“I know.” I kick a stone out of the path. “They’re attractive. I’m attracted to them, and maybe that’s why I didn’t fight as hard as I should have. Then the shit started happening.”
“Tell me.” She makes a hard turn at a boulder.
“You know about the night someone pounded on the doors. And the flat tire.” I swallow and look down at the ground. “The night Kenz and I said someone was outside the house... She woke up to a guy standing over my bed dressed in black. Luke was there, so he chased the guy out. We think it was a guy at school.”
She stops and turns to me. “And why do we think that?”
I draw in a breath. “Because at the senior night game, Sidney spilled perfume on Luke’s jersey that I was wearing, and it kept me sneezing. I went to the girls’ locker room to wash it, but thedoor got stuck or someone blocked it. I figured someone would eventually let me out, but when the door opened, a guy in black came in. I ducked into a closet and held it shut with my body weight.”
“Please tell me he didn’t...” She takes in all of me like she could tell.
“He talked, but before he could get to me, Caden came to my rescue.” I release my breath. “We know who it is. The guy hasn’t outright said it, but we know it’s him. He’ll get his.”
My brain keeps spinning through everything. “You know Luke’s dad wants him to find the evidence, but we have files from William’s computer we still have to go through.”
Mom’s lips pinch together.
“We have it handled. I do love them, Mom. All of them. It’s been five weeks since the beginning of school, and I’m already making plans to go to college with them.”
“First love can sometimes overwhelm us, and we feel things more strongly when we’re teenagers.”
“Maybe.” I shrug. “But this feels like more. Maybe it’s all the craziness we’re dealing with.”
“Maybe.” She blows out a breath and looks around her.
All around us are trees. It feels like we’re lost. “Why are we out here?”
She smirks. “There are only a few places in this town that are truly safe from the watchful eyes.”
When she heads off in a direction, I follow.
“I’m glad they’re protective of you. I’ve seen it myself.” Mom turns slightly. “But you also need to know who they’re connected with and why that’s dangerous.”
“You said you think my dad knew something and it could be one of two things. That’s what the evidence is?”
“Yes.” She pauses and meets my eyes. “Your father grew up here. He wasn’t part of the popular guys at school, but he was scary smart. That made him useful to them.”
“Okay?” I’m not sure where this is going, but we’re in the middle of the woods, far from where we started. I still don’t know where Mom is taking me.
“Their fathers were the popular guys. The ones who ruled the school. But where your guys have each other’s backs, these guys were each other’s competition. They were all privileged assholes. Whatever they wanted they took.”
I swallow at the distant look in my mom’s eyes.
“There were more like them. Girls that hung out with them like Eli’s mom and her friends. The guys became business men, and they’ve had their shares of ups and downs in the markets as well with their businesses. But they always had side businesses.” She stops, and her eyes search mine like she’s trying to find out if I’m strong enough to handle whatever she’s about to say.
I don’t know that I am. Being ignorant of everything has kept me safe for the most part. It kept me off the radar of the horsemen. But with their attention, I’m here, and if I want to stay by their side, I can’t hide anymore.
“Side businesses?” I show her I’m not afraid. I don’t know if I’m succeeding.
She smiles. “Come on.”
I follow her as she walks through some thicker woods into a clearing with a small house in the middle of it. It’s little more than a few rooms at best and looks completely abandoned.
But as we draw closer, the exterior is a front. The door is solid wood and behind the broken panes are solid surfaces.
“Sean knew this whole wilderness. He grew up hunting with his father.” She smiles as she opens the door to reveal another behind it with a keypad. “This was their hunting shed. At least until Sean fortified it. The secrets in this town could rip everyoneto shreds. He knew that and wanted a place to collect his evidence.”
My eyes must be wide as I look around us. I have no idea how to get back to the car. This place is in the middle of nowhere.
