Page 73 of Embers of You
She laughs. “Kenzie, you’d have to be blind not to have seen it. And don’t try to deflect. Tell me what’s going on?”
Knowing she won’t give up, I give her a shortened version, and when I say shortened, I mean very short, of what’s going on. I leave out more than I put in, but it’s enough to satisfy her for now without, hopefully, putting her in any danger.
“Do you think he did it?”
My head snaps up to look at her only to see the spark of amusement in her eyes and the smile creeping up the side of her mouth.
“Your face, Kenzie. Hilarious. Well, the rumor mill is in overdrive just now, but the main thread is that Ash killed Owen in a jealous rage. And I have to say, between Ash hitting Owen and your little outburst in town the other day there’s plenty of fuel for the fire.”
“Let them talk. The truth will shut them up when it comes out,” I say a little harshly. “Did you find Darryl in the end?” I ask, trying to change the subject.
“The idiot got caught in the photo booth with one of his mates. Missed all the fun. And can you believe someone stole the photos.”
I’m certain I saw Ash over by the photo booth when everyone was singing happy birthday, but there’s no way he’s the friend Everly is talking about. So, what the hell was he doing, and did he steal the photos?
Everly leaves me when we reach mine to go and meet Darryl for lunch, and I’m glad there was no offer to join them.
Letting myself in the house, I already know it’s empty, but I check every room anyway. In dad’s office, I find a stack of papers on the desk and the top drawer open. Picking the papers up, I scan through them, but they’re just applications Stu must have been working on at home. The fact they are left out and the drawer is open makes me think he left in a hurry. I try calling him again as I wander back through the house, but it goes straight to voicemail this time, not even ringing.
Heading back upstairs, I go to my room and grab some more clothes to take to back to Ash’s.
I’ve only been back at Ash’s ten minutes and have just finished calling Stu and Drake again, when there’s a knock at the door. Looking out the lounge window, I find Deputy Peters and another deputy standing on the doorstep.
“Oh, this day just gets better and better,” I mumble sarcastically, as I walk to the door and open it. I don’t even bother with a fake smile. I’m beyond caring now because everything I have is in the hands of the authorities, so no matter what, they are all going to pay for what they’ve done.
“Miss Scott, may we have a word?” Peters says, before I’ve fully opened the door. His colleague, a young guy, no more than twenty with baby blue eyes and blond hair frowns slightly, looking at Peters. That should have been my first clue that something was up with him coming here.
Unfortunately, I thought I’d be safe with another cop here. Stupid, stupid girl.
Stepping back, I allow them to enter, closing the door behind them. The second I do, there’s a loud popping sound and the young deputy drops to the floor at my feet.
I twist back toward the door but am stopped as Peters speaks.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” When I look back to him, he has a gun pointing right at me. “Aside from the fact I’ll shoot you dead before you even get a hand to the door, I still have something of yours. Two things actually.” He smiles, amused with his own genius. Only he’s not a genius. For now, though, I’ll let him think he is. The two things of mine he’s talking about must be Ash and Stu. However, I’m happy that Ash is safe while he’s at the station and Peters is here. Stu is another issue.
“You can’t possibly believe you’re going to get away with thisLiam.”
The use of his real name gives way to a moment of shock, then he chuckles. It’s deep and dark and not in a good way. It speaks of someone unhinged, someone dangerous and not to be underestimated.
“Haven’t you been a busy little meddling bitch since you returned. I knew you’d be a problem. I even told my dad to let me get rid of you before you got here. But, no, he wanted to wait, to see what you would do, believing you’d let the past stay in the past, but I fucking knew better.” His eyes spark with delight at being right. It’s the kind you see in a child when they receive praise for doing something good. “Such a clever girl,” he praises, and there’s a sinister edge to his tone that further cements my thoughts about his child like delight.
The first trickle of real fear skitters down my back as I realize exactly how deranged and unbalanced he truly is. Movement on the floor at my feet startles me, but I daren’t take my eyes off Peters for even a second.
Peters steps forward, drawing level with the deputy lying in a pool of blood on the floor but who is still very much alive.
“Looks like you’re not a very good shot, Miss Scott.” And before I can even fully comprehend his meaning, he fires off another round, hitting the deputy squarely between the eyes as he looks up at him in fear and shock. “There we go. Now, let’s get going before anyone else arrives and the body count grows. While I’m happy to take people out all day long, I need people to believe that you shot poor old Dougy here and bolted because of your part in helping Asher King murder Owen Taylor, my lovely cousin.” He steps over Dougy and reaches out with his free hand to grasp my bicep tightly and spins me around, pushing me up against the door where he holds me in place with the lower half of his body while he puts his weapon away and pulls a set of handcuffs free. I feel his arousal and instantly still, every muscle in my body tensing and bile rising in my throat.
He hums low in his throat as he yanks my arms behind my back and snaps the cuffs on me.
“I can see why Asher likes fucking you. I bet you’re a screamer,” he croons, sniffing a trail up my neck, and I have to close my eyes and grind my teeth to keep from vomiting at his sick words. He lets out a rumble of laughter against my back before stepping back and tugging me away from the door.
He leads me out to the patrol car parked in the drive and shoves me in the back seat before getting in the front and driving away. I already know we aren’t going to the station, so it’s not a surprise when he leaves town and joins the freeway.
At first, I’m unsure of where he’s taking me, but when he turns off toward Tungsten Bay, I know exactly where we’re going. It’s Saturday, so the site will be empty.
We pull into the site far too quickly with not nearly enough time for me to have come up with any sort of plan on how the hell I’m going to get away from him.
He drives past the beginnings of the foundations down to where the site office sits. Another car is already parked outside. I don’t know whose it is, but I can take a good guess.