Snatching a can of beer from Tommy, I look over at Madison and grin. “Yeah, that’s because you’re stuck up and we prefer to distance ourselves from fake bitches. Now if you don’t mind, I need to talk to my friends. Go back to the mall, or maybe the plastic surgeon who fucked up your nose.”
Her hand slaps to her chest. “Ouch. That might hurt if I had a heart.” The imposter smile she was wearing quickly diminishes and a snark glare washes over her face. I’ve gotta get her out of here before she says something stupid. I wouldn’t put it past her to tell these guys that she knows the truth. Even if she doesn’t have proof, her statement would point a lot of fingers at us. Slamming the beer in my hand, I toss the can beside the blazing fire and stalk toward Madison.
Grabbing her by arm, I pull her away from everyone. “What the hell are you up to now?” I whisper-yell.
“Nothing. Just wanted to hang out with you all. That’s not a problem, is it?”
“How did you even know they were here?” I ask with my fingers still tangled around her forearm.
Her shoulders waggle. “I followed them from town. Is that a problem?”
My phone sounds in my pocket and Madison’s eyes shoot to it. “Are you gonna get that?”
“Later.”
“Why later? Who is it?” she asks, as she begins trying to stuff her hand in my pocket like she’s a jealous ex-girlfriend.
I shove her hand away. “Get the fuck off of me.” But she doesn’t stop.
“Who the hell is it, Lars?” This is what I deal with on a daily basis. Constant patrolling from my stepsister because she’s an obsessed psycho.
“I don’t know. I said I’d get it later.” I give her another shove and she stumbles back, falling on her ass. Everyone looks in our direction and Marni’s eyes widen in horror.
“Lars! Did you just push her?” She hollers as she hurries to our side. Yes, I just pushed her because she’s not the sweet innocent girl she’s making you all think she is. But, I don’t say it. Instead, I extend a hand to try and help her up.
I’m not surprised that she ignores it and plays the victim. Instead, she lets Marni help her up. Wrapping her arm around Marni’s waist, she’s led back to the fire. Halfway there, she looks over her shoulder and throws me a sadistic smile. She’s playing a game, and every single one of us are her pawns.
“Talon. Tommy,” I yell then signal toward the building with a nod of my head. Talon gives Marni a look before following my lead. I guess that’s what it’s like to be pussy-whipped. Is that what I am? Am I pussy-whipped by my fucking stepsister? A girl I hate. The way she’s glaring at me through the fire with flames in her eyes, I’m certain that I am. My phone sounds in my pocket again and I’m about to lose my shit. I end the call and send Willa a text on a whim.
Me: What the hell do you want, Willa?
This damn girl won’t stop blowing up my phone. Not even five seconds later, she responds.
Willa: Can you meet me at Miner Park, please? It’s important.
I don’t even respond. I don’t have time for this.
I’m a few feet ahead of the guys when I pull open the rusty old screen door. It slams shut behind me as I begin pacing back and forth in the dark entryway. My shadow casts on the floor as a sliver of light from the fire shines through the door. When it rips back open and Tommy and Talon step inside, my feet continue to move as I talk. “You fuckers left me.”
“What’s the big deal? We didn’t find anything, anyways,” Tommy says.
“The big deal is that when I got to your house, we had a little visitor. Yeah, that’s right.” I stop pacing and face the two of them. “Anderson Thorn showed up.”
Talon looks out the door at Marni then back at me. “No?” He questions me like I’d make this shit up.
“Yes. He’s making threats and demanding shit.” I spit it all out in one breath and keep going. “It’s fucking bad, you guys. He’s livid, and in return, he gave us forty-eight hours to show him where Josh is. And the real kicker, he wants to get rid of the body himself. We’re fucking screwed.”
Talon holds his hand up to stop me. “Would you calm your ass down. We’re fine.”
Tommy has taken over my space on the floor and is pacing back and forth shaking his head. “No. Lars is right. We’re screwed. I fucking knew we should have just left Josh in the road when we saw him.” He stops suddenly. Turning to Talon, anger takes ahold of him. “This is all your fault. You had this grand idea to take his daughter and now look where the hell we are.”
“We need to get Zed back,” I tell them. “We need to earn his trust and make things right with him.” As much as I don’t like it, because I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to trust him again, it has to be done.
Tommy nods his head then snaps his fingers. “Yes. We have to. It’s the only way.”
Talon bites back, “Have you all forgotten that Zed fucking hates me. All this time that I thought he was my friend, he just wanted to get me back for giving his mom those pills.”
He has a point. Sophomore year, Talon developed an unhealthy addiction to pills and started
