48. Piper
FORTY-EIGHT
PIPER
NINETEEN YEARS OLD
“This is it. Pull over right here,” Justin said.
Confusion wound through Piper as she pulled to the curb in front of the enormous house. The silence was thick in the upscale neighborhood, and she squinted as she peered through the driver’s side window at the front of the home that was completely still.
The windows were blackened, the only light the faint rain of the moon and the glow of the city lights that forever crowned the city.
Her brow pinched, and unease twisted in her belly. “What are we doing here? I thought we were going to a party?”
“We just need to make a pit stop really quick.” Justin gave her one of his cocky grins as he said it. The one that told her she didn’t have to worry about anything.
Except she couldn’t hang onto that sense right then.
She hadn’t been able to in the last few weeks.
She’d become more and more certain that she’d bitten off more than she could chew.
More than she wanted to chew.
Along the way, she’d realized Justin didn’t just look bad.
He was bad.
Involved in sketchy things that she didn’t want any part of.
But when she tried to dodge his texts, he showed up at her door and told her he had big plans for her farewell.
She’d tried to divert and toss out excuses about why she couldn’t see him again, but he’d made her feel…
She tried to process what it had been.
Scared, she guessed.
Intimidated.
So, she’d cowered. Given into the demand that he’d made with a grin.
She was only in town for another week, the summer almost gone, so she tried to convince herself it wasn’t worth the effort of arguing.
She’d go out with him.
Tell him how much fun it’d been.
Kiss him goodbye and never see him again.
But now, she regretted that decision.
Disquiet buzzed through her consciousness as she peered at the sleeping house.
“What are we doing?” It left her thin and raspy.
“Need you to go up to the front door, ring the doorbell, and ask for directions.”
A frown pulled tight as she shifted to look at Justin from where she sat in the driver’s seat of her mother’s car. “Directions? Directions to where?”
“The nearest gas station.”
“Can’t you look it up on your phone?”
Justin huffed in annoyance. “Can you just do what I tell you for once?”
What an asshole.
She went to tell him no. That she was absolutely not going to be a part of whatever he was up to, but he reached out and snatched her wrist.
Hard.
He yanked her in his direction, nearly pulling her over the console.
A gasp tore out of her, and her eyes blew wide as she stared at the viciousness in his.
How hadn’t she recognized it before?
Or maybe she had, and she’d just ignored it.
The only thing she knew was there was no neglecting it right then.
She could feel it.
Taste it.
Cruelty.
Fear crawled across her skin. Pinpricks of creeping terror.
“You’re hurting me.” It was a bare scrape that she forced through the thickness of her throat. She tried to tug her arm free.
“Then fuckin’ listen, and I won’t have to.”
Her heart pounded so hard she could feel it in her ears. “What are we?—”
“Get out of the car, cross the yard, and ring the doorbell. Ask for directions. It’s that simple,” he gritted.
Her nod was frantic, and he released her arm, basically shoving her back when he did. She fumbled for the door handle, and her hand was shaking so badly, she could barely get it to cooperate.
She finally unlatched it and opened the door to the summer city night. The sound of cars echoed in the distance, but an oppressive quiet filled the posh neighborhood.
Piper stumbled up the walkway to the front door. Two lights hanging on either side of the door spilled light overhead, making her feel like she was in a spotlight.
Anxious, she shifted on her feet. Hesitating, she looked back at her mom’s car on the street.
She could just make out Justin’s silhouette waiting inside.
What the hell was this about?
Was he…spying on someone?
She didn’t want any part of his crap, but she had the unsettled feeling he was going to come unglued if she refused.
Her arm throbbed where he’d squeezed her wrist. A promise that it would be worse if she didn’t comply.
So she shook off the dread then reached out and pressed the doorbell.
It echoed like a gong within the walls of the rambling house.
She itched as she waited.
So much time passed that she almost gave up and went back to the car when she heard shuffling from within. A second later, the door cracked open and someone peered out.
“Can I help you?” It was an older man’s voice.
She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry to disturb you, but I was wondering if you could give me directions to the nearest gas station?”
“Oh, that’s no problem.” The older man widened the door, his white hair sticking up all over his head from his sleep, his smile gentle as he gave her directions, pointing back in the direction that she’d come from five minutes before.
Then he frowned. “Are you okay?”
“Just a little frazzled that I’m almost out of gas and don’t know my way around this part of town.” She hated that the lie bled from her so easily. Wished she’d instead told him that she was forced into going to his door.
Wished she’d told him she was afraid.
His expression turned sympathetic. “Well, you’re in luck. You’re super close. And if you have any more trouble, you know where to come back to for help.”
“Thank you,” she whispered through the apprehension.
“You’re welcome. Have a good rest of your night and be safe out there.”
She gave a jerky nod, then turned and fumbled her way back to the car.
The unease she’d been feeling amped a hundredfold when she opened the door and found that Justin was no longer in his seat.
Sickness coiled in her guts as she sank down into the driver’s side.
Hands fisting the steering wheel, she struggled to breathe.
Struggled to think.
To come up with a plan.
Her body trembled, and she thought to just drive off and leave him there.
But there was something that kept her trapped.
Nailed by what he had uttered that had sounded so much like a threat.
Frantic, she looked around, searching into the shadows.
Finally, ten minutes later, a darkened figure came slinking out from the hedge of evergreens that lined the yard, his head ducked down as he hurried for the passenger side.
He whipped open the door, jumped in, and shouted, “Drive,” as he slammed the door shut.
“What?” she wheezed.
“Drive the fuckin’ car, Piper.”
Quaking with uncertainty, she put the car into gear and pulled out, the tires squealing as she fled.
She wanted to get out of there as quickly as she could.
Put this summer behind her.
End what she never should have started.
Reckless.
So foolish and reckless.
But now she knew. She’d learned a lesson. It didn’t matter Justin was the type of guy she was attracted to. From now on, she was only going for safe, smart, kind men.
Because what she thought was only a vibe had turned out not to be fake.
She didn’t slow until they were out on the street and sitting at a red light three blocks down.
Her heart pounded out of control. Fear slicked her flesh in a sheen of sweat.
She didn’t want to look, but she felt compelled, and her head slowly swiveled to look at Justin.
The oxygen heaved from her lungs when she saw him.
The gloves he wore that were covered in blood.
The duffel he had on his lap.
The horrible, malicious satisfaction curled on his face.
“What did you do?” she wheezed in horror.
He only grinned. “We make a great team, don’t we?”
Sickness roiled in her stomach.
“We’re not a team,” she choked.
Leaning over the console, he pressed his nose into her jaw, and he slipped his hand that was covered in blood to her other cheek. “Ah, but we are. Such a sweet, unknowing accomplice, and a good fuck, too. I couldn’t have chosen better.”
No.
No, no, no.
Tears blurred her eyes, alarm wrapping her in chains and taking her hostage.
He sat back as if nothing had happened. “Think we’ve had enough partying tonight, don’t you? Take me back to my place.”
Numbly, she drove there. To the apartment where she’d spent too many nights with him.
Panic streaked through her veins. Her breaths jagged and raw.
She pulled into the parking lot and parked in the spot near the stairs that led to his apartment, staring forward, unable to process what had happened.
To comprehend.
Justin fluttered his fingers through her hair before tucking a lock behind her ear.
Almost lovingly, though he muttered, “Keep your fucking mouth shut, Piper, and we’ll be just fine.”