by Rachel Leigh
Madison holds up a hand stopping me. “Is it Lars’ baby?”
I nod. “It is.”
Her hands slap to the steering wheel and she squeezes it so tight that it looks like her knuckles are on the verge of breaking through her skin. Pressing her lips together, her head trembles. “Ok.” She takes in a few heavy breaths. “Ok. This is fine. This is fine.” Eyes lock on mine and chills shiver down my spine when I read the seriousness in her expression. “Willa. You don’t want him and I’m not saying this to be mean, but he doesn’t want you either. You see, Lars made me believe that he loved me, too.”
“Of course he loves you.” I chuckle. “You’re his sister.”
“No, sweetie. I’m his dad’s stepdaughter. Lars played me the same way he’s been playing you. I fell under his spell and fell in love with him. The sex was great, don’t get me wrong, but then his friends started to interfere, without even realizing they were doing it. Josh went missing and everything changed.”
Sex? Love? Madison and Lars, no way.
Looking at her with puzzlement, I’m not sure what she’s even talking about. “What does Josh have to do with any of this?”
“Oh. You don’t know? Yeah, Lars and his friends killed Josh.”
Drawing back, I laugh. “Yeah, right.”
Her head bobs up and down and she smirks cruelly. “Yes. They did. Lars swears they didn’t, but I saw them loading Josh’s body into a car in front of Marni Thorn’s house. My guess is that they hit him on purpose and hid his body.”
“This is ridiculous. Sure, they’re all jerks, but they aren’t killers.”
“Josh was obsessed with Marni. Talon is obsessed with Marni.”
I’m not sure if I believe what she’s saying to me, but why would she make this up? If this is true, then I have my ammo. I have exactly what I need to get Lars to give me the money so I can leave.
“Prove it.” I spit out. “If they killed Josh, show me proof.”
“All the proof I need is up here.” She taps a finger to the top of her head. “Lars knows what I saw. Even admitted to getting rid of the body. They pushed Josh’s car into Lake Ruin, destroying evidence. Zed’s the mastermind behind it all and I think he views you as a threat. I assumed you knew, but I guess he wants something else. He’s going to help me make Lars fall in love with me. But that’s not possible if you’re in the picture.”
“It was you, wasn't’ it? You’re the one who left the message on my phone and came to my house?”
She seems to be taken aback. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Her expression goes blank. A dead stare at me that signals those alarms in my head again. “That doesn’t matter. I love Lars and I know that one day he will love me, too.”
Grabbing the handle of the door, I make no hesitation to jump out. I stumble over my feet and almost fall flat on my stomach, but Madison comes out of nowhere and catches my fall.
Her fingers tangle around my wrist and I try to shake her off to no avail. “Why are you doing this?”
“Love makes you do crazy things.”
A damp cloth presses to my face and no matter how hard I try to fight, I lose the battle.
Rolling my head in circles, I fight to open my eyes. It feels as if I’m peeling my eyelids off from my eyeballs. So dry and heavy.
My head feels like it holds the weight of a bowling ball as I try to steady it upright on my neck. Smacking my lips together, I look around the dark room. The only sliver of light comes from a dim lantern on the wall.
Wriggling my hands, I gasp when I realize they are strapped to the arms of the chair. I look down and see that I’m bound. Only, it’s not your typical chair. It’s old. Very old, with wires attached to it and some sort of plastic egg over top of me that looks like a hair dryer from a salon. My body steels when I see him.
“Zed?” I mutter under my breath, but loud enough to grab his attention.
He greets me with a smile and stuffs his phone in his pocket. “Oh, good morning, Sunshine.”
I fight again to free myself, but there is no point. Zed eats up the space between us and I continue to try because I’d rather cut my arms off then face whatever he has planned for me.
“Calm down, little one. You’re not getting out of that chair.” He breathes out a chuckle. “I won’t hurt you.”
Lies. All lies.
“Please, just let me go.” I cry out. “I won’t tell anyone, I swear.”
“I didn’t want it to come to this, Willa. You’re a sweet girl. You don’t deserve this.” His expression twists and he grabs fists full of his hair. “But he’s in my fucking head! He won’t get the fuck out.” His demeanor quickly changes again like his moods are snapping. Something I’m all too familiar with. “Always remember that behind every monster is someone who made them that way.”
What does that even mean? Someone made him do this? I have no idea what he’s talking about. I have to get out of here. My eyes skim the room and I wish they would have just stayed put on Zed, because fear thickens inside my stomach.
I’m at Briarwood. That mental hospital outside of town and this is a torture room. Is Lars behind this? Has he been planning this all along? Madison wasn’t lying when she said that Zed felt threatened by me. But, I didn’t even know anything until she told me. Maybe they really did kill Josh. Maybe they plan to kill me, too. I have no idea what’s going on or what Zed’s intentions with me are. I’m scared. Really, really scared. Not just for me but for my baby.
“You left the message, didn’t you? You knew I was pregnant this whole time.”
“I never left any messages. Didn’t even know you were pregnant until that broadcast.”
Of course he’d deny it. I have no doubt it was Zed this whole time.
Using my sweet voice in hopes of it buying his trust, I squirm. “I’m not feeling well, Zed. I think I’m gonna be sick. Can you please let me up?”
“Sorry. I can’t do that. Not until I tell you what I want you to do for me.”
“Do for you?”
“Mmhmm. Here’s the thing, Sweater Girl, unless you want the entire town to think you were in cahoots with Josh and that you know where he is, you’re gonna do exactly what I tell you to do. Am I clear?”
I could say yes. I could buckle and bow to him, but he doesn’t hold all the power. I’ve got a little something up my sleeve, too. “But it won’t be the truth. We both know that Josh didn’t run away. He’s dead and you know where his body is. Am I right?”
He laughs. He actually fricken laughs at me. “Good luck proving that. I know you’ve got connections.” He holds up his hands and begins counting off fingers. “What, with the almighty Pastor Jeffries, the church board, and the drama club. I’m sure they’ll all my connections tremble.” He laughs again.
He’s right. No one would ever believe me. Right now, I’m a runaway. Half of Redwood probably thinks I’m with Josh, thanks to Vi. I’ve got nothing. I’ve got no one.
“What do you want me to do?”
Bending at the knees, he slouches down in front of me and begins trailing a finger up my calf. “First of all, you’re gonna back me when I tell Madison Bishop she needs to leave town. I have a video of her holding a towel of chloroform over your face and knocking you out. She needs to think that you’ll turn her in and tell the cops that she’s held you prisoner this entire time you’ve been missing, if she doesn’t leave and never come back.”
“You want Madison gone?” I thought that Madison was on their side. She brought me to Zed, after all.
“Madison is a looney bitch who’s obsessed with Lars. She’s been making his life hell and no one fucks with my family. My boys are my family, whether they like it or not.”
I can do that. I wouldn’t even hesitate to actually go as far as turning her in. She did kidnap me. Zed is the one holding me hostage, but I have yet to hear what his endgame is. Whatever it is, it doesn’t sound like I’ll be leaving in a body bag. “Ok. Deal.”
“Second, I need t
o know where something is in your house. And you will not tell a single soul about this. Do you hear me?” he raises his voice. “Not one person. If you do, it’s game over.”
“My house? What could you possibly want that I would have?” I live in a two-bedroom shack and the most valuable possession inside that house is my great-gran’s urn.
“It’s not something of yours. It’s something of your stepdad’s. It’s a brown wooden box about as big as a Bible with a biblical scripture on it. ‘But if you do not forgive others for their sins. Our father will not forgive you for your sins.’”
I side-eye him with a raised brow. “Rick used to say that to me all the time. How do you know that verse?”
He ignores my question completely. “It would be hidden. I want you to go there and find it.”
I shake my head. “No. I can’t ever go back there. I just can’t. Why can’t you go?”
Standing up, he screams, “You will go and you will find it!” His words cause my body to wince in fear.
“Why can’t you go find it?”
“I’ve been there three times and came up empty-handed each time. You’ve lived there for years and should know every crack and crevice in that place. I’ll be watching to make sure you’re safe.”
“But Rick will see me. He’ll turn me in.”
“Rick won’t be there. You’re going tomorrow during the morning service.”
It seems that I have no choice. But I do have some leverage, and a way to leave Lars out of it. “If I do this, I want enough money to leave Redwood and never come back.”
“Deal,” he spits out, like it’s nothing for him to hand over a hundred grand.
“I didn’t say how much. I need enough to last me for a while. Like, thousands.”
“You get me that box and if you still want to leave come Monday morning, I’ll give you the money to go. In fact, I’ll even book your flight. But there’s one more thing. Don’t you dare open that box. If I even suspect you’ve tampered with it, it’s also game over.”
Curiosity is really getting the best of me. I can’t even try to guess what this box could have in it that Zed wants. But, if this sets me free, I’m on board. “Ok. I’ll do it.”
“Good.” He smirks. “Now that we have that taken care of, whose baby are you carrying in there?” He points to my stomach. “We both know it’s not Josh’s. Is it the pastor’s demon spawn?”
Completely taken aback, my eyes pop wide open. “What?”
“You don’t have to answer me. I just hope that one day the memories escape you. Holding that shit in can really fuck a person up.”
I don’t say anything at all. I’m not sure how he knows, but he does. I’ll never admit it to anyone. I’d die first.
“You’re a good person, the baby will turn out just fine.” He begins to walk away from me, leaving me strapped to the chair.
“Hey, Zed?”
Glancing over his shoulder, he looks at me.
“Don’t tell anyone. K?”
He zips his lips up and tosses the invisible key into a hole dug in the cement slab of the floor.
I shouldn’t believe him, but I do. Something tells me that Zed has secrets of his own.
20
My mind is completely blown that these guys are putting together a party right now. Talon paces back and forth in front of the fireplace with his ear pressed to the phone. “Yep. Just bring friends. That’s all we ask. See ya then, man.”
It’s true that Talon throws a few annual parties, but when they are this forced, it can only mean one thing—someone’s planning on fucking some shit up and needs an alibi.
The Halloween party was the night that we were trying to frame Marni. Now, here she is, making calls and helping these guys throw this thing together at the last minute. She’s still pissed at me for telling her dad the truth, but she’s also relieved that he’s no longer implicated. She said they had a talk and she told him that she’s ok with waiting for her trust fund until she’s married. I mean, why wouldn't she be ok with it? Talon has enough money to buy the entire town. She’s set for a while.
“Lars.” Tommy angles his head to the door. “You’ve got company.”
My feet carry me quickly to the window and I look outside and see Madison walking up with a fucking basket of cookies. She’s wearing a pink dress that barely covers her ass and heels as long as my cock when it’s hard. “Great.” All eyes shoot to me, but no one says a word. “I’ll be back,” I tell them.
Pulling the door closed behind me, I stand under the neon glow of the porch light. “What are you doing here?” I sigh.
“Baked you some cookies.” She hands me a basket and I snatch it from her hand and look inside at the perfectly rounded cookies and there is no way in hell that Madison made those.
I drop it down at the side of my foot. “You need to leave.”
“Listen Lars, I know things have been weird lately, but it’s going to get better soon, I promise.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that with Willa gone, we can finally be together.”
My heart jumps into my throat. “Willa's gone?”
“Yeah. She’s gone for good. At first, I thought that maybe you and I could raise the baby together. I mean, it’s a part of you, so I thought that I could love it no matter what. But then I realized, I’ll never be able to love a child that was conceived between you and another girl, so I let him get rid of her.”
My legs buckle and I lean back against the door to brace myself. Get rid of her? “What are you talking about?”
“Zed. He came to me and told me that he would take care of Willa if I brought her to him.” Her shoulders rise as my heart drops. “So I did.” She says the words like we’re talking about a fucking basket of cookies.
I spin around so fast that my brain gets dizzy. Ripping the door open, I leave Madison standing there and I go inside. “What the fuck did you guys do?” I shout so loudly the words reverberate through my own ears. “Tell me, dammit!” Everyone shares a glance, but no one talks. “You tell me where WIlla is right fucking now or I’ll go straight to the cops and confess everything.”
“She’s ok, Lars. I made sure of it. Willa is back at my dad’s house,” Marni says, as she walks toward me.
In an attempt to pacify me, she places a hand on my arm, but I swing it off. “Don’t touch me. I want answers.”
Talon joins her side, like the pussy-whipped bitch that he is. “Marni and I were watching the entire time. We wouldn’t have let anything happen to her.”
My hands fly all over the place as if I have lost control of my body. “Watching what? Watching who?” I wail with anger and intense agitation.
“Zed. He just needed to talk to her. He did, and now she’s safe.”
The door behind me comes open and I don’t have to turn around to know who just walked in. “Leave Madison,” I say, while I stare straight ahead at the empty space over Talon’s shoulder.
“Don’t just leave, run,” Marni tells her. “You kidnapped a pregnant girl and Willa is prepared to go to the cops if you don’t get the hell out of Redwood and never come back.”
Turning around, I look Madison dead in the eye. “If you hurt her, I swear to God.”
“I didn’t. I swear. But, Zed said—”
Talon chimes in, “Zed lied.”
“Come on, Lars.” Madison takes hold of my hand. My eyes shimmy down her arm to where we’re connected and I snarl. “Get your fucking hand off me.”
“Lars. I love you. Don’t do this.”
Talon steps closer. “You better go, Madison. They don’t play games. You will be convicted of kidnapping. You’re pretty ass won’t survive prison.”
She tugs at my arm. “Don’t make me leave you. We belong together.”
Gripping her by the wrist, I lead her outside. “Go to your dad’s in Colorado. One day, we will see each other again.”
She falls into my arms and I hold my hands out behind her.
“But. I’ll miss you.”
“Just go,” I tell her again, before I spin her around to face her car.
I don’t even wait for her to leave; I just walk back up the steps to the porch. I hope Madison gets the help she needs before she royally fucks someone up. As for her leaving, I know this was Zed’s plan. He always has a plan. I’m pretty pissed that no one filled me in because I would have never let it happen. Which is exactly why no one filled me in.
Without saying a word to anyone, I snatch my keys off the couch and leave. I’ll be back for the party tomorrow night because I always stick to my end of the deal, but Zed better stick to his. Come Monday morning, all this shit better be laid to rest.
21
I’m sure it won’t be long until Lars tells everyone the truth about the baby. Hopefully when that time comes, I’m far away from here.
It hurts really bad. Worse than I could have ever imagined. I knew it wouldn’t be easy to lie to him, but I also never anticipated falling in love with him all over again. So much for sticking to the plan.
My tears have run dry. Even if I wanted to, I’m not sure I’m capable of crying anymore. This day—this month—has been so emotionally draining. Marni and Talon let me go after Zed left the room. I have no idea where he went, but they told me everything would be ok. Marni was actually sweet, unlike past encounters with her in school, or lack thereof. Marni never took notice of me, so she never had an opportunity to tease or ridicule me. She’s one of the popular girls, so I always assumed that if she had noticed me, she would have jumped on that train. I was proven wrong.
Throughout life, we encounter people and draw judgments of them based on who they associate with. One might look at me and automatically assume that I’m a sweet girl, but if they see me with Lars, they’d probably think he drained me of morals. I’m starting to learn that people aren’t always what they seem. Because Lars isn’t just this savage bully who likes to wreak havoc, he’s got depth and heart. He has a past and a future and he’s just trying to survive, like I am. Like we all are.
