Page 94 of Their Cruel Love
“Hey.” One of them says, and I’m pulled into a huddle.
I sag against them, patting their arms. Someone squeezes me.
“Take a breath,” Razor adds. “Then tell us. I also have something important to say, but it will wait. Fuck though, this night is going all kinds of awful places.”
That does not inspire me. I sneak a look at them then plunge into what I should say, need to say. It spills out of me in no particular order.
“I had a woman come to our room. Aimee, the one getting pierced at the pool, remember her? She undid the cuffs, has mad lockpicking skills, took me to a meeting down at a second jetty I didn’t know was here. It has a hut.” I check them again then keep going. They’re only listening, not judging. “So, itwas Simon and he wanted a fucking deal. He had vids. They have been killing women. One of them was…” Now my voice is wobbly, but I have to say this. “I killed Simon.”
“Fuck me,” Marcus grates out. He’s to my right, with an arm around my shoulders. I realize I’m leaning into Razor, squashed between them. My hand is at my mouth, and I bite the edge. The pain is good. It steadies me.
I suck in a long breath then go on.
“He needed killing. I kicked him out the window of the hut, and a massive croc ate him.”
“A croc? Are you sure?” Razor sounds highly skeptical and angles my face toward him. “This Aimee didn’t give you drugs?”
“No. God, no. I wish she had. I am so sorry. I’m sorry. I’ve doomed us, haven’t I? I mean Aimee said they were going to kill me anyway…today. Now. It is past midnight? And Mother sent her but she, Aimee, arranged this deal with Simon. He was going to help us! I screwed up, and he’s dead. And Milli’s dead too!” I choke out a sob and look at both men, waiting for their condemnation. “Milli is dead,” I repeat, whispering.
Being strong isn’t easy. Anger resurfaces, flares.
“Fuck him. He deserved it.” I wipe away tears as the men pat me and try to soothe me but I’m beyond soothing. “What can we do?”
The phone! I pull it from my jacket and its screen is fading. Hurriedly I tap it.
“Damn. Almost another screw-up by me. This is Simon’s phone.” The thing dares to shake in my hand. Sadness, anger, adrenalin spiking, whatever, I know I’m a mess. “We can use this.”
Gently, Razor takes the phone from me then hands it to Marcus. “It’s okay, Phoebe. I was dreading having to tell youabout Milli. I found proof up there too. I got into the room through the door on the ledge. Any ideas, Marcus?”
Why aren’t they all amazed about the phone? “Keep it awake. We get one chance tonight. Simon said he could contact the board and they have a security force which is nearby. Aimee said the network comes on around two-thirty AM.” I’m about to say sorry again, for killing that douchebag, but what is the use of endless apologies?
Marcus holds up the phone. “You know you can set most so they never sleep?”
“Oh, really? Oh god.” I give a half-hearted laugh. “I’m so stupid. I missed it.” On any other night I’d be facepalming, but this night has been full of horrors.
“Never.” He continues, while tapping the settings, “I’m part of security but I’m not surprised they didn’t brief me about Aimee.” He draws me closer and kisses me once, on the lips. Then he holds me to him. “You have helped us, but, I already have a phone I brought in.” I stiffen at that. “I kept it secret for all sorts of…mistaken reasons, maybe. Or not. You just kicked a man through a window so—” Lightly, I punch his chest. “Anyway. I can try soon. It’s two-ten. We can wait, and there is also a possibility a drone?—”
“Shhh. Is something going on at the beach?” Razor half stands, peers in that direction, where there is no fence and the infinity edge spills. My hand is still in his. I need the human connection, and maybe he does too? “There are lights and people shouting. They might have found Simon? What are we going to do?”
36
Marcus
“Wait. Let me do this.” I punch in the new message about the urgency of rescue. They want to kill Phoebe, today.Today!Shit, shit, shit. I’m tempted to yell at this fucking phone. I open apps on Simon’s phone, find out the exact location, punch that into my message too. Getting his to cycle through a message is riskier since it might be logged. Am hoping my phone will escape that. “Before we make decisions. I’m setting this up to signal after two thirty, in a loop. I’ll go look at the beach. Wait there with her.”
Razor opens his mouth as if to disagree then shuts it. I give him a nod and creep forward.
The beach has at least five people on it, walking, running. They’ve lit up the sea with a floodlight, and even from here I can see the croc cruising along. Maybe it wants more dinner?If it gulps them down, that would be karma. Perhaps some remains have washed up, because a pool of light is focused on one section of sand and shallows.
Phoebe has a signature killing move—kicking assholes to their deaths. Which is amusing, until it’s not.
I have Simon’s phone in hand, and it vibrates slightly but nothing shows on screen. By scrolling I find an app tucked away with a ton of unread messages, all from tonight. They tried to reach him, failed, and then obviously started searching.
To the left, the terraced sections of the resort show as pale building with a few squares of windows. Much of the resort looks darker than normal, as if they’ve shut down the power, here and there. In some side windows, lights flash against the glass. Whoever owns those lights, they are climbing toward us.
A last message, maybe sent accidentally to Simon, comes through.
Located his phone at the pool.