AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I shook my head, determined. “Not a chance.”
“Good. Let’s go.”
It had been tough, the two of us getting away from both Luke and Kayla, without looking like we were going somewhere together. We’d had to lie, which I wasn’t happy about, but there really was no alternative.
“I’m going to circle around to the other side,” Adrian pointed. He reached for the black bag. “When I do…”
He was already whispering, but his voice suddenly trailed off into nothing. There was the distinct sound of a metal door swinging open, followed by raucous laughter and voices.
“Down!”
We crouched as low as we could, peering over the top of the dumpster as a beam of light flooded the courtyard. A side door had opened, and someone spilled out of it. Just as quickly, the door slammed shut.
Shit.
The man ahead of us sprawled headfirst to the paved surface of the lot. He grunted, groaned, then got up and began walking in a distinctly crooked path.
“DAD!”
I was more than shocked as Adrian bolted upright and ran over to the man. Sure enough, Sammy Mannix was standing there wholly confused, looking down at two bloody elbows.
“A—Adrian?”
My friend’s face was murderous. He turned to look back at the closed door, through which muffled laughter could still be heard.
“No!” I hissed, grabbing him by the hoodie. “Don’t even think about it.”
I took quick action, guiding them both back to the dumpster we’d been using to hide ourselves. Adrian’s father moved slowly, like he was wounded or favoring one side. He didn’t look too bad, though. No cuts or blood or swollen face, other than the scraped elbows from his fall.
“What’d they do to you?” Adrian demanded. When his father didn’t answer right away, he shook him. “Dad! Tell me!”
“What’d they do to me?” his father repeated, his mouth curled into a smile.
“Yes!”
“They got me drunk.”
Adrian froze, still regarding his father incredulously. Very slowly, I saw the grip on his old man’s shoulders finally relax.
“You… you weredrinkingwith them?” I asked.
“More like they were drinking withme,” he replied, unfazed. “Granted I can’t put em’ away like I used to,” he went on, “but having just got out you’ll need to cut me a little slack.”
“Dad!” Adrian hissed. “What thehellare you doing over at the Payne’s garage? Getting drunk with—”
“I could ask you the same thing,” his father cut in.
Sammy Mannix jerked his chin at the black bag next to the dumpster. His face went abruptly serious.
“Son, whatever you’re thinking of doing…”
“Dad, you need to get out of here,” Adrian said, looking over both shoulders. “In fact—”
“No, Adrian! Listen to me!”
He slurred the ‘s’ in listen, and his breath smelled like whiskey. But all of sudden his eyes were sober. Stone cold, at that.
“Youneed to get out of here,” his father hissed. His eyes flitted to me. “The both of you. Whatever you’re planning on doing… don’t.”
