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“Leave it with me, I’ll do some more digging. Sean’s not the only one who has a coroner in his pocket. As for Cam, maybe she’ll open up on her own after getting sent this shit. Sure is going to leave her questioning everything she thought she knew,” he tells me, as I rise to my feet. “Drive safe and I’ll call when I have anything.”
“Will do, thanks, Sully. Give Max a big hug for me, catch you later.” I hurry up the stairs, grabbing my phone and jacket, then I’m out the door.
The fucking M25 is jammed, nothing unusual there. Finally turning off onto the M40, I relax a little knowing I’ll be back with Cam soon. After driving for a little over an hour, I see a sign for services up ahead and desperate for a piss, I change lanes ready to turn off.
After a quick dash to the toilet, I grab a coffee, and get back on the road. I hit traffic around Birmingham, then it eases up as I pass Wolverhampton, and I make up the time I lost earlier. My phone rings, and as it lights up from its cradle, I see it’s Seb calling. Shit. As the call connects, that unease that’s been sitting heavy in my gut rears its fucking head full force.
“Seb?”
“Yeah, man, it’s me. Listen, so Scott said he tried calling but you weren’t answering, everything okay?” he asks, his voice light and easy, but I know Seb.
“Yeah, but I have the distinct impression that’s about to change. What’s going on?” My skins prickles as I wait for him to answer.
“Scott had a tail after he left Cam’s work. He didn’t want to go back to the apartment with no Russ, so—”
“Hold on, where the fuck is Russ?” I roar, as red begins to invade my vision.
“Fuck knows, Scott said something about food poisoning. Look, he’s on his way to mine, okay. Should be here in about twenty. How about you, where you at?”
“A couple hours away tops. Is Cam alright? Scott lose the tail, yeah?
“She’s fine, man, chill. Anybody would think you’re in looooove with the chick.” He chuckles down the line. “Just meet us at mine, see you in a few lover-boy.” I hear kissing noises over the speaker before he hangs up on a laugh.
I shake my head at the idiot. Who said anything about love? As I check the rear-view mirror, I catch the small smile on my face and let out a laugh. Yeah, I’m royally screwed.
I’m not entirely happy with Scott on his own and having a tail, so I notch up the speed. However, knowing they will be with Seb soon keeps me from completely gunning it home.
Two hours later, I’m pulling down Seb’s driveway, ready to see Cam and enjoy a cold beer with the wisecracking jerk that makes up our trio. But as I round the bend there’s no sign of Scott’s car, only Seb’s and one other I recognise instantly. Alarm slams into me as I slam the breaks on, skidding to a stop alongside Seb’s Audi. I shove the car door open and race for the front door. Bursting inside, I’m met with raised voices and a high-pitched scream from upstairs. I don’t waste a second, taking the stairs two at a time and calling out Cam’s name.
As I reach the top of the stairs, Seb emerges from a room on the right, pulling the door closed behind him and muffling the cries of pain coming from inside. He’s covered in blood, and my heart drops like a fucking stone.
Twenty-Seven
Camryn
Pain. Voices. Pain. I can’t move. I’m trapped, my legs are trapped. I try to pull them free and searing pain fires up my leg. Wet. Cold. So cold. My head throbs. Voices shouting, they sound so far away. Footsteps, running. Someone groaning. More pain. Shouting again, right here next to me. Where am I? Talking now, but it’s muffled and gurgly like I’m underwater. Hands on me. Pulling at me. It’s him, he’s here. I pull away. Need to run, to get away. Can’t let him catch me. I try to move, get up, to run, but someone is holding me down. Hands touch my face. “Get off me, I won’t go. I’ll die first,” I shout at them. Well, I think I do.
“Camryn, it’s Seb, Blue’s friend. Can you hear me? I’m not here to hurt you.”
I don’t know this voice, but he sounds nice. It could be a trap. But he said Blue, that’s Ryder, I know him. He’s the bright star in my dark sky. He’s safe.
“S…Seb, Ry…Ryder?” My voice is croaky, throat scratchy and sore. I try to open my eyes. Light shines above me as I slowly open my eyes, bright, blinding light that makes my head throb. “Ryder, where’s Ryder?” I say, as my eyes open, and I stare at the face above me. The face of an angel. Eyes of molten caramel, flecks of gold flicker in the light. My eyes fall shut again.
“Camryn?” the angel says, as a hand touches my face. “Camryn, can you open your eyes again for me?” His voice is clearer now as I open my eyes again. “There she is,” he says, a smile lighting up his face.
“You’re pretty,” I say, and someone laughs. I try to turn my head that way, but a stabbing pain shoots through my head and dots dance in my eyes.
“She must have bumped her head real hard to be calling you pretty.” A gruff voice states, then laughs.
“Don’t try to move for now. You banged your head pretty hard when you fell,” says the guy with the caramel eyes. He must be Seb.
“What happened?” I ask, as images flash through my mind. A car following us. A crash. Scott and Lewis. “Scott, where’s Scott?” Panic rises in my chest. “Lewis was going to kill me. A gunshot. Have I been shot?” My brain scrambles for answers. Trying to remember what happened.
“Lewis is gone, and Scott is right here. You’re safe, we just need to get you home. I’m going to carry you, okay. Can you put your arms around my neck for me, darling,” Seb asks, I don’t try to nod but raise my arms instead, latching on to him as he slides an arm under my legs and one under my back. As he lifts me the pain in my leg flares, I scrunch my eyes shut and bite my lip, but a groan still manages to escape.
The next timeI open my eyes, I’m in a plush bed, messing it up with all my blood and dirt and shit. My mind is a little clearer, my head is still throbbing, but it’s nothing compared to the throbbing in my leg.
Looking down, I see that the glass has been removed, and a bandage is wrapped round the top of my thigh, but it’s almost soaked through with blood.
