So what I’m trapped in Kasen’s house, him demanding I’m his. So what River threw me under the bus and sent me right back to his boss after the most earth-shattering kiss of my life. So what if Bodhi’s touch does things to my insides it shouldn’t.
Nothing matters. It’s all just shit that happened. Shit in a long list of my fucked-up life. The only thing that matters now is getting answers. And I might be trapped here, but it doesn’t mean I can’t search for the truth every chance I get.
After lying on the tile floor longer than anyone probably should, I pull myself back up to standing and flick on the shower, crawling under the spray while still in what’s left of my clothing. I lean into the wall and let the water soak me through to the bone. Fuck, my ribs hurt. That fucker Dax chasing me down. I thought I was so smart sneaking out of town, really had myself fooled that I deserved a better life than the one I was currently existing in. How wrong was I. I have gone from one hell to another. At least back there, I knew my place. What was expected of me. Here I have no idea what they really want. Kasen’s declaration of owning me is pure shit and I know it. The three of them are up to something sinister.
Piece by piece I strip out of my wet clothes and dump them in the bottom of the shower. I’m still pissed that I have to be back here, especially now I have my very own combi to camp in. I could be parked down at the beach ready to take an early-morning dip as soon as the sun starts to rise. Then I could find a way into the safe I found in my parents’ place and work out exactly what my mum was hiding. I’m sure it’s got some information in there that will lead me to who killed her, or at least what she was hiding from me and Dad.
Before I went to see River, I went and stashed it and the bag of stuff I found, in a storage facility I sorted out yesterday. Originally my plan was to be in and out of this town quickly. Search my parents’ placefor anything of importance, store what I couldn’t take with me, and come back when I could for the rest. I’m pinning everything on that safe having some information that will lead me to what happened to my mum. And when I find out exactly who was involved, I’m going to make sure they pay for turning my family’s lives to hell. Only problem was Dax and Brock found me first. I’d just got to my parents’ place, and they barged in, snatching me up before I had a chance to do anything.
When I decided to leave a week ago, I knew running from them was dangerous. Probably a death sentence, but what did I have left to live for anyway. And staying and working for them was hell on earth, so I took the chance, hoping I wouldn’t be worth their trouble. I was so wrong. Dax had somehow convinced himself that I was going to be useful and therefore worth dragging back with him. That’s how I ended up in that car park with them. A cold shiver runs down my spine when I remember the look of pure evil in his eyes that night. If Kasen hadn’t turned up… Nope, I won’t let myself go there. He did, he saved me, and now I’m in debt to him.
Drying myself off, I inspect the bruises over my ribs, the deep purple color turning my stomach. I know I got off easy. If Kasen wasn’t there, they wouldn’t have stopped until they either killed me or dragged me back to Breakers Point with them to work off their debt. I wrap a towel around my middle, wondering what nightmarish Barbie pajamas their sister has selected for me.Please don’t be Barbie pink, I chant to myself as I pass by the vanity. Something catches my eye, and I stop immediately. There on the tile floor just beside my denim cut-offs is a note. Looks like it might have fallen out of my pocket.
“I know what you did, little bird, now it’s time for you to pay.”
A shiver slithers down my spine, and my pulse quickens. What the actual fuck. I glance over my shoulder. The door is closed and locked, and there is no way any of them could have gotten in here without meseeing them. This has to have fallen out of my pocket. It has to be some sick joke they are playing on me, right? Messing with me like they did when we were kids.
I scoop up the razor and dump it in the bottom drawer then tug my towel tighter under my arms and march out of the bathroom. As luck would have it, Kasen is already in my room sitting on my bed waiting for me. I flinch when I see him, majorly creeped out that he was just waiting out here for me.
“How fucking old are you?” I snap at him, bitchy as all hell. For a start, why is he here when he knew I was in the shower? But also, what the hell.
“Why is my age up for discussion?”
With my heart racing out of control, I shove the piece of paper toward him. “I thought we would be past childish pranks. That is really fucked up.”
His brow knits together as he reads over the note. His hand is in his pocket, and before I know it, he’s already talking on his phone. “Who could have gotten near her tonight?” he calls down the line.
I hear River’s voice come down the line. “There was a creep when she first got to the club, but I had my bouncer deal with him. After that she was with me. Why, what happened?”
“Some fucker slipped a threatening note in her pocket. Review your security cameras then get back here.” He disconnects the call, his furious eyes coming to mine like this is somehow my fault. “You’re not to leave my side until the boys are back.”
I stare at him, feeling the color drain from my face, sickness crawling under my skin like tiny worms eating their way right through my skin. “You didn’t do it?” I whisper.
“Can you just behave yourself until we work out who did? No trying to run away or dumb shit like that. This is a threat, Dove, one I’m taking very seriously.” His voice booms through the room.
I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat, but it won’t budge. Could one of the Southern Breakers have seen me kill Dax and Brock? I know I’m dead if they did. Dax was the big boss, he ran all sorts of businesses down south. He’s a big fucking deal. But he didn’t know about my mum.
Kasen’s hand lands softly on my back. “The walk-in is stocked. Go get dressed. Then it’s time you start talking. I want to know every detail of the last ten years.”
I don’t argue with him this time; I don’t even know what to say. Slowly I move through to the walk-in, turn on the light, and then close the door. I’m in deep shit if they are after me. But this doesn’t seem like the Southern Breakers MO, they are more the shoot first ask questions later kind of assholes. I’m pretty sure if they knew I had anything to do with their boss man and top thug being dead, I’d be dead already myself. They wouldn’t leave a threat for me telling me to run.
The clothes I had in my backpack are all clean and lined up neatly on hangers in here, along with some other items I have never seen before. Nice shit, not the stuff Slater left on the end of my bed this morning, but designer-brand stuff. Expensive linens and silks.
I skip over the satin and lace negligee and go for a pale pink printed T-shirt with a cowboy boot and some flowers on it that says darling on the side and locate my cotton sleep shorts. They might not be fancy, but they’re comfortable, and right now I need me some comfort. I get dressed, trying not to let the erratic thumping of my heart consume me. All we know is someone saw something I did and were so concerned they felt the need to slip a note into my pocket while I was at River’s club, in plain view of him.
Yeah, nothing in that sentence is good news.
Oh, dear God, now I feel worse. Why would anyone risk it? Unless it’s not a threat and it’s a warning, someone who cares about me, one of my girlfriends from back home. But I know that’s not the case, it was creepy and menacing. A fresh shiver runs down my spine. This is the weird shit that happens in horror movies before the bimbo gets a knife to the back. I’m not a fucking bimbo, and this shit will not be happening to me.
I open the door in a rush and run straight into a solid chest. “Shit, Kasen, what the hell?”
His concerned eyes run over my face, a fresh scowl just for me. “I was coming to check on you; you’ve been in there for ages. Why were you running out like that?”
“Oh.” I remember why I was moving so quickly. “I need a weapon,” I demand, my hands flying to my hips, ready to fight for one. The small Stanley knife I found of my dad’s is not going to be enough. And if he doesn’t give me one, I will do what I do best and find one in his expensive house and make it mine.
He bursts out laughing. “Do I look stupid tonight?”
I give him a bitchy look. “Kind of,” I snip back because, well, he asked for it. And after the way he treated me in the car, I’m looking for any excuse to get one back at him.
