I reach out and touch his arm. “I’m sorry …”
He yanks back from me, and his eyes meet mine. They have fire in them, and his breath has picked up.
I lower my eyes to my lap. “Who was she to you?”
“She was Eli’s older sister.”
“Eli?” I ask, looking up at him through my lashes.
“My best friend,” he says, his eyes back on the man who runs around aimlessly in his office.
I don’t remember that name from last night at the cemetery. “Why not kill him?” I ask.
“He doesn’t deserve death yet.” His eyes meet mine. “Death is no different than anything else. It too must be earned.”
I look over at the man, and he has his cell in his hand. He keeps putting it to his ear and then pulls it away. Repeating the motion. “What do you think he’s doing?”
“He’s trying to contact Jeff.”
I look over at Cole, and a soft smile covers his face. “They are business partners. And without Jeff, he’ll lose everything. Jeff was the mastermind behind their shit show.”
I look back at the guy who stands in his office. He reminds me of watching a hamster in his cage as he runs on his wheel, getting nowhere. He just keeps circling around, that phone still in his hand. “So you go around killing people who kill others?” I ask.
He snorts. “No. Jeff was … an exception.”
I run a hand through my hair, trying to understand what is going on and how I feel about it. “You still killed someone …”
“It wasn’t like he was innocent,” he snaps.
I narrow my eyes on him. “You cut my arm.”
He places his hand in my hair again, but instead of leaning into me, he yanks me across the center console. I gasp at the feel of his nails digging into my scalp. “I’ll do whatever I have to do, sweetheart. And I watched the video. You’re not as innocent as you claim to be.”
“I’ve never killed anyone,” I snap.
He chuckles, and his free hand comes up to my throat. “But you want to.”
My heart starts to pound. “You don’t know me …”
“You’re a Lowes, after all. Remember? Everyone in our town knows what kind of man your father is. Including you.”
I clamp my mouth shut because I know how terrible he can be. And I can’t count how many times I’ve wished him dead.
He leans in, his nose running along my jawline like he did last night. I shudder. “We are all the same, Austin. Some of us just choose not to pretend.”
CHAPTER FOUR
COLE
I pull away from her, and my eyes fall to her lips. Bringing her here was a mistake. Having her in my car alone with me was a mistake. But I made them anyway. I’m known for fuckups. No one expects much from me. Well, no one except Lilly. But she isn’t hard to please.
I run my thumb over her bottom lip, wondering what it would feel like between my teeth. Or wrapped around my cock. Either one would do at the moment. She licks her lips, letting me know what she is thinking, and that’s enough for now.
I sit back in my seat and throw the car in reverse. Pulling out of the parking spot, I don’t look back once at the bastard who is gonna pay for killing my best friend’s sister.
We’re ten minutes from Collins when she finally speaks to me. “What did Jeff mean by another one of your dares?”
My jaw tightens. She heard more than I would have liked. I don’t answer. Instead, I pull my cell out of my pocket and call Deke’s older sister. She answers on the third ring. “Hey. I need a favor,” I say, refusing to look over at Austin.
“Well, hello to you to, Cole,” she says with sarcasm.
“Can you help me or not, Shelby?” I snap.
She sighs heavily. “Is it illegal?”
I don’t answer, and a silence falls between us. I sit with my cell to my ear, waiting for a response. She knows she’s not gonna get any info. After a minute, she finally answers. “Sure.”
“I’ll be there in fifteen.”
“I don’t want any trouble, Cole,” she says softly. “You know I can’t …”
“I know. It’s not like that,” I say and then hang up before she can say any more.
I chance a glance over at Austin, and she’s already staring at me. “We’re going to go see Shelby.”
“Is she your girlfriend?” she asks softly.
I almost laugh. Deke would kill me if I tried anything with his sister. Plus, she’s not my type. She wants commitment. Stability. Love. I have none of those things to give. Not to mention, I’m a senior in high school, and she is six years older than the guys and me. But I don’t respond to Austin either. Because a part of me likes that she is curious. Why would she care if I’m already taken?