“Give me back my phone.” He thrusts his hand in my direction. “Now.”
I roll my eyes. “Why the heck would I have your phone?”
“Because you pickpocketed me!” he shouts, his voice echoing across the parking lot.
People around us freeze and rubberneck at the scene.
Great, just what we need. An audience.
“Thanks for that. Now they can all add thief to the ever growing list of gossip topics about me,” I say with my eyes narrowed at Liam. “But FYI, I didn’t take your damn phone.”
“Well, someone did.” He balls his hands into fists as he lowers his arms to his sides. “I had it when I got into the car, and now it’s gone.”
I shrug. “Sorry, but I didn’t take it.”
“You’re going to regret this.” Shaking his head, he reels around and stalks off, people scurrying out of his way.
“All right, people, move along!” Kennedy shouts, flicking her wrist at the crowd. “There’s nothing to see.”
Once most of the crowd clears, Ev releases a shaky exhale. “He really has a temper, doesn’t he?”
I drape an arm around her shoulder. “I think he’s just having a bad day.”
“That really isn’t an excuse, though.” Kennedy leans in toward me, lowering her voice. “So, did you jack his phone?”
I pluck strands of hair out of my face as the wind kicks up. “As much as I’d love to take credit for that, it wasn’t me.”
“Well, it wasn’t me. And we know it wasn’t Ev, so …” Kennedy spins around toward Embry with an accusing smile on her face. “Embry, would you like to tell us something?”
Embry raises a shoulder. “It was sticking out of his pocket, and I saw an opportunity. Figured we could snoop around on it and see if he’s hiding anything.”
“And he didn’t notice you feeling around in his pocket?” I ask, walking backward against the wind.
“Oh, I’m sure he felt it.” Kennedy grins. “He probably just thought she was touching him and got all turned on. Did you see how he was looking at her? He so has the hots for our little Goth girl.”
“He does not.” Embry play-kicks at Kennedy. “And who’re you calling little?”
Kennedy squeals as Embry’s boot nearly grazes her leg, and she shuffles off toward the school. We start to hurry after her until I hear my name called out.
I turn around and spot Rylen jogging across the parking lot toward me. He’s sporting sneakers, dark jeans, and a black hoodie. His hair is damp, and his cheeks are wind-kissed. Well, either that or he’s blushing.
“Hey.” He smiles when he reaches me. “Sorry about yelling your name like a psycho, but I have something for you, and I really wanted to give it to you before school.”
“You have something for me?” I point at myself stupidly because, seriously, I’m so lost. Since when does Rylen give me stuff?
A somewhat amused, somewhat nervous laugh escapes him. “Yeah, for you.”
“Okay …”
He sticks his hand into his pocket to retrieve a small black box. “I saw this yesterday and thought of you.”
He hands me the box, but instead of opening it, I stare at it. What in the hell is this? Like, a present? Why is Rylen giving me a present? As, like, a friend? Because even Kennedy, Embry, and Ev don’t give me random gifts.
I might have stood there all day like an idiot if Kennedy didn’t materialize out of nowhere like a freakin’ ninja and nudge me in the side.
“I think he wants you to open it, Mak.” She pokes her elbow into my ribs again.
“Ow. Will you stop that?” I rub my side a few times then lift the lid off the box.
Inside is a shiny new set of bearings, silver trimmed with sky blue. My heart does a stupid little flutter because, holy shit, a guy bought me bearings, which might not seem that cool to most people, but to me … holy awesomeness.
“I saw them at the store yesterday and thought they’d match your board.” His tone carries a hint of nervousness. “And I remembered you saying you needed them.”
“I did—I do.” I look up at him and smile. “Thanks. You really didn’t have to do this, but they’re really cool.”
“I know I didn’t have to. I wanted to.” He inches closer, sticking his hands into his back pockets. “Logan kept telling me that I should get you pink ones, but I told him you weren’t really a pink kind of girl.”
“No, not at all. These are way better.” Way perfect.
I graze my finger across the bearings, questioning why he gave them to me. Is Kennedy right? Does Rylen like me as more than a friendly rival? The thought makes me oddly uncomfortable, not because I don’t like Rylen, but because … Well, because he’s rich and perfect and friends with people like Dixon. And I’m … Well, I’m the complete opposite.
Not knowing what else to do, I crack a joke. “Aren’t you kind of upping my game by giving me good equipment? I mean, what if these bearings improve my skills just enough that I start winning all the competitions?”
He smiles. “I highly doubt that, if you start winning, it’ll be from the bearings. It’ll be because you kick ass.”
I point a finger at him. “You’re not supposed to build up your rival’s confidence. Hasn’t anyone ever told you that?”
“I don’t think of you as just my rival.” He rocks back on his heels, growing nervous again. “And actually, I was kind of thinking that maybe we could practice together. Maybe Friday night, I could pick you up, and we could go hit up the ramps at the park?”
Um … I may be kind of clueless about the whole dating scene, but I’m pretty sure Rylen just asked me out. Rylen, a cute guy who’s nice to me and shares my love of skating. And also a cute guy who is friends with Dixon.
I hesitate, unsure what the heck to do or say. On one hand, I want to go, but on the other, it feels wrong.
I trace my fingertip along the edge of the box. “Um … Sure … We can do that.”
“Are you sure?” He chews on his bottom lip. “Because you kind of sound unsure.”
God, what the hell am I doing? Kennedy was right. I’m completely clueless when it comes to guys.
Just make a damn decision, Mak. Decide if you want to get into this or not.
“No, I’m sure,” I say, attempting to sound more confident. “I want to go.”
“Good.” He releases a relieved breath, pressing his hand to his chest. “You were making me a little nervous for a minute.”
“Sorry.” I put the lid back on the box. “I really do want to go. I promise.”
“Okay, I hate to break up this beautiful, little moment here, but the hall monitor’s going to make her rounds in, like, one minute!” Kennedy shouts, interrupting us. “And I really don’t want to get detention again. And I’m pretty sure you don’t, either, Mak.”
“Yes, Mom.” I glance over my shoulder at where she is waiting by the door with a huge-ass grin on her face. She’s so going to give me crap about Rylen asking me out. “Where’d Embry and Ev go?”
“To class,” Kennedy replies, pointing at the entrance doors. “I would’ve gone in, too, but I wanted to see if you two would finally get the balls to stop flirting and actually admit you like each other.”
My jaw drops, and my eyes narrow. She so did not just say that!
She grins, blows me a kiss, and then skips off toward the doors.
Shaking my head, I turn back around to Rylen. “Um, yeah, and on that note, I guess we should get to class.”
“I’ll walk with you,” he says then chuckles. “Don’t worry; my friends are kind of crazy, too.”
I think about Liam. About Dixon. About this club Liam spoke of.
Yes, Rylen, they are. They really, really are.
“So, I’ll pick you up around seven?” Rylen asks, holding the entrance door open for me.
“Yeah, that sounds good …” I trail off as I step into the hallway and the intercom clicks on.
“Makayla Evingston, report to the main office imme
diately,” the secretary’s voice crackles through the speakers.
I freeze. Crap, crap, crapity crap. Please say they didn’t find out I looked at the security footage.
“Is everything okay?” Rylen asks, letting the door shut.
“Yeah … I just don’t know why they’re calling me in. But I guess I’ll find out. I’ll see you later.” I wave at him from over my shoulder as I start down the hallway. “And thanks for the present.”
“Anytime,” he calls out. “See you Friday.”
I nod, hoping I’ll still be able to go out Friday. After all, if the school did find out I looked at the security footage, I’ll probably be grounded for a very long time.
We part ways, him heading left and me veering right. As I reach the turn, I glance back over my shoulder at Rylen, and a frown instantly curves at my lips. Dixon is walking alongside him as they head down the hallway, their heads lowered, as if whispering to each other. When Dixon glances back at me, his lips curl into a smile.
“Trust no one,” Sawyer whispers.
I jerk around, startled by the clarity of the voice, as if the words weren’t spoken in my mind, but aloud.
I barely get turned around when I crash against a solid surface. Thinking I ran into the wall, I stumble back, but a hand slaps across my mouth as fingers snag my hip.
Lispy Larry grins at me as he yanks me closer to him and out of view of the camera mounted on the wall.
“You just couldn’t stop, could you?”
I don’t know why he’s here, but I’m guessing Liam might have something to do with it. He did tell me I was going to regret questioning him and taking his phone.
I’m so going to kick his ass for this.
I bring up my knee to kick Larry between the legs and unhinge my jaw to bite down on his hand, but a sharp stabbing pain in my hip causes me to misstep, and I end up stepping on his toe. Wooziness almost immediately swishes around in my brain as I stagger to the left and bump into the wall.
I clutch the side of my head as I sway right then left. “What’s … happening? Why do I … feel … so … weird?” Through my blurred vision, I catch sight of the syringe in Lispy Larry’s hand.
“Don’t worry; it’s just a bit of morphine,” he says, his tone carrying an underlying meaning. “Not enough to kill you. We’re not at that point … yet.”
I want to ask him if he killed my brother, but words won’t leave my lips as the drug swims through my veins.
Zigzagging sideways, I collapse to my knees on the cold tile floor. My heart is pounding in my chest as my head bobs back, and I blink up at the camera.
Please … someone see me. Please be working.
The silence in the hallway, though, makes me wonder if perhaps the security cameras “shorted out” again.
“They’re off right now,” Lispy Larry says as if reading my thoughts. “So it’s just you and me … all alone.”
Until the hall monitor comes along.
Please hurry.
“I tried to warn you, but you just wouldn’t listen.” Lispy Larry crouches down in front of me. “If you so much as utter a word about this or about what you know, your body will be found floating in that lake.”
“Are … you … threatening to … kill … me?” I choke out, bracing my hand against the floor.
He laughs quietly under his breath. “Man, I thought you’d figure out more than that. I guess you’re not as bright as your brother or father were, huh? Newsflash, Mak. This is way bigger than you or me. The people who are part of this, they could destroy you with the snap of a finger. They did to half your family already. And they will end you, too, if you keep digging around in things that are none of your business. So do yourself a favor and let what lies in the darkness stay in the darkness. Don’t be stupid like your brother and dad.” A slow smile twists at his lips as his words sink in, and my eyes widen.
I have no clue what the hell he’s talking about or what he’s doing—what I’m doing. Everything is so blurry, so distorted. My brain is foggy, and my body is going numb.
“Don’t worry, Mak,” Sawyer says. “You’ll make it out of this.”
I swear I feel my brother’s hand in mine, his skin ice cold.
Or maybe the chill is from my own body as my heart rate slows and I’m dragged into darkness.
LOCATION: SHADOW COVE LAKE
TIME: UNKNOWN
DATE: UNKNOWN
“Mak, wake up,” the sweetest voice floats through my thoughts.
My eyes roll into the back of my head as I force my eyelids open. At first, I think I’m dreaming as I peer up at Sawyer’s face, but then his face shifts into the clouds as I drift out of dreamland and slam back into reality.
I bolt upright and blink at my surroundings. Then my blood turns ice cold.
Shadow Cove Lake stretches out to the side of me, the rocky shore below me, and a high cliff side towers to my right. My lungs constrict, my heart pounds, and my breathing turns ragged. I’m so close to where my brother died. All I would have to do is stand up and walk ten steps, and my toes would be in the water where his body was found.
Vomit suddenly burns at the back of my throat. I don’t know whether it’s a side effect of the drugs or the stress of being here, but I lean over and empty out my stomach in the sand. Once I stop yacking my guts out, I rise to my feet and look around, hoping someone is nearby.
Not a single person or car is in sight, and the sky is cloudy, which means rain will soon come. My phone is in my backpack, and the last time I saw it was back in the hallway at school.
Shaking my head, I stare out at the dirt road. It’s about three miles back to town. Seeing no other alternative, I start walking.
One foot in front of the other, Mak. You can do this.
I feel lightheaded, dizzy, and sick to my stomach, completely beaten down, but beneath the pain and worry lies determination.
He threatened to kill me and practically admitted he knew what happened to my brother and father. I swallow hard at the memory of when Lispy Larry implied my dad was dead.
No! I won’t accept that answer until I know for sure.
Inhaling and exhaling, I try to calm down as I make my way around the lake. As the wind kicks up, blowing the salty air past me, I stuff my hands into the pockets of my jeans, trying to stay warm.
When my fingers brush a piece of paper, my brows knit as I pull it out. On the front is that stupid circular symbol traced by a pattern of Greek letters. I nearly ball the paper up and chuck it into the water, but when I flip it over, I grind to a halt.
You want answers about what really happened to your brother and father? Meet me at the following location on March 26th at eleven p.m. on the dot. And make sure to come alone, Mak. No one can follow you in any way, shape, or form. Tell no one about the meeting. It’s a matter of life and death. Because if they find out about this, then we both could end up dead.
PS: Your car is parked in the trees.
Scratching my head, I tentatively make my way toward the trees with the card clutched in my hand. I don’t recognize the address listed, and I have no idea where the card came from. My first assumption is Lispy Larry, but why would he leave something like this after going through all the trouble to make sure I don’t go looking for answers?
One thing I’m fairly certain of, though, is that the “they” referred to in the note is the secret society. I just wish I knew all of the names of the members.
I thrum my fingers against the sides of my legs as I walk, debating what to do. I know it’s risky, but I can’t walk away from a potential lead, even if it means risking my life. It’s not in my character to walk away. I can pretend all I want that I’m only thinking about going, or I can accept what is and make sure to have a really good plan on how to keep the meet-up a secret. And protect my ass if the meet-up ends badly, which it probably will. At least, that’s what I think until I spot my car parked in the trees, just like the note said.
When I climb in and spot not only th
e keys in the ignition, but Dixon’s computer on the back seat, I start to wonder if the note person was sent from heaven. Then I hesitate as a thought occurs to me about my so-called guardian angel.
I mean, first off, I haven’t told anyone—except my friends—that I was looking for Dixon’s computer. And why on earth would someone leave my car and the computer, yet let me lie out on the shore? It makes no sense unless …
“This is all some sort of bribe or way to keep me quiet until …” Well, I’m not really sure what follows the until part. But I will find out, no matter what it takes, because like I mentioned earlier, I’m not about to walk away from this. Not when I feel like I finally have a starting point toward a path that will lead me to Sawyer’s killer.
“Are you sure you want to do this, Mak?” Sawyer whispers. “It would be better if you just walked away.”
I stare out at the lake in front of me that stretches for as far as my eyes can see. I picture Sawyer’s body floating in the waves and my dad’s body hidden at the bottom. I think about Bria and the other bodies found in the lake. All the deaths were reported accidental, but what if they weren’t? What if my dad was right, and this is a cover up? What if someone else I love ends up dead? What if this secret society is connected to the deaths somehow?
“Yeah, Sawyer, I’m sure I want to do this,” I say, starting the engine.
He doesn’t respond. I don’t know if that means I’ve finally reached sanity again or if Sawyer just thinks I’m crazy. It doesn’t matter. I made my decision already. I’m going to find out what’s going on in this town and find out who killed my brother.
About the Author
Jessica Sorensen is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives in the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she’s not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.
Other books by Jessica Sorensen:
What Lies in the Darkness (Shadow Cove Book 1) Page 14
