Chapter 26
The Captured Enemy
Nico
It should be easy to fall asleep with Harper safe in my arms, but her words keep me awake. Would anyone else know Luke had to leave Harper alone? Jack assured me our conversations are completely secure, but that doesn’t mean someone isn’t watching.
The cameras in Harper’s house are also secure. Luke’s house may be compromised, but who else might want to know what’s happening here?
My father. Potentially Caden’s. Definitely Luke’s. The threats from school, probably not as much. Then there’s the question of who has access to change Harper’s mom’s schedule? Or know when it has been changed?
When Harper rolls out of my arms, I decide just to take a quick look around. Just to assure myself we’re truly locked up. I glance at the webcams. The others are asleep in their rooms.
It looks like Jack just got back. He’s sitting at his computer typing with his headphones on.
I pull up my text.
Me:
What if someone knew about tonight?
Jack glances at his phone and then looks at the computer with Harper’s room.
Jack:
You think it’s a setup
Me:
Maybe
Maybe a coincidence that Harper’s mom got called in when Luke needs to leave at night
Jack:
Maybe they thought he wouldn’t go
Me:
Maybe it’s not Zach’s crew
Jack straightens and turns to the other computer. He types for a few moments.
Jack:
Luke is where he’s supposed to be
Me:
Ok
A noise comes from the lower level. Something soft and innocuous that, if I weren’t awake, I wouldn’t notice.
“Jack,” I whisper. “Someone’s here.”
His eyes narrow, but he looks over at the other computer. “No one’s on the camera.”
“I’ll go look.” I glance at Harper, sleeping so peaceful. If I leave her, she’ll be vulnerable. We’re both vulnerable if someone is in the house and didn’t trip the alarm.
A creak of the staircase decides it for me. I can’t let her get hurt, meaning I’m staying here.
I go to the door and make sure the lock is in place. Then I listen with my heart pounding in my ears. How many times will someone try to get to her before they succeed?
The footsteps are light. They pause next to the door. The knob clicks as someone tries to turn it. Holding my breath, I wait to see if they’ll unlock it.
But then they move past Harper’s room and open the door next to it. A loud thud sounds in the guest room and Harper jerks upright.
“What?”
I sit beside her on the bed and cover her mouth. Her wide eyes meet mine and I shake my head before lowering my hand.
When I stand to go back to the door, Harper grabs my hand. She shakes her head and grabs her phone. After pressing the screen, she shows me she has the app to the alarm service up. There’s a panic button on it.
No more sounds come from next door.
If she presses it, the cops will come. But the alarm will go off, which will scare away whoever is in the house and we’ll never know who it was. Fuck, I’m not sure what to do.
My phone buzzes and I look down at the message.
Jack:
The video feed is down. Don’t be a hero.
I show Harper the text. With her eyes wide, she shakes her phone at me with the panic button. I blow out a breath. Whoever it is isn’t coming in here, at least not yet. They checked the door. If we sound the alarm, they’ll get out before the police can even respond.
I search Harper’s wide eyes. There’s fear in them.
Whoever is out there went into the guest bedroom. What if the reason they’re here is for Luke?
“They might be gone,” I whisper against her ear.
There hasn’t been any more noise. When I draw back, I kiss Harper briefly before grabbing my jeans and pulling them on. I look around her room for something to use as a weapon. She touches my back.
When I turn, she holds out a stick wrapped in pink and purple ribbons. I arch an eyebrow and she shrugs. Fine, it’ll do.
I creep to the door and listen. My heart pounds so hard I almost don’t hear the footsteps moving down the hall. Yeah, they’re not gone.
This is stupid. I should just let her hit the panic button, but then whoever it is will get away. We won’t have any answers, just more questions.
But we’ll be safe. Fuck.
“Stay here,” I mouth to her.
Harper
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Nico touches my face before he slowly unlocks the door, trying not to make a sound.
He shouldn’t go out there. I should press the button. The police will come, but we can tell Mom that Luke had an emergency and Nico came over so I wasn’t alone.
It’s the truth. I won’t get in trouble. This isn’t smart. What if it really is a break-in? What if this person has a gun?
“Don’t,” I whisper when his hand is on the door. My fingers tremble as I hold my hand out to stop him.
His dark eyes meet mine and he draws in a breath.
When my phone buzzes, I glance down.
Jack:
I’ve got the cameras back up, but the alarm system is still down.
Me:
Do you see anything?
Jack:
No
Me:
Nico is going to look around
Jack:
I’ll have eyes on him
Everything inside me says we should stay put. We should hide. I hold my phone up to Nico. He gestures to the bathroom.
I get it. I do. The person will get away and we’re too much in the dark.
My pulse is racing like I’ve run for miles. I back away and shut myself in. If I stayed out there, I would just be a distraction for Nico. Like when I tried to help Luke.
I sit on the closed toilet and wait.
Jack:
He won’t be alone, sweetheart
If you need me, text.
What does that mean? Everyone else is asleep in their beds. Fuck, why didn’t I bring the computer in here?
Some indistinct shouting reaches me, followed by a crash and a feminine shriek. Wait? What? What if Mom is home early? But why wouldn’t she do something to let me know it’s her? If she found Luke’s room empty, she would have knocked on my door.
Every instinct makes me want to race out and make sure Nico is okay, but I should stay here. My finger lingers over the panic button.
I should just press it. It’s there so if the system fails, I’m still protected.
But if I press it, how long do I realistically have until the intruder gets to me? My phone buzzes and I almost drop it.
Jack:
All clear, sweetheart. See you in ten
Uh. See me?
Yeah, I’m not sure what that means. All clear means everything is good, right?
I set my phone down and rub my sweaty palms on my shorts. Someone raps their knuckles on the door. My heart stops.
“Come out, little nympho.” Caden.
My insides warm and I open the door. He holds his arms open and I step into them, resting my head against him. His hand strokes my hair. I release the breath I feel like I’ve been holding forever.
“We caught her.”
“Her?” I lift my head and meet his green eyes.
“Sidney.” Caden wraps his arm around my shoulder and draws me out of my room. “Eli and Nico are watching over her, so come on.”
I pause and grab a sweatshirt, throwing it on over my tank top. The faint scent of Luke’s cologne wafts over me. I glance down at one of his football sweatshirts and smile.
Good. Luke may not be here, but she needs to know he’s mine.
Sidney sits in a chair with an ice pack against her arm. She’s glaring at Nico. Eli glances up as I walk in. He lifts his hand for me and drags me down onto his lap. Caden sits beside us on the couch.
“This is cozy.” Sidney sneers.
The guys don’t say anything. I guess this is my chance to lead.
“Give me a reason not to call the police.” I lean back against Eli and arch my eyebrow. “You broke into my house in the middle of the night. Explain yourself.”
Sidney’s eyes narrow and her lips draw into a tight stubborn line.
I pull out my phone and sigh. “Ten, nine, eight—”
“Fine. You caught me. Good job. What a great little Scooby gang you all are.” Sidney rolls her eyes as she slow claps. “It’s not like I was going to hurt you.”
“Why are you here?”
Sidney smirks and leans forward, giving me a mock innocent look. “Because I’m desperately in love with you and can’t handle the fact you’re whoring yourself out to five guys.”
I press my lips together. Yeah, she’s a bitch.
She laughs like I’m the idiot. “Because if you need us, the horsemen will need us. Easy. Then we have an in. Just needed you anxious again. Seems like you all have gotten cozy and forgotten there’s a threat out there.”
That doesn’t really track. “Why would you think the horsemen would turn to you? When you’re cuddled up with their enemy?”
My eyes narrow and Eli squeezes his arm tight around me.
“Zach?” Sidney rolls her eyes. “Zach serves a purpose but he’s not god’s gift or anything.”
“Then why date him?” I ask.
“Power.” She shrugs. “He’s hungry for it. Does anything I ask him to do.”
“Like try to rape me?”
She doesn’t flinch, but there’s a little hint of uncertainty. “What are you talking about?”
“You set up Harper on senior night.” Luke walks in behind Sidney.
She stiffens in the chair, but doesn’t turn to look at him. “Look what the cat dragged in.”
Luke looks tired but it clears the minute he steps where Sidney can see him. All she’ll see is the beautiful boy. I don’t blame her for wanting him. If he treated her half as good as he treats me, she would fight tooth and nail for him.
“This is awfully convenient, Sid.” Luke drops down in the chair across from Sidney. He relaxes back into the chair and puts his foot up on the table.
I get an instinctive reaction to tell him to get his shoe off the table, but I bite back the auto-response. He doesn’t have a care in the world. It’s an act, but Sidney doesn’t know that. She doesn’t know Luke.
She never has. Only the side he lets her see. My heart thumps.
“Did you know Zach was going to attack me at the football game?”
Her eyes narrow. “You didn’t look like you were attacked at the party.”
I swallow. Because I locked myself in a closet and held on with everything I had.
“You skunked Luke’s jersey.” Eli watches her carefully. “She went to the girls’ locker room to wash it. While she was there, your boy toy decided to have a crack at her virginity by locking her in with him.”