Page 118 of Day Break

I counted to three.

I pulled out my phone and dialed 911.

When I heard the scream again, I tucked the phone into my pocket and took off running towards the sound. It appeared it was coming from the house.

Racing back down the pathway, through my grandmother’s garden archway, I saw Chloe standing in the kitchen with my cousin.

Only, standing across from Chloe was Derrick instead of Phillip. It had been Phil who I had just fought with and had been shot by.

What the hell?

I walked closer, stepping into the light of the porch.

They both seemed to see me at the same time.

Chloe jerked her head towards me. Her eyes went wide as she screamed, “Lane!”

Just then, I was hit over the head from behind and, once more, everything went dark.

This time, when I woke, there was a blinding light shining in my eyes.

“There he is,” my cousin said, and then he kicked me in the side where I’d been shot.

“We thought you were going to miss all the fun,” Derrick said with a chuckle. There was blood trickling from what appeared to be a bite mark on his chin.

“What in the hell,” I said, holding my side and sitting up.

Phil was leaning on the kitchen counter, eating an apple from the large bowl Chloe always kept for Byron. His nose was bleeding from where I’d connected to it, but other than that, he appeared very smug.

“I told you I didn’t kill him yet,” Phillip said to Derrick, who just shrugged.

“What in the hell is going on?” I asked, trying to take control of this situation.

“Don’t act dumb. We know you visited the bank today. If you haven’t figured it out by now, then you’re even dumber than we thought,” Derrick said. “Where’s the ring and the diary?” He turned to Chloe.

The ring? Shit. I thought quickly and realized they were talking about one of my cousin’s family rings. But why did he believe one of the rings was a clue into Sherry’s death? Then I remembered Rod mentioning he’d found something of my cousin’s.

The only possibility was that he’d found it at the pond. Which would have put one of my cousins at the sight of my sister’s death.

But then, how did they know about the diary?

“I don’t know,” Chloe said, lifting her chin slightly.

I knew that if she gave them the items, they would kill us. Even me, their cousin. It wasn’t as if they hadn’t done it before. But why? Why would they kill Sherry?

“Why?” I growled. “Why did you kill my sister?”

Both of my cousins looked at one another, then shrugged.

“We were just trying to have some fun,” Derrick answered.

“It’s not like we hadn’t had fun with her before,” Phillip said with a sneer. “She was always flirting with us. Wanting it.”

I felt my stomach lurch at their meaning. “You raped her.” I moved to get up from my spot on the floor.

Phillip pulled out his gun and pointed it at my head.

“It’s not rape if she enjoyed it.” Derrick chuckled.