“No,” he says immediately.
“Excuse me?” I snap.
He looks in his side mirror and changes lanes. “No,” he repeats as if I’m hard of hearing.
“You can’t tell me what to do, Cole.”
“Wanna bet?”
I grind my teeth in frustration. “I can go out if I want.”
“Not without me and I’m not going out tonight,” he says matter-of-factly.
“What the fuck, Cole? You’re not my boyfriend,” I grind out, tightening my hand on my phone. Even if he was, he still wouldn’t have a say in what I do.
“The entire school thinks otherwise.”
“That’s because you told them that,” I snap.
He glances over at me. “No. That was all you, sweetheart. And wanting my cock.”
I suck in a breath through gritted teeth. I want to scream at him. Slam his head into his steering wheel and jump out of this moving car. Instead, I pick up my phone and text her.
Me: I’m down. Doing something right now. Will let you know when I’m done.
Then I lock my phone.
We sit in silence, and I stare out the passenger window, ignoring him as he flies down the highway.
Fifteen minutes later, he pulls off onto a dirt road, and I immediately know where we are. The barn. The same place he had me come to when he stole that car.
My back straightens when I see Deke’s black Range Rover and a white Mercedes SUV parked on the side. He parks in front of them and then shuts the car off, getting out.
I take a deep breath and follow him inside.
It’s one big open area. The ceiling comes to a high point with dark wooden rafters. There’s a set of stairs to the right that leads up to what looks like a loft. A punching bag dangles from the ceiling. A dart board hangs on the wall to the right along with a shuffleboard and a pool table to the left. Three gaming chairs face a big screen TV. A small mini bar is over in the right corner.
It’s a man cave.
It has to belong to one of their fathers. And they party here.
Deke is on his phone but nods his head at Cole when he sees us enter. Shane is sitting on a couch drinking a beer, and Bennett is sitting in a chair texting on his phone. I look around for Kellan but don’t spot him anywhere.
I come to a stop and stand awkwardly, not really knowing what I’m doing here with four guys. One wants to destroy me, and one wants me dead. Not sure how the other two feel at the moment.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I pull it out to see it’s a text.
Becky: Okay. Sounds good.
I look up when I hear Deke finishing his call. He walks over to me, and I take a step back. He smiles. “Still afraid of me, baby?”
I pull my lip back in disgust and mumble, “Something like that.”
Cole snaps his fingers at him. “Did you get it?”
Deke nods. “I sure did.” He walks over to a table and picks up a black drawstring backpack. “Here you go, baby.”
I roll my eyes, and Cole snatches the bag from his hands. “Is it all here?”
Deke snorts, offended by Cole’s lack of trust. “Of course.”
Cole grabs my arm and pulls me over to the table and hands me the bag. “Holy crap. This thing weighs a ton. What’s in it? Bricks?” Maybe I can use one to knock out Deke.
Cole snatches it from me and holds it upside down, shaking it. Things start to hit the table with a thud. The first to fall out is a roll of duct tape. And then a small knife. Followed by a pair of handcuffs. A cell phone. Something that resembles a black box. The last thing is a driver’s license. Serial killer starter kit.
I pick up the black box ’cause it looks the least threatening and take a step back from the table. “What is all this?” My voice shakes as the hairs on the back of my neck stand.
“It’s all yours,” Deke says with a wicked smile.
“Mine?” I ask wide-eyed. Why would I need these?
Cole picks up the handcuffs, and I take another step away from him at the sound of the metal clanking together. His eyes stay on mine, void of emotion.
“Remember that initiation we talked about?” Deke asks, wiggling his eyebrows.
My heart pounds in my chest, and my palms are sweaty. I tighten my grip on the black box.
Deke takes a step toward me. “I think it’s time you give me that show, baby.” He takes the handcuffs from Cole.
I grip the black box, and my eyes shoot to Cole, waiting for him to stop Deke. To tell me that this is another sick joke. But his eyes run up and down my body before meeting mine once again. This time, there’s a coldness to them that I remember from outside the church, and my breathing picks up. Fear creeping up my spine.