Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 103104 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 516(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103104 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 516(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
My eyes shut as revulsion inches over me, bit by bit, images from the party flashing one by one, that horrible carnival ride. I’m in those woods again and he’s on top of me, holding me down, and I can’t breathe, I can’t move, I can’t scream—
I wrench myself to the present.
“Liam?” I gasp out, shuddering as it clicks. “His voice…I recognized it in the stairwell when he talked to Jolena, and outside the gym that day—” My stomach jerks. “He was angry, and I didn’t…connect the dots, but he hit me.”
Knox’s eyes flare, and I bend over and clutch myself, bile rising.
He tries to hold me, but I push him away. “No!”
I lean against the wall of the police station, and I’m not even aware of how I got there. Knox is next to me and Wyatt has moved as well, his arms around my waist as I cling to him.
“Is he going to be arrested?” I gasp.
Knox closes his eyes. “I don’t know. It’s been hard, Ava. Dane only remembers certain things.”
“What does that mean?” Wyatt snaps, clearly on my side while Knox paces up and down the sidewalk.
He stops in front of me, his face torn. “Liam told Dane that Dane roofied your drink—”
“What?”
“—but he only said that because he’s suspicious that Dane’s remembering. He didn’t, Ava. He didn’t. I know my brother…” He trails off, his hands knotted.
“Spit it out, Knox. This is about me!” I thump my chest, holding myself together with fragile strings.
He gathers himself. “We got inside Liam’s bedroom and found his trophies.”
“Trophies?” Wyatt mutters. “That sonofabitch.”
Knox’s face grows hard. “A bag of…underwear. I saw yours. We’ve been trying to act like nothing is up so he doesn’t destroy them. That’s why I went to the party last night, plus I thought maybe he might get sloppy and do something or say something. Chance and Dane and I…we all went.” He tenses. “I want to hurt him for you, but we’re trying to do this right and get Dane’s story straightened out, see if there’s enough for a search warrant.”
Trophies. I want to vomit.
Wait…
“Chance knows?” I ask.
He nods.
“But you didn’t tell me. Damn you.”
He groans, rubbing his face. “I wanted to talk to my dad before I did anything. I’m not… I didn’t know how to handle it. Dane, he was so fucked up, and I tried to do the right thing, but…”
“Dane comes first,” I say.
“It’s not like that,” he says quietly. “We just thought it would be prudent to wait and tell you what was going on when we were sure we had enough.”
“You’re preparing Dane’s defense in case he needs one.” My hands tremble.
“I have to take care of Dane, Ava. Liam’s family has big money around here. Every step my dad has made is carefully calculated.” He gives me a pained look. “Dad will get you a good lawyer—”
“Stop.” I shake my head, emotions all over the place, rage mixed with helplessness over Liam, anger at Knox, and anger at myself. I trusted him, and he—he pushed me away for his family.
I picture Mama’s taillights fading away in the distance. In the end, I’m the only one looking out for me, and I’ve known this for a long time. Most of the time I can shove all that down and pretend it doesn’t hurt to be left behind by the people who are supposed to love you.
But right now, my chest aches, and I can’t think straight with all this information.
“Dane would never hurt you,” Knox says. “You don’t know him like I do, but I know he’s innocent. I have to prove that, for him, for you, for us—” He stops abruptly and reaches out, taking my arms as Wyatt eases back, giving us space. “Tulip, please don’t be angry with me for not telling you.”
I stare up at him. “Why can’t I be angry? I point-blank asked you what was wrong—”
“I love you,” he says, his gray eyes clinging to mine. “Can’t you see that?”
I suck in a breath.
“I don’t know when, maybe last year, watching you with Chance, then it grew when I hired that P.I. and I got wrapped up in you and how fierce you are, Tulip, so beautiful and so much strength that I don’t…shit, I don’t know how you do it here at this place when I can’t even stand it. I see who you are and it terrifies me and I tried to stay away, but I didn’t, even when I swore I would, and now I’ve hurt you, but you have to take a good long look at me, a fucking long look and see what I’m made of, what makes me tick, and it’s about you.”
His words rip me apart.
He cups my cheeks, and I search his face.
Knox isn’t ready for you, his dad said.