“Is Tegan with you?”
I can hear the panic in his voice, and it makes my heart race. “No. She’s half an hour late.”
“Dammit. She activated her distress signal at ten to seven. No one can reach her, and her tracker’s not working right. It keeps cutting in and out.”
“Is everyone at her house?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll be there in five minutes. We’re going to find her.” We have to.
When I get to Tegan’s place, I see Scott Griffin and Ainsley typing furiously on their tablets. I know they’re trying to get her tracking device working, and I pray that they’re successful. I had a horrible thought on my way over here, and I hope I’m wrong.
“What if it’s the guy who was after me? He can’t have been working alone.”
“He wasn’t. Didn’t Tegan talk to you about it?” Reina asks me.
“No.”
“But you were going on a picnic with her anyway?”
“What does one have to do with the other?”
She looks at Cyndi, who steps forward. “When the failed abduction of Brad occurred in Vegas, we took a woman into custody.”
“Yeah, I know. She was a beauty queen or something.”
“She was also your friend, Phil’s, wife.”
“Excuse me.”
“Your other friend, Greg, was working for the man who was arrested in Houston. That man hired Greg and Phil to convince you not to release the formula. Phil’s wife said she knew some girls who could shoot a gun that were getting too old for the pageant scene. They figured that taking you down would be easy. Obviously they were wrong.”
“My friends actually tried to kill me. Un-fucking-believable.”
“After Tegan beat the shit out of him, the one dude—Greg—said that he tried to talk you out of it first, if that’s any consolation,” Nate tells me.
“Tegan beat the…oh my God…the dress, the pictures…she was going after him.”
“Yeah, and you made her feel like shit. For saving your worthless ass,” Stella tells me.
“You’re right,” I tell her. She is, and it’s about time I started owning up to the shit I’ve done.
“When we get her back, are you going to fight for her, or are you going to just walk away again?”
“Fight. Definitely fight.”
“Good answer.”
“How can I help? If it’s not someone after me, who could it be?”
“We don’t know. You were meeting at seven?” Jade asks me.
“Yeah. I knew something was up when she didn’t show. I was racking my brain to figure out what I could’ve done since I hadn’t seen her this morning.”
“From her credit and debit card records, we can tell that she went to Houston earlier. She bought some things from a few stores, got lunch and gas, and then nothing more.”
“Was she meeting someone in Houston?” I ask, not understanding why she went there.
“No. She wanted something new to wear for your date, including a new bathing suit,” Stella tells me.
“There’s a bathing suit on her bed,” Ellie says.
“Yeah, that’s the one for when they’re actually back together. She was going to wear a more modest one tonight. It’s not up there, and neither is the dress she sent me a picture of. So, she has those on, along with her pink boots.”
I whip my head around to Stella. “Pink boots?”
“Yes, they’re the ones you gave her years ago. She never wears them, but she wanted to tonight. I knew she’d want them while she was with you, so they were in the suitcase I sent with Wayne.”
“So let me get this straight. Someone has her while she’s wearing a dress she bought just for me and her special boots. Plus she has a bathing suit on.”
“Yep.”
“I’m going to jail for murder.”
“Nah. We’ve got you covered,” Isa tells me. “No one will know if you kill one of them.”
“You think it’s more than one?”
“They got Tegan. No way it was less than four people,” Jade tells me.
“I don’t think that makes me feel any better.”
“We’ll get her back, Caleb. Any other outcome is not an option.” Reina tells me.
I stay there with them all night. My mom and Betty bring us food, while my dad and grandpa use their connections to do what they can to help. They brought Ethan over here because this is really the safest place in the world at the moment.
Cyndi and Brad talked to him, and then he came and sat next to me on the couch, cuddling into me as I wrapped my arms around him. When he fell asleep, I took him upstairs to his bed and then came back down to watch and wait. This is one time when my science brain is not much help, but I need to be here.
Just after sunrise, my dad’s phone pings with a text. He opens it, and his face goes white. “Dear God, what have they done?”
“What is it, Dad?”
“Whoever has Tegan has just plastered the town with pictures of her.”
My blood is boiling as I imagine what kinds of pictures they took. Before my dad can show us on his phone, I hear Ainsley talking into hers. “I need access to this satellite and to have it moved to these coordinates for one minute…fuck protocol, this if for Tegan Kelly. Did you forget that she saved your asses last year?”
Scott plugs her tablet into the big screen TV as she nods. A few seconds later, the town square comes up. She types something else and the picture zooms in. We all see it, and we all curse out loud. There are several different shots of her in her black bikini. It’s not her half-dressed body that has us cursing, though. It’s the words written on her body. The pictures highlight a different word on each one, for all the town to see.
Tegan Kelly is a slut
Tegan Kelly is a whore
Tegan Kelly is disgusting
Tegan Kelly is trash
Tegan Kelly is easy
Tegan Kelly is a bitch
Tegan Kelly is a gold-digger
Tegan Kelly is a cunt
Tegan Kelly is a skank
“They’re just pieces of a body. We don’t know,” Matt says.
“It’s her,” I say, trying to swallow past the lump in my throat. “It’s her. We have to find her. Someone in this town has to know something, and if I have to go door to door, I will.”
“I think a town meeting is more in order. After we all go out in groups and remove the pictures, of course,” Reina says, a scary look on her face.
“Half the town’s going to wake up to them on their phones or social media. But just so you know, for as many people who have vilified Tegan here, there are at least twice as many who will support her,” my dad tells her.
“And you know this how?” I ask.
“Because I’ve always been one of them,” he replies, looking me in the eye.
“Me too,” says my grandpa. “I never believed she betrayed you. We had to publicly support you, but Brad has filled me in over the years. About everything.”
“You knew about Ethan, too?”
“I did. Your father didn’t, because that was something he couldn’t have kept from your mother. She would’ve told you, and you weren’t ready to hear about that boy yet. I knew Tegan would bring him back here one day, and I couldn’t wait to meet him.”
I’m dumbfounded. And humbled. I claimed to love Tegan, and yet I believed the worst about her. While my dad and grandpa were silently supporting her. I know he’s right, too. I wouldn’t have been ready for Ethan back then. I was too full of hate. Now, though, I’m pretty much full up on love. For both Tegan and Ethan. Real love. The kind that believes and trusts. And the kind that kills.
“Thank you both. For keeping the faith for me when I was too dumb to do it myself.”
“We knew you’d come around,” my dad says with a smile.
“Okay, now that we all love your dad and grandpa, we really need to get moving. I’m assuming you want to come with us. Can your mom come over and watch Et
han?” Stella asks.
“Not even all of you could stop me from going, and yes, I’m sure my mom will come over here. I’m pretty sure she’s been Team Tegan all along, too.”
Chapter 15
Tegan
The next time I wake up, I’m more alert. Still a little groggy, but I can open my eyes, and move. Well, as much as a person who’s hog-tied can move. I can also feel the pain on the side of my head. I move it side to side in order to assess the damage. I don’t think I have a concussion, but with the heavy drugs they were giving me, I can’t tell for sure. Waking up is a good sign, though.
“Oh look, our special guest is awake,” my least favorite football player ever says to me.
“Guests usually get a bed, and, you know, the freedom to move their hands and legs.”
“Tied up, and still being sassy. I really wish I could fuck you into submission, but I’m told it’s too risky, and I do have scholarships to worry about.”
“I’d never submit to you, so you’re not missing anything.”
“You won’t be so bitchy when you see the fun we’ve been having while you were passed out.”
I feel hands pull me up from behind, and I’m carried over to a full length mirror on the wall. Oh my God. I remember them writing on me, but this. How could they do this? How could anyone do something like this to another human being? I won’t let them see my pain, though. They can’t have that.
“You’re regular artists, aren’t you?”
“Some might consider the photos we took, and how we worded them, art.”
He holds up a picture of me. It’s just my stomach, with the word “slut” written on it. The sentence above it says “Tegan Kelly is” and then an “a” is next to slut. I. Will. Not. Break. In. Front. Of. Them. I repeat that to myself over and over as he shows me all the versions they made, with different parts of my body covered in different—but just as demeaning—words. It’s hard to stay calm when he tells me they put them up all over town, but I do it. I have to shut down the hurt in order to survive.
“Don’t worry, we’re going to touch up the words before you go on display tomorrow. There’s some big town meeting about your disappearance, so everyone will get to see you in all your glory.”
“Like I told you before, it’s your funeral.”
“You’ve got me shaking in my cleats.”
“You have no fucking clue.”
* * *
Caleb
No one in this damn town will admit to knowing about what happened to Tegan. The people who are on her side swear they’d tell us if they knew. The others refuse to help. The mayor says there’s nothing he can do, while the damn sheriff was smirking at Reina while telling her he hadn’t heard anything. He started to suggest that she ran off with some other guy, but my grandpa told him to “shut his fool mouth,” which effectively silenced him.
Today is the town meeting, which is being held in the football stadium, the only place big enough to fit the whole town inside. Reina says she’s going to get answers, even if she has to start shooting people to get them.
Scott and Ainsley have had no luck with the tracker. All they can figure is that there was some weird electric current on or near Tegan for it to malfunction. The people who have her better have been smart enough for it to be the “near” and not the “on” option. It’s been two days since Tegan was taken, and we’re all getting a little frantic. And ready to spill some blood. Ethan’s been attached to me, even asking me to sleep in his bed with him, and just seeing him hurting is enough to bring out some primal instincts in me.
Jane Corrigan, Helen Wilson, Mallory Daniels, and Maggie Griffin have all flown in for the meeting. So did the rest of the Griffin family, along with Faith’s boyfriend, Gavin. Zack and Kace wanted to be here, but we thought their star power would be too much of a distraction. As it is, Nate’s glaring at everyone who asks him for an autograph, but he refused to leave when people started recognizing him, saying they could all go fuck themselves if they won’t help Tegan. He actually said that to a few people, and I’ll admit it was pretty awesome.
Now that pretty much the whole town is here, the mayor goes up to address the crowd. “Welcome, everyone, and thank you for taking time on this fine Sunday to listen to our guests speak. Please give a warm welcome to Reina Corrigan.”
More than half the crowd cheers, but the others boo her. The mayor looks over at Reina nervously. He should be nervous. Less than a half hour ago, the President of the United States was on the phone, telling him she expected his full support and cooperation. He changed his tune from mocking to submissive pretty damn fast after that.
“Thanks to those of you who actually know the meaning of a warm welcome. The rest of you could drop off the face of the Earth, and I wouldn’t care. I’m inclined to help you there, in fact. You see, Tegan Kelly is one of my best friends. I would do anything for her, and I know she feels the same about me. I’ve tried to be patient with all of you, but some of you know who took her, yet you’ve have refused to help me. You’ve even helped out the cowards who took her by sharing the vile pictures they took of her, or making your own signs to replace the ones we took down. I’m all for freedom of speech, but you should know that my friends and I also happily exercise our right to bear arms.
“I’m going to give you this one last chance to give me the information I need to help my friends and I find Tegan. You don’t have to do it publicly, you can call the number on the screen behind me. I’ll give you five minutes. After that time, I’m going to unleash the resources at my disposal and rain down the kind of Hell on this town that’s beyond even your worst nightmares. If you doubt me, you should ask your mayor about the phone call he had with the President less than an hour ago.”
She walks to the side of the stage to stand next to me. “That was awesome. Scary as all hell, but fucking awesome. Someone’s got to help after that.”
“They better because I wasn’t kidding. I will take down this whole town if I have to.”
“I know.”
Right then, the coach of the football team walks up. He wasn’t my coach, and I’ve never cared for him very much, but if he can help, I’ll be more than happy to change my assessment of his character.
“Hello, sir. Do you have some information for me?” she asks him.
“Yeah. I have some info for you. You need to go back across the border where you belong. A girl like you could get herself hurt around here.”
Matt is off the stage in seconds, tackling the bastard to the ground. Before he can recover, Matt pulls out a gun and shoots him in the shoulder. “Talk to my wife like that again, asshole, and I will end you.” He looks around at the crowd, who have gone quiet. “That goes for the rest of you, too.”
The minutes tick by, and no one calls or comes up to the stage. Well except for the paramedics who took the coach away. Right at the five minute mark, the volume of the crowd increases as people start checking their phones. Several of them begin running from the stadium.
“Shit,” Scott says. “I’ve got a visual on Tegan and it’s not good.”
* * *
Tegan
I had to endure the little bastards re-marking my skin since the letters apparently weren’t as prominent as they wanted. Of course they kept me tied up, and held down while they did it. We’re almost to the town square where I’m apparently being put out for all to see me. The only thing keeping me sane is the fact that once I’m in public, my friends will come for me. And these boys.
I’m surprised that no one’s around when they lift me out of the truck. Usually at least a few of the old timers are hanging around after church. I guess I should be happy for small blessings. They carry me to the gazebo and tie me to the top of one of the openings, leaving the rope slack enough so that I can stand.
“Are you ready for your close-up, bitch?” the quarterback asks as he takes a picture of me.
“Are you ready to hurt, you little prick?”
“Your adoring fan
s should be on their way any minute now. Have fun.”
They all practically run back to their trucks, while I test the ropes to see if I can get loose before someone sees me. All hope of that disappears when people start pulling up by the car and truckload. Most of them have their cameras out before they even get near me. I close my eyes, and let memories mix with real life again. Only this time, it’s good memories that come to me.
“Looking good, Tegan.”
“You’re my best friend, Teeg. I love you.”
“Why don’t you spread your legs for us?”
“You are one of our best, Tegan. Never forget your past because those hardships shaped you into the compassionate and strong woman you are today.”
“Open your eyes, and look at all your fans gathered here.”
“You’re a real-life superhero, Mama. I’m the proudest kid ever. I love you.”
“Hey, guys, do you think we can touch as well as look?”
“I love you, too.”
“Touch her and die. I won’t make it quick either.”
My eyes fly open and I know I must be seeing things, but as I watch him shoot people’s phones out of their hands, I know he’s really here. “Aiden.”
“Hi, Boots. Sorry I’m late to the party,” he says as he continues shooting.
“Hey man, you can’t shoot our phones.”
“Put them away then and learn to have some respect. Because I brought a shit ton of bullets with me, and when they’re gone, I’ll be happy to get up close and personal with my knives.”
“You’re crazy.”
“Yep,” he responds, standing in front of me with his arms crossed.
“What are you doing here?” I ask him. When he left after Reina and Matt’s wedding, I didn’t expect to ever see him again.
“Ethan called and said you were missing. I got the first flight I could since I don’t have the jets at my disposal now.”
“Thank you.”
“Anytime. I’d take you down, but we need evidence photos so we can try and figure out who did this. I’ll block you from them, though.”
“I know who did it. They didn’t wear masks.”
Uncovering His SECRET Page 13
