Chapter 49
CHAPTER 49
Fifteen Years Ago
3:26 a.m.
Alex
“I’m thinking about getting out of here,” Alex whispered in Mia’s ear. “Going someplace else.”
“Good idea,” Mia told him, clinging to him as she snaked an arm around his neck, leaning toward him, no doubt eager to press her mouth against his.
Alex pushed her away, avoiding her kiss as he caught the attention of a girl squeezing through the crowd behind Mia. He didn’t have time for another quick hookup. Not tonight anyway. Not after Sarah and the three other girls he’d been with. But maybe he’d see the girl again before he left the party. If so, he’d get her number. Right now, there were other pressing matters to attend to .
Right now, he had to begin the first phase of his plan to secure his future.
When Jason told him about something bad happening to Sarah, Alex had almost panicked. He’d thought maybe she’d overdosed. Or maybe she’d passed out, stopped breathing, and died. How fucked up would that have been? Becoming known as the guy who’d brought the bitch who’d died at Phil’s party. Not to mention how pissed Phil would be, having the cops show up at his dad’s house, bringing unwanted, lurid publicity. Alex would never be invited to another party again.
But the truth wasn’t as bad as he’d thought.
It was bad, sure, but nothing Alex couldn’t handle.
As he’d promised Jason, he would turn things around and make the situation work for all of them.
“What happened to Grace and Sarah?” Alex asked, making sure to pretend he gave a shit.
“I think Grace took Sarah upstairs,” Mia said. “Remember we saw them?”
Nodding, Alex said, “Sarah wasn’t feeling well?”
“I don’t think so,” Mia told him, glancing away.
“Well, she’s probably okay now,” Alex said. “Why don’t you go get her, then find Grace so we can leave.”
“Okay,” Mia said, looking somewhat annoyed.
Alex gave her a kiss and squeezed her ass, letting her know what she could look forward to if she did what the fuck he told her to, and Mia smiled. “Be right back,” she said with eager enthusiasm, obviously thinking about the things he would do to her when they were alone. Alex was excited, as well, thinking of how he would coax her into doing things she didn’t like to do, acts she found shameful and degrading.
But, that would happen much later.
As Mia made her way through the swaying, writhing crowd, Alex revisited the idea of having Mia discover Sarah and Phil. It was best that way. Mia would have the responsibility of finding help for Sarah. She would obviously turn to Alex and allow him to come up with a plan. Of course, she wouldn’t know he’d already crafted the plan. Wouldn’t know the part she was already, unwittingly, playing. Keeping Mia ignorant was best, as well. She wasn’t a good liar. She got nervous. Forgot things. Couldn’t focus.
Alex couldn’t risk Mia fucking things up.
There was too much at stake.