Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 134665 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134665 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Silence.
Shit! I move back, about to shove my shoulder into the door to get my phone back, but then decide against it. This is Cole’s problem. Not mine.
I make my way downstairs and out to the back patio. Cole has his head underwater, swimming laps. I reach over and grab the first thing I can find, which is a towel. I take it and throw it at him. His arm gets caught in it, pulling it underwater. He comes to a stop and lifts his head. “What?” he demands.
“Austin locked herself in your bathroom.”
He just stares up at me from the pool.
“And she has my phone with her.”
He frowns.
“I don’t have a lock on it.”
Recognition dawns on his face. Placing his hands on the edge of the pool, he pushes himself out of the water and makes a mad dash for the house.
I follow him but much slower.
“What’s going on?” Bennett asks as I walk through the living room, my feet stepping in the puddles that Cole left behind. He and Shane are sitting on the couch.
“Nothing,” I answer, not wanting to explain it. Making my way up to my bedroom, I enter and shut my door. I can hear them arguing once again.
“This is no joke, Cole.” Austin growls. “This is Evan Scott!” she snaps. Maybe she doesn’t know. “Becky told me a while back that Evan Scott was Deke.” Well, fuck! “And I highly doubt he sent this to you and himself.” He says nothing. “And all of a sudden Bennett and Shane show up? Obviously, someone is fucking with you guys. And you were gonna keep this from me?”
“Yes.”
She gasps at his honesty. “Why?”
He sighs. “Why would I tell you? Sweetheart”—he softens his voice—“I pulled you into this game nine months ago, and it almost got you killed. I can’t lose you …”
“Nothing is going to happen to me, Cole.”
“You don’t know that,” he argues. “And I’m not willing to take that risk. Not again.”
“Wouldn’t you want me to be alert? I take Lilly to school. I pick her up. She has dance and ballet. I’m not with you a hundred percent of the time. Barely fifty percent now that you have classes and swimming. Wouldn’t you rather me know to keep my eyes open for something off than be in the dark?”
He doesn’t answer that because he knows she has a valid point.
“You’re different,” she whispers, and it’s so low I almost didn’t catch what she said. “And I can handle dark and moody, Cole, but not this one who keeps secrets. We’re supposed to be a team.”
“I know,” he says with a rough voice.
“I’m going to be your wife.”
“I know.”
“Whatever you are getting into, I’m getting in too.”
“No!” He growls.
“Yes! This isn’t just about you anymore. You, me, Lilly, and the guys. You’re all my family, Cole. I trust you all with my life. You need to trust me just as much.”
“I trust you.” He snorts.
“Then show me that.”
A long silence follows before he speaks. “I love you, sweetheart.”
“I love you too.”
Then they’re kissing. Her moaning follows shortly after. I roll over onto my side and grab the spare pillow on my bed and place it over my head, not wanting to hear them fucking. You would think as much as houses cost these days, the walls would be soundproof.
“Stop,” she says.
“Excuse me?” Cole asks, sounding surprised. Pretty sure he’s never heard that word from a woman before.
“We need to talk to the guys.”
“It can wait …”
“No. It can’t. This is important.” She growls.
Seconds later, my door opens, and she pokes her head in. My phone sails through the air, almost hitting me in the head. “Get dressed and meet us downstairs.”
I sigh and do as she says, wanting to get this over with. I already told them I’m fucking tired.
DEKE
We all gather in the living room. Austin sits on Cole’s lap in the leather recliner. I’m perched on the couch next to Bennett, and Shane stands by the back door, refusing to sit.
“Do we have any idea who it is?” Austin asks. Her eyes scan the paper one more time. Cole gave it to her ten minutes ago, and we’ve all sat here while she silently went over it.
“No.” I answer.
“Demi has to be behind it.” Shane growls.
“I don’t know,” she says slowly. “Demi doesn’t seem to be that type.”
He pushes off the wall. “Deke is fucking her.”
“What?” She gasps, her large green eyes meeting mine.
“I’m not.” My jaw clenches. I’m only fucking her in my dreams. My dreams where she pretends to be Becky and tells me to hurt her. Too bad I end up killing her every time. I keep that to myself, though. Don’t want to cause more worry than there already is.
Shane goes on. “She knows too much. And she needs to die.”