23. Caleb
Chapter 23
Caleb
M y phone buzzing jars me awake. I fumble for the phone. It’s the first night without Margo here, and I tossed and turned for a while. I guess I fell asleep. But I’m groggy, and it takes me a second to accept the call.
“What?”
“Come outside.” It’s Theo.
I glance at the screen. It’s late—like, two in the morning, the rest of the world is sleeping late—and that piques my interest.
That and the urgency in his voice.
“Be there in a minute.”
“Backyard,” he says, then hangs up.
I wait a beat. I cross to the bathroom and splash water on my face. Get dressed, grab my shoes. Creep up the stairs, through the kitchen and out the back door, then put my shoes on.
Eli and Liam are waiting for me just beyond the brick patio.
“Took him long enough.” Liam grins. “Guess Theo didn’t spoil the surprise.”
I shake my head. “He didn’t.”
“Right this way.” Liam turns and disappears into the darkness.
I glance at Eli. “A surprise? For me?”
He shrugs. “I dunno.”
We follow Liam up the hill, to the shed at the back of the Blacks’ property. They used to keep lawn equipment in here, but now it just houses a few jet skis on stands. Summer with the Blacks is never a dull moment.
We arrive just as Liam cracks the door, sliding it open wide enough for us to enter.
“We’re lucky the snow melted,” Eli whispers. “Or else my parents would question why we were up here.”
I grunt my agreement and step in ahead of him.
He closes the door behind us, then the overhead light flickers on.
Theo stands in the center of the room, grinning like a fool.
“Best. Christmas. Present. Ever,” he says. “Just saying.”
I look around. “Yeah? A little early for Christmas.”
He steps to the side, revealing…
Ah, hell .
Matt Bonner. He’s curled into the fetal position on the floor. His wrists are taped, as well as his ankles. A strip covers his mouth. He jerks when he sees us. Me .
“Come now, Matty, you didn’t think we weren’t bringing you to Caleb?” Liam says, approaching and crouching down. He grabs Matt’s jaw, tilting his head back. “What do you think, Caleb? Free hall pass.”
“How the hell?—”
“Matt’s sister sure is a pretty one,” Liam says. He leans in close to Bonner’s face. “Sure would be a shame if something were to happen to her…”
Matt lunges, knocking Liam back with his bound arms.
Theo quickly hauls Matt away, holding him upright, and Liam laughs from the floor.
He climbs to his feet and shakes his head. “See? He knows not to talk.”
Eli shifts. “But don’t kill him. Not sure how I’ll explain that to my parents.”
I take a deep breath. “Remove the tape from his mouth.”
Theo rips it off in one motion and shoves him back down to the floor. He falls to his knees hard. He stretches his jaw, his glare burning into me. But this isn’t about him or me, or our past friendship. This is about if he’s involved with Margo’s stalker.
Or if he is Margo’s stalker.
A prickle of unease slides down my spine. Getting answers seems to suddenly be the most important thing. If it protects Margo… no holds barred.
“Are you going to answer our questions?” I step closer.
He glares up at me. “Fuck you.”
I tilt my head. “I thought we were friends.”
“We are?—”
“ Were ,” Eli corrects from my left, his tone dark.
Liam stands behind Matt. Theo to my right. I feel their presence, and it gives me strength. My demons are coming out to play, and no one here will reel them back in.
I think even Margo would be okay with this.
“Did you take her?”
He doesn’t reply. His gaze would cut through me if he wasn’t such a fucking coward.
“Answer me, Matt. Did. You. Take. Margo?”
His gaze slides away, which is an admission of guilt in and of itself. He’s not denying it. He can’t look at me.
Sudden clarity hits me. I hate him more than I’ve hated anyone in my life. Dad, Uncle David, the way I used to feel about Margo… it’s all dust compared to the fury welling inside me.
He hurt her.
Took her.
Tied her up and left her to die?—
“Just fucking hit me already, Asher,” Matt growls. “Because I’m not saying a goddamn thing one way or another.”
“We’ll see about that,” Theo mutters.
“Who owns your loyalty?” I squat in front of him. “Honestly, Bonner. What the hell would make you clam up? You’re not denying your involvement—that’s a guilty verdict in my eyes.”
He shakes his head. “There’s someone a lot scarier than you.”
I snap my fist out, connecting with his nose. All of my senses come to life, exploding through me. It’s like a fight on the ice, the duty of enforcing good behavior during the game. There are no free shots. If it’s not a clean hit, you pay the price.
Blood gushes from his nose, and he brings his hands up to his face.
But he doesn’t say anything. Hardly protests.
“Cut him loose,” I order.
Liam frowns.
“Cut. Him. Loose .”
Eli pulls out his knife and cuts through the tape on his ankles, then his wrists. It’s painfully similar to how we found Margo.
Matt shakes out his arms and stands quickly, spinning in a circle.
“Eyes on me, Bonner,” I growl. “You hit me, you get to walk out of here. Right now.”
His eyebrow goes up. “What’s the catch?”
“No catch.”
Liam steps forward. “What are you?—?”
“Hit me, Bonner,” I goad. “You took Margo, and I think you did it to get back at me for something. Jealousy?”
“Jealous of you?” he scoffs. “No.”
He stands still for a moment, then springs toward me. He stumbles, wincing in pain, and I easily dodge him.
He stumbles to a stop and spins around. “Your whole family is fucking crazy.”
I shrug. He’s right, there’s no point denying it. Although, I’m not sure when he would’ve formed that opinion.
He charges again, his fist barely missing my cheek as I twist away. I stick out my foot, and he catches on it, sprawling out.
My blood is pumping. Theo was right—best fucking Christmas present ever. Revenge is a dirty thing, like a stink that you can’t wash off. But this isn’t revenge.
This is justice.
Eli pulls Matt up, slapping his cheek. “You still with us, Bonney?”
He shoves Eli away and spins back toward me. The blood from his nose has stained his front teeth red. I’m itching to hit him again—just like I’m itching for him to hit me.
When he comes back around, I get in two quick punches to his torso, then back away. If I get him flat on his back, I know I won’t be able to stop.
Matt yells. It shatters the night.
Liam grabs him from behind and slaps a hand over his mouth. In his other hand is a knife, and he raises it to Matt’s neck. “What did we say, huh? You want to die tonight?”
Eli shifts.
Yeah, we didn’t sign up for murder.
“You talk or you get a hit in,” I tell Matt in an even voice. “That’s the only way you’re getting out of here on your own two feet.”
Theo grins, making a show of looking Matt up and down.
Matt swallows. “I’m dead if I talk, so… there goes that option.”
Liam releases him, shoving him toward me.
Margo’s face flashes in front of my eyes. What would she think about this? Justice or not, she calms the bloodlust. For sense to trickle in. There’s a bit of hopelessness to this situation. Four boys beating up a fifth. Is that what we’ve reduced ourselves to?
He comes after me, and I stay still long enough for him to get a hit in.
His knuckles glance across my jaw, harder than I would’ve wanted—but definitely not as bad as it could’ve been. My head cranks to the side, and my cheek is torn open by my teeth. The metallic taste of blood fills my mouth.
I spit onto the floor.
Silence.
I stare at Matt. He’s watching me like he can’t believe he actually hit me—and if I’m going to uphold my promise.
“I will get to the bottom of this,” I warn him. I’m sure my teeth are stained red like his, and I make sure he sees it. “And until then? You better stay the fuck away from anyone you care about. We’ll be watching.”
He slowly raises his arm, wiping the blood from his mouth off on the back of his hand.
Eli steps aside to let him pass, and he follows out to watch Matt go.
“You let him off the hook too easy,” Theo says.
“Hitting him felt good, but…” I crack my neck. The adrenaline is leeching out of me, reminding me that it’s the middle of the night. “He’s smart. He wouldn’t have done this on his own—and clearly he wasn’t going to spill.”
Liam grunts. “Maybe.”
I tilt my head back, gaze on the rafters. “And… thank you.”
Theo chokes. “Yeah?”
“We didn’t learn a fucking thing,” Eli says.
I shrug. “We learned Matt’s afraid of someone.”
“He’s a pussy.” Theo grabs a flashlight from the floor and clicks off the overhead light. “He plays a tough game, but he’s afraid of his shadow.”
“A lot of people in his life could be threatened,” I say. “And honestly? We’re in no position to threaten any of them.”
“Just his sister,” Liam says. We close up the shed and slowly walk toward the house. “Have you seen her? Instagram model, hot as hell. Lips?—”
“All right.” Eli shakes his head. “I love you crazy fuckers, but I need sleep. You two staying?”
Liam and Theo trade a look.
“I’ve got to get home,” Theo says. “Ma will flip out if I’m not there when she wakes up.”
Liam sighs. “Yeah, I’ve gotta take Colby to school now that my car is functioning. So…”
“Keys are in my room,” Eli says. “Come get them.”
Theo doesn’t enter the house, just disappears around the corner without a word. I watch Liam and Eli head toward the stairs, and I contemplate an apology. But what for?
I flip my light on in the basement, half expecting Margo to be waiting for me again. But no, she’s asleep, safe in her room. Away from my darkness.
She sure does know how to bring out the light in me, but the moment she’s gone… she takes the good with her, leaving the broken mess she created.
No , that isn’t quite right. I need to stop blaming her.
I rinse the blood away.
I was willing to break Margo so our pieces would fit, but Matt took that away from me. She’s more damaged than I am now. Fragile. One wrong move and she’ll shatter, and it wasn’t my decision. Hers, neither.
No matter.
I’ll throw myself against the truth until I’m dust. And then nothing will separate us.