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WE HAD TO TAKEan Uber to my parents’ house just to get my car, and then I had to drive the twenty minutes to drop Nolan off at hers. She’s following me back to the motel I’m staying at when a call from Cam comes through. I press the button on the screen to answer it through the car.
“Hey, how’d it go?” I ask.
He sighs heavily, and I already know it’s not good. “We have a problem.”
“Ihateproblems.”
“Yeah well, the hacker is gone,” he says. “Whoever is doing this shit got to him before we could.”
My heart sinks. “What do you meangot to him?”
“There’s no body,” he clarifies. “But judging by the condition his place is in, it doesn’t look good.”
I feel sick to my stomach. Nausea kicks in as bile rises in my throat. The text messages and the threats are one thing, but if this person actuallyhurtsomeone, that takes this to another level. A level I’m not sure any of us can handle.
“Listen, I want you at the bar today,” my brother tells me. “Somewhere I’m able to look after you.”
I nod, even though he can’t see me. “That’s fine. I’ll just have to bring a friend with me.”
“Yeah, sure. Just get there when you can. I won’t be able to relax until you’re there.”
I get it. I want to be able to look after him, too.And Hayes.
“I’ll be there soon,” I promise.
As we get off the phone, there’s a feeling in the air that I can’t put my finger on. It’s darker than it has been. There’s a stronger sense of danger that I can’t seem to shake. I just hope whatever is coming, we make it out alive.
THE WHOLE WAY TOthe bar, I drill into Nolan’s head the importance of her not mentioning anything about meeting Mali prior to her coming here. She doesn’t understand it at first, but I explain that I didn’t leave in the best way, and it wouldn’t turn out well if either Hayes or Cam find out that she had any contact with me while I was away.
“Trust me,” I tell her. “It’s just something we need to keep secret.”
She pretends to zip her mouth shut and lock it. “You know I live for a good secret.”
We get out of the car and run inside, shielding ourselves from the rain. The beach is empty, which means it’s no surprise when the bar is the same way. The only people inside are Hayes, Cam, and Mali. Thankfully, Riley isn’t here.
“It’s disgusting out there,” I tell them as I try to shake off the damp feeling. “Nolan, this is Cam and Mali, and you already met Hayes.”
Mali’s eyes narrow. “She did, did she?”
I press my lips together and when she knows she isn’t going to get it out of me right now, she turns to Hayes. Holding her hand out, she waits for him to shake it.
“Hi, Kettle. I’m Pot.”
I’m honestly clueless as to what that’s about, but it makes Hayes laugh as he flips her off—and let’s be honest, I don’t care what it is he’s laughing at, as long as he keeps doing it.
“How do youknowNolan exactly?” Cam questions.
Well, shit. “She’s my roommate. I’ve been staying with her almost the whole time I’ve been gone.”
Nolan smiles brightly. “Yep! Saved this little duckling from a tough life on the streets.”
Cam hums with a certain look. “Not that willingly leaving your home is something you needsavingfrom, but sure. We’ll go with it.”
I had hoped that he and Hayes would understand why I left, but let’s face it—they never will. If they had it their way, I would’ve told them the moment our stalker first contacted me. They still think they would have been able to figure out who it is and stop them.
Clearly, they’re right. I mean they’ve beensogood at it lately.
Cue the massive eye roll.
