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I coaxed him to have one more shot before I headed to take a shower. I wasn’t sure how long it would take for him to pass out, but I wanted to be ready to leave when it happened. If he wasn’t drowsy when I got out, I’d try to get him to drink more. After taking the fastest shower possible, I slid on some shorts and a tank top.
Voices drifted through the door, and I froze when I heard him. I ran a brush through my still wet hair and flew out of the bathroom. Rounding the corner into the kitchen, I stopped short, seeing Niko sitting at the table. Glancing around, I saw Alex outside the window, talking on the phone.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, keeping my voice low. “I thought you were going somewhere with your dad.”
He chuckled. “And here I thought you’d be more excited to see me.”
My gaze drifted to the whiskey bottle sitting on the table. My heart thudded when I noticed it wasn’t as full as it was when I went to take a shower.
“Niko,” I nervously ran a hand through my hair, “did you drink that?”
“I was going to ask if you knew that Alex found the whiskey you got him. I thought you were saving it for whatever you’re planning.” He looked out the window at Alex. “He seems excited about something. But he said he wanted to tell Dad first.”
“Did you drink that?” I repeated.
He nodded. “Alex poured me a couple shots, and he drank it too. I wasn’t going to say no. I’m supposed to drive his Jeep back to Dad’s since everyone thinks Geo has my truck. Drinking just prolongs me having to drive back.”
I swallowed hard. “Shit.”
Raising an eyebrow, he stood up. “What’s wrong?”
“I gave him the whiskey, Niko,” I whispered. “After yesterday, I didn’t think you would be coming back for a while. I’m leaving. Today.”
His eyes widened as he looked at the bottle and then back at me. “Did you poison it?”
“No. Not exactly.” I bit my lip. “But there’s enough sleeping pills in there to knock someone out for hours.”
His posture relaxed at my words, and he let out a laugh as I stared at him in confusion.
“Don’t look so worried,” he told me, still looking amused. “I don’t mind a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. And no one will suspect that I’m helping you if you drugged me too.”
“What I’m doing is going to expose everything,” I reminded him. “If it works.”
He grew serious. “Whatever it is, you better be careful. I would go with you if I could, but I’d only lead them right to you. They’re still waiting for Geo to contact me. If I disappear, they’ll be searching for me too.”
“I know,” I murmured. “I’m getting the evidence I need, Niko.”
“Call me before you do it,” he said, worry covering his face. “I’ll do whatever you need so you can get it.”
I wanted to argue with him. The evidence I got would most likely implicate him too. But he already knew that. And he still wanted me to do it. I didn’t know if I’d ever see him again after today.
“Sage. You want to tell Niko the good news?” Alex asked as he came back into the house.
I forced a smile. “You can.”
Alex wrapped an arm around me as he looked at Niko. “We’re getting married.”
There wasn’t a hint of Niko’s real feelings as he grinned and offered his congratulations. He must have realized that was the news I was using to give Alex the whiskey. We all sat on the couch, and I grew anxious about my plan while Niko and Alex talked. Alex’s arm stayed around my shoulders as I waited for the sleeping pills to take effect.
It felt like forever until Alex’s arm slipped from its spot around me. Niko was staring at me as his eyelids drooped closed. I stayed perfectly still as Alex’s breathing evened out into steady, deep breaths. Niko was slumped back—out cold.
Glancing over my shoulder, I made sure Alex was sleeping too before I grabbed his arm and pushed it off me. Then I coughed as loud as I could a few times. Neither of them flinched. My stomach bubbled with nerves, knowing there was no going back now.
Facing Alex, I slid two fingers into his pocket and slowly pulled out his phone. I held my breath, terrified he would somehow wake up. Once his phone was in my hand, I ran to my room and grabbed the smart phone Niko had bought for me. I scrolled through Alex’s texts, finding the address his dad had sent him months ago. Once I typed it into my phone, I went back to the living room and put Alex’s phone back in his pocket.
Eyeing Alex’s keys on the kitchen counter, I took a deep breath. I really hoped he had drunk enough to stay passed out for as long as I needed. Swiping the keys up, I rushed out the door and got into my car.
After driving for twenty minutes, I pulled up to the hardware store. Forcing myself to act normal, I walked into the store and searched for an employee.
“Hi,” I said, finding a guy stocking shelves. “I need to copy my keys.”
Looking annoyed that I had bothered him, he pointed to a small counter near the back of the store.
“Thanks,” I muttered, hurrying back to where he’d pointed.
I greeted another employee who was behind the counter. “How long to make a copy of six keys?”
The guy glanced at the keys I set on the counter. “About a half hour.”
I smiled. “Perfect.”
He grabbed the keys, and I rushed out of the store, driving one block to my bank. Luck was on my side because there wasn’t a line at all. I pulled out nine thousand dollars, knowing the society would be watching my account once they realized I was gone. But this would be more than enough to keep me going until I did what I needed.
I went back to the hardware store and waited impatiently for the keys. I tapped my fingers on the counter, watching other customers go about their day. I hadn’t even been gone an hour, but I was getting nervous. I wanted Alex’s keys back where I’d found them before he woke up. If he knew I had them, then they could move things before I got the evidence I needed.
Alex’s key ring had six keys on it. Three of them were for his car, his house, and my house. The other three keys were a mystery. But I knew they had something to do with the society. Because when I had asked about them a few weeks ago, he was vague. The usual reaction when it had something to do with them.
“Here you go,” the guy said, dropping the two sets of keys on the counter.
Handing over some of the cash I had just pulled out, I paid for them. “Thank you so much.”
The whole way back to the house, my heart was racing. If Alex was awake, this would all be ruined. And I’d be screwed. I pulled into the driveway and quietly shut my door after I got out. Peering through the front window, I relaxed when they were both still on the couch. I quickly walked in and put Alex’s keys back on the counter exactly where they had been. Then I double-checked that his phone was back in his pocket.
The bag I had packed yesterday was waiting under the bed. I slung it over my shoulder and grabbed the empty sleeping pill bottle from the dresser drawer. As I passed the kitchen table, I placed the pill bottle right next to the whiskey. Because fuck him. I hoped he was pissed when he realized what I’d done.
I glanced at Niko and felt a pang of guilt. I didn’t want to leave him. I had thought for hours to come up with a way to keep him out of what I was going to do. But it wasn’t possible. Unless Kiara could come up with something.
Stepping out of the house, I grinned. I had no plans to ever come back here. And it felt amazing. I pulled out of the driveway, wondering how long it would take them to wake up. It didn’t matter. By the time Alex found out I was gone, I’d be far enough away.
Last time I fled, I had no plan, only the will to survive. This time, I was running straight for them. And I was going to get what was needed to expose it all. No matter what the cost.
