteps had stopped from the moment I whispered.

  The scary movie marathon we’d had before Rachel died flashed through my head, bringing ideas and memories with it. I tiptoed around the corner, brushing my Frankenstein’s bride dress on the rough edge where the unfinished walls met. The drywall scraped against me, making me wince as I hurried along the corridor to the back deck. Whoever was in the house with me was either moving silently too or they were standing still, listening.

  Either way, I had a terrible feeling this wasn't a game.

  That meant one of several options was happening: Jenson was injured, hiding, or he hadn’t come back yet.

  And I was alone with the killer.

  I shivered and reminded myself that Andrew and Tom were both behind bars. If I was being stalked it was by the girl, the one who had worn the same dress as me. I could take a girl.

  Maybe.

  My heart raced, my eyes burned from not blinking—fearful I would miss something—and my throat was as dry as a mouthful of popcorn.

  The floor creaked.

  I froze.

  “Sierra,” someone whispered into the dark.

  My skin crawled when I realized it wasn't Jenson. It wasn't his whisper. I’d heard that enough times, always in the dark, to know it wasn't him.

  “Sierra, don't be scared.” It sounded like something it couldn't be, but I didn't believe in ghosts so the fact it sounded just like Rachel made me instantly leery. This girl was trying to mess with me.

  I stayed perfectly still, waiting for the moment I needed to run to the back deck and jump down onto the sandy beach.

  What had the girls in the horror movies done wrong?

  What could I avoid?

  My mind raced, remembering the runners always got caught. But that was because they were stupid about running. They looked back, which everyone knows slows you down. That was why they always got stabbed, usually in the back just as they looked back to scream.

  Dumb bitches.

  The thought made my skin burn where I imagined th
e knife would slice.

  The hiders always got caught too. They were the ones breathing too loudly or hiding in stupid places.

  I could avoid both of those outcomes.

  Once my feet hit that sand, I wasn't looking back.

  And I could be quieter than anyone. I’d been having sex at school since ninth grade and still hadn’t been caught.

  “Sierra, I won’t hurt you if you come to me.”

  I squeezed my eyes shut for half a second and waited for the answer, the right choice, to pop into my head.

  A dog barked, making me jump and open my eyes. The sound was joined by the creaking of the floorboards again.

  With gentle breaths and controlled movements I crept along the hallway, entering the spot where the kitchen or master bedroom would likely go. The house was freshly sealed with windows and doors, but it was still in the drywall stage with plywood floors.

  The massive back deck was through the white French doors, facing the beach and open ocean. The full moon offered light, enough to make shadows move with me.

  I hurried to an alcove I assumed would one day be a nook for a breakfast bar or maybe the ensuite soaker tub. I pressed my back against the wall and stared at the bright white French doors. If I could make it to them, I was free.

  If only I had my cell phone, I could call the police or Jake or Vincent or the girls. Someone would come and help me. Even Ashton might come if Rita wasn't sucking his face off somewhere.

  But none of that was an option. I’d left my phone on the counter at Rita’s by accident.

  I scolded myself for my weakness and forced my focus to be on the doors. They were my answer. They were my hope.

  As I exhaled and plotted my moment to run and everything I would do from that point on, the floor creaked in the hallway behind me.

  It was now or never.

  Live or die.

  I took one more breath and pushed off from the wall. I sprinted across the open space, grabbing the door handle, but through the glass I saw someone had wedged a piece of wood under the doorknob on the outside. It was angled so you couldn't open the door from the inside.