“DON’T LET her out of your sight for a second,” I tell Maddox quietly as my sweaty palm wraps around the door handle. “I get the feeling she’s plotting something.”
“Don’t plan to take my eyes off her.” He glances at Riley, who’s writing in her notebook on the couch. Her knees are bent, feet pressed firmly to the cushion, and the spiral book is resting on her upper thighs.
After Maddox mentioned going back to campus for supplies, I volunteered myself as tribute. I didn’t really expect him to agree so quickly, but he did. So here I am, lacing up my boots with a wool beanie pulled down over my ears so I can fill the two oversized backpacks strung over my shoulders with enough food to last us a few days.
It’s a gamble to venture out, considering it’s a fucking ghost town back on campus with everyone still sheltering in place. Everyone but The Elders, who are lurking around. Jagger mentioned that there’s at least a dozen and said they’ve been having countless meetings—all about Riley. He was helpful and told me a route they’ve been taking on a back trail to get to and from the places they need to be, so I was grateful for that bit of information. Crew, Jagger, and especially Neo can be real assholes, but so can we, so I don’t judge them too harshly.
Lost in his gaze, Maddox smiles unknowingly as he watches her. “How’d we get so fucking lucky?”
“Luck has nothing to do with it. We create our own destiny.”
And in my case, I created a future with Riley in it because when I want something, I take it. I’ve never wanted anyone or anything, the way I want her, and even as I have her, I want more and more of her. I will never stop wanting her.
I snap out of the memories of everything I did to get to where I’m at today with my angel. If I think too much about those days, I raise walls to protect myself and my secrets, and my only quest right now is protecting Riley.
“I’m out. Don’t,” I emphasize, “fuck this up.”
I pull open the door slowly, taking care to silence the creak so I don’t distract Riley from her writing. It’s the first time she’s opened her notebook in days and I’m happy to see she’s releasing some of the aggressive thoughts running rampant in her mind through her poetry.
Maddox gives me a sailor salute, then shuts the door behind me. There’s an itch inside me I can’t scratch. This uneasy feeling that Riley is up to something. Maybe it’s because I know her so well, inside and out. I swear to all that is holy if Maddox doesn’t keep her within arm’s reach, he will become my prey. Best friend or not.
Instead of rushing this trip, I take my time. I absorb the chill of the fresh evening air, run my fingers over the crisp leaves, scooping up a bead of frost, and most importantly, I think about my next move.
Right now, Maddox and Riley are convinced Lev killed the men I took care of. They think he did it just to set Riley up. Her being set up was news to me because Maddox never once mentioned it, and now that I think about it, I still need to tear into him for that.
How dare he forget to tell me such pertinent information? If I had to guess, it was his dad’s doing. Maddox has always been his dad’s little puppet. Lev and I watched for years as he did everything he could to gain his father’s approval, coming up short every time. His father always made him feel like a failure when, in reality, he never failed at all. He just didn’t measure up to his father’s impossibly high expectations. It still pisses me off that Maddox thinks he needs to.
Before I realize it, my thoughts have distracted me and I’ve only got about five more minutes before I reach the back of the campus. I need to think. Fuck. I need a plan.
Obviously, I won’t let Lev go down for what I did, but I sure as hell don’t plan to go down either. There are so many speculations circulating around us. Lev killing Cade and Zeke. Me killing the men who threatened Riley’s future. Then, of course, there’s Riley killing the governor. The scary thing is, they aren’t just speculations—they’re the truth.
I’m actually proud to admit that we’re all a big mess of flawed and complex fuckery. Wouldn’t have it any other way either. It’s proof that there is no limit to how far we will go to protect those we care about.
Riley’s happiness is my top priority. I’d take on the whole world if it means keeping her happy and safe.
I tiptoe toward the backside of the main building on campus, my boots crunching lightly on the mixture of dried leaves and gravel. Voices in the distance hit my ears and I rush behind it and flatten my body against the stone-cold structure, daring myself not to breathe.
The voices grow louder, but thankfully, no one has spotted me yet. My hearing is sharp and clear, so I pick out each one’s voice in stark clarity.
One is most certainly Maddox’s dad, Stanley Crane. The second is, without a doubt, Lev’s uncle—Cade’s dad. The third is a female and I can’t quite figure out her identity, yet.
“We all have our own motives here, so don’t play the holier-than-thou game with me, Marta,”
Marta. That’s Lev’s aunt.
I suppose it makes sense, considering Lev’s uncle is here, but it’s not often wives accompany their husbands when they’re doing The Society’s work. Then again, they did just lose their son.
I creep forward, careful not to make a sound, and peer around the corner of the building. I spot Lev’s uncle in a black tee shirt that hugs his biceps. His arms wave in animated conversation as he speaks to the others who are out of view.
“Guess we’re just not understanding why you’re so hell-bent on blaming someone for Sebastian Saint’s death. It was ruled a suicide. Let that be enough, Stanley.”
He’s referring to the governor, and for once, I agree with him. I wish everyone just let it be enough. Then my angel would be safe.
“Austin’s right,” Marta says. “It was an open-and-shut case that was handled with the same care as any other member. Governor or not, he was no better than us.”
“Where was that logic during your brother’s murder?” Stanley asks. “You sure as hell didn’t allow that case to be open and shut so quickly.”
My jaw drops as the conversation shifts to a heavy one. It’s been years since I’ve heard anyone talk about Lev’s parents, who were brutally murdered in their home, along with Lev’s two little sisters.
“As if I had a choice,” Austin snaps. “Everyone knows that fucking rotten governor closed that case before anyone could even look at it.”
I’ve always known the killer was never caught, but I had no idea it was because Governor Saint ended the investigation. The question is, why?
“With good reason.” Stanley scoffs. “That bastard got what he deserved and I can pretty much guarantee his wife and girls were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
I watch as Austin’s face twists with rage. He steps forward, his long fingers lunging at Stanley’s neck. Once he’s got a good grip, he seethes, “Who the fuck do you think you are?”
I quickly return my back to the building. Is this really happening right now? Two Elders going at it, over what? A murder that took place years ago?
And how fucking ironic that I’m here witnessing this shit unfold. A devilish smile creeps across my face at the realization that we’re only as fucked up as our predecessors.
Like father, like son.
If only I knew mine.
I bet he’s a badass motherfucker. I imagine him as someone who parts a crowd when he enters a room. Or someone that stacks the bodies of his enemies—much like I do.
In reality, my father’s a fucking coward who ran away when times got tough, but if I dwell on that, I can’t help but feel that his cowardice is embedded in my veins. It’s so damn difficult to accept that I’m related to a man who couldn’t stand up and face his problems.
Peering around the corner again, I listen to the string of insults coming from both men.
“Now is not the time for this,” Marta gripes, using her body as a wedge between Austin and Stanley. “Donald did what he had to do. You of all people should know how serious we have to take our assignments. It’s nothing personal.”
Donald is Lev’s dad. Just the mention of his name sends chills down my spine. Donald and his wife, Becca, were hands down the kindest people in the world. Everyone loved them, which is another reason their murders came as such a shock to our small town of Glendale.
The words coming from Marta come as no surprise. I didn’t know it at the time, but Lev’s dad was a Punisher, just like Lev is. It’s very common for sons of The Society to take on the same position as their fathers. In fact, it’s extremely odd for them not to. Needless to say, my male ancestors are all Sleuths. I can only ascertain that Donald was killed out of revenge for a punishment he enacted.
“But what happened to him is more than personal,” Austin snaps, giving Stanley a shove and freeing him from his vise grip. “Donald was a good man, and now all that’s left of that family is my good-for-nothing nephew. And for you to open your fucking mouth and say he got what he deserved.” He jabs his middle finger in the air, directed at Stanley. “Fuck you.”
What a fucking lying scoundrel. He’s standing there defending his brother when he’s been drugging his brother’s son, just so he can take all his damn money.
It’s taking everything in me not to round this corner and end Austin Pemberley myself. If anyone is good for nothing, it’s that abusive narcissist.
“Donald was a good man, but Helen Foster was a good woman. And we all know what happened to her.”
My lungs restrict at the mention of my mom’s name. I hold my breath, and my eyes dart from person to person, searching for clues. My heart pounds as if it’s trying to break through my rib cage.
To this day, I still don’t know who took my mom’s life, but with any luck, one of these assholes will throw a name out.
I know it was a member of The Society. A Punisher, perhaps? I’ve lived with the guilt of her death my entire life, knowing it was because I killed that man in our home. The Elders sealed the case, and she told me she got off scot-free after pleading self-defense. But he was still a member, and I took his life. Even if she did take the blame. When she went missing a few days later, I knew exactly why.
All because of me.
It’s the number one reason I will reign over The Society one day. Why I will call the shots and I will punish everyone who wronged my family by taking my mom’s life and forcing my dad away.
The Sleuth will become The Punisher.
“What’s Helen have to do with this?” Marta asks, as oblivious as I am.
There’s a beat of silence before Austin speaks up. “I never mentioned it because it wasn’t necessary, but Donald is the one that was assigned to her case. It was the last case he had before his life was cut short. So myself, and others, have naturally assumed his demise was a revenge tactic for her death.”
My muscles tense and I hold my breath as if the air has been stolen from me. My vision blurs and my head fogs up. His words echo in my mind, and I fight to make sense of his shocking revelation.
Donald Pemberley—Lev’s dad—killed my mom?
How is this even possible? Does Lev know? Did he have time to even figure this one out? At the time, Lev didn’t even know his dad was a Punisher, so I can’t imagine he’s aware.
But Donald? No way! The man was a saint.
I guess all saints have a past, but still. This doesn’t make any sense.
I’m not sure what this means for Lev and me now. I don’t know how I’ll confront this, or if I even should. My mom is gone. Donald is gone. Years of plotting my own revenge on the man who took her life has just come to an abrupt stop.
Because his fate has already been sealed. Someone else killed him to avenge her. But who?
My mind swirls around a million different questions, while I try to process the information. I gasp for air, feeling like I’ve been submerged underwater and I’m now resurfacing.
Shock shifts to clarity. And this newfound knowledge sends heat rising from my stomach, as if a raging fire had been sparked.
I regain my focus and return to listening, hoping for more information.
“What about that morbid boy of hers, Ridge?” Marta asks, and any sympathy I felt toward her for being married to a fucking dickwad has diminished.
Stanley will defend me. I’m confident he will have my back. He raised me after I lost my mom. He’s a second father to me.
“I’ve thought about that,” Austin chimes in. “But he and my nephew are like brothers. Have been since they were tots. I don’t think it was him.”
Although I don’t like the asshat, I’m grateful he’s relieved me of suspicion because he’s got one thing right. Lev and I are like brothers. However, had I known then what I know now, I would’ve got to Donald Pemberley—and Donald alone—before anyone else had a chance to end his life.
“Anything’s possible,” Stanley says, and my jaw returns to its dropped state. “I’ve considered Ridge for a while now. If he caught wind of Donald taking out his mom, I don’t doubt for a second, he’d take matters into his own hands.”
Un-fucking-believable! It feels like the floor has been pulled from beneath me. Fire burns the backs of my eyes, but I refuse to let these assholes have any power over me anymore.
Maddox’s dad practically threw me under the bus. Lev’s dad killed my mom. And an unknown person killed Lev’s family out of revenge.
Is it possible this all stemmed from something I did when I was eleven years old? Did all these people lose their lives because I killed a man out of anger as a child?
“How about a deal?” Stanley says, and my ears perk up.
“A deal with you? Not a chance in hell.”
“Might be easier to put all this shit behind us if we work together.”
I hold my breath and lean in, not wanting to miss any of his words. I can feel in my bones the gravity of what he’s about to negotiate for. My eyes dart among them and I try to get a read on Austin. His guard is up, but he looks intrigued.
“If it benefits you, fuck no. If it benefits me, let’s hear the terms.”
“You want your nephew found, correct?” Stanley asks him, and Austin’s response is a stern nod. “And I want that Cross girl. I know damn well she’s behind the governor’s death, and chances are, she’s holding on to a lot of information that could harm other members. We can’t let that happen.”
My teeth grind together and my fists clench into tight balls as I listen to them speak with such familiarity about the woman I love. My vision goes red with anger at the realization that this man, who I thought was a good, honest Elder, is just as crooked as the rest of them.
“So you want me to help you find the Cross girl, and you’ll help me find Lev?”
“Something tells me when we find Lev, we’ll find the girl, too.”
The deal hangs heavy in the air as all three people remain silent. Each passing second has my heart racing with anticipation.
Then, Austin extends his hand, sealing the deal. “We better fucking find him.”
I have to get to her.
Anger and frustration boil inside me, ripping away any thought of getting supplies and food. All I can think about is getting back to my Riley and Maddox so I can tell them everything.
My pace quickens as I resist the urge to go back and hear more. I clutch the straps of one of the bags and hurry away from The Elders.
I can’t risk them knowing I eavesdropped on their conversation. There is no doubt they’d have me hauled away, and there is too much at stake for that to happen.
My feet feel like they’re on fire as they pound out a rhythm on the path behind the building.
Once I’m sure there is enough space between me and the school, I haul ass toward the trail, not stopping until I’m hitting the gravel road.
“Fuck!” I shout, hating that there are so many people searching for my girl. Maddox and I are only two people. How the hell are we supposed to hide her away from all of them?
There’s only one option. We have to get the hell out of Boulder Cove. I don’t care if we have to run forever. If it means she’s safe, then so be it.
The cabin comes into view and I breathe a heavy sigh of relief as I jog up to it. My boots thud against the wood steps and I rip open the door. “Riley,” I holler as my eyes skim the small space. “Maddox.” I slam the door closed behind me and let the bags fall from my arm, hitting the floor with a gentle clap. “Where the hell are you guys?”
Rushing to the bathroom, I quickly fling it open but come face to face with disappointment when I see that it’s empty.
With a quick glance into the small bedroom, I search for any sign of life. The blanket on the bed is rumpled, but the room is empty.
I walk back to the middle of the cabin and tip my head back, peering up at the loft. Light streams through the small window revealing nothing but decade-old cobwebs.
“Riley,” I shout louder, but I get nothing in response. I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone, knowing it’s a risk to turn it on, but I’m hopeful I’ll have a message from one of them. If I see that I do, I’m tearing Maddox a new asshole for sending it in the first place. We can be traced and our phones are the easiest way to do that.
It takes a second to power on, and once it does, I swipe out of all my notifications, missed calls, and text messages, searching for two names in particular. But there’s nothing. Not a single call or message from Maddox, Riley, or even Lev. I immediately shut it back down and stick it back in my pocket.
Pulling open the front door again, I step outside, leaving it open behind me. My eyes dart around the property, hoping to see a trace of them.
But, they’re gone.
