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We arrive at Dax’s place, and as we do, I can hear the sirens in the distance. They’re probably a few minutes away, but not far. Dax drives me down the driveway, and then, with a grin that I’ll forever remember in my mind, he reaches over and opens the door. “Say hello to the cops for me, will you? I hope they enjoy your DNA all over Bennett. You’re not walking away from this either. Get out.”
I stare at him. If I can distract him just long enough for the cops to arrive, I might very well be able to fix this.
“No,” I say, my voice strong, unwavering. “If I’m going down, you are too.”
He laughs. “I will shoot you, Waverly.”
“Do it then.”
I’m testing everything right now—praying that I’ve been right, praying that he’s actually felt something for me.
He holds the gun to my forehead and presses the cold end against my skin. “Get out.”
My lips tremble, but I hold his eyes. “No.”
“I’ll fuckin’ kill you, Waverly,” he roars.
“Then do it!” I scream. “Shoot me, Dax. I’m not getting out.”
He stares at me, and I see a flash, just a flash, of uncertainty in his eyes. He pants and his hand shakes just a little. If I could guess right now, I’d say everything inside of him is telling him to shoot me, but his heart is stopping him.
“Do it,” I whisper into the darkness. “Kill me.”
With an angry growl, he lowers the gun. He lowers it and he shoves me so hard I fall backwards out of the car. I haven’t worn a seatbelt since we got back in, and I’m starting to regret that decision as I hit the dirt on the ground with a thud that knocks the wind out of me. I lie there, dazed and confused. The car moves. Dax reverses it so hard I have to roll quickly to ensure I’m not run over.
Then, just like that, he’s gone.
He could have killed me then. He could have taken my life and any information I had about him, and been done with it. It wouldn’t have mattered.
But he didn’t.
He didn’t shoot me.
I was right. All along, I was right.
Dax cared about me.
I push to my knees as the sirens get closer, and it’s so dark I can’t see if anyone is still at the house. Dax didn’t drive all the way in—just enough that he knows I won’t be able to get back out before coming up against the cops. I lift to my feet, and the burn of broken flesh on my knees and my hands makes me wince in pain, even my back aches, but I don’t care.
I stand and I run.
I run with all my might towards the house.
I get there just as Alarick, Mykel, Cohen and Bohdi are getting into the truck. They see me and they all stop, their faces scrunching slightly in horror.
“Waverly?” Alarick asks, his voice rough. “Is that you?”
“Waverly?” Mykel whispers, his voice horrified. He steps forward, reaching out for me but I’m too frantic. I’m too desperate for them to get the hell out of here.
“Why are you still here?” I cry. “The cops are coming. You need to leave. Alarick, why are you still here?”
He looks to me, and there is so much fear in his eyes. “We don’t have Kendric and Samson. They’re out there digging up fuckin’ Bennett’s body. They’re goin’ to get caught. We couldn’t fuckin’ leave them. We don’t leave a brother behind.”
Oh god.
No.
No.
This isn’t happening.
Please god, this isn’t happening.
~*~*~*~
THE SIRENS NEAR, AND I know the guys aren’t going to get out of here if they don’t go soon. I know where the body is; I’m the only one who does. Which means I need to be the one to find Kendric and Samson, and get them out of here before they get caught. Alarick doesn’t need to stay—none of them need to.
“I’ll find them,” I say. “Go, now.”
Alarick’s eyes narrow, and he shakes his head. “No.”
“Alarick,” I yell, my voice frantic. “You cannot stay here. Stop thinking about me; think about your club. He’s set this up. You will all go down. You need to leave, and you need to do it now.”
Alarick hesitates, but Cohen steps forward and grabs his arm. “She’s right. We gotta go Pres. If we stay, we’re all goin’ down.”
“You’ll get caught,” Alarick growls. “You’ll get fuckin’ put away.”
“I’ll get out,” I whisper hiss. “I’ll get out, I swear it. I know where that body is. You don’t. It makes sense for me to be the one to go. Now please, I’m begging you, leave.”
“I’m stayin’ with her,” Mykel says, his voice hard. “I’ll make sure she gets out.”
Alarick looks to him, and then to me, and then barks a curse. “You two get out of this, do you hear me? You make sure you come out.”
I nod. “Go. Please.”
Nodding, he gets in the truck with the others and within seconds, it speeds off down the driveway. Dax would be long gone by now. I turn to Mykel, and whisper, “You should have gone.”
“Fuckin’ never. I’m not leavin’ you—not after everything you’ve done for us. Now, let’s find the guys before they get caught.”
I nod, and using Mykel’s phone flashlight, we run towards the thick woods. We make it to a large barn in the paddock when the police cars arrive. Lights flash our way and Mykel grabs me, pulling me around the back of the barn and slamming my back against it.
“What are you doing?” I cry.
He presses a hand to my mouth, and panting, we both go silent. A moment later, torchlights flash past the barn and into the paddocks, and loud voices can be heard. If we don’t get into the woods soon, we’re not going to get Kendric and Samson out of this. Mykel releases my mouth and snarls low, “They’re lookin’ for us. We don’t have long.”
When the light disappears, we move again, this time without our flashlight on. At least until we reach the woods. When we do, Mykel turns his phone torch back on and I rush down the path that leads to where we buried Bennett. I recall it pretty clearly; I have a good memory like that. Not to mention every now and then, I see the marks I left so I’d know how to find it again. Thinking of it now, that probably wasn’t the smart thing to do because the cops will be led right to the body.
We run until we’re sweating and panting, a solid fifteen minutes. I recall having to help drag that body down here, and it wasn’t easy. I push the memory from my mind and finally, we reach the spot where Dax and I buried Bennett.
Kendric and Samson are both hard at work, digging the body up. They’re covered in dirt and when they see us, they stop and their eyes narrow. “What’s goin’ on?” Kendric asks. “Why is Waverly here?”
“The cops are here. It was all a fuckin’ setup,” Mykel tells them, his voice strained. “You gotta leave. You gotta get the fuck out of here.”
“What?” Samson barks. “You’re fuckin’ joking?”
Voices can be heard, seemingly getting closer. Police yelling to each other, though I don’t know what they’re saying.
“We have to go,” I say, frantic. “If they find us here, we’re going to prison.”
“We’ve got a body exposed,” Kendric growls. “I can see his fuckin’ arm. What do you want me to do with that?”
“Leave it,” I say. “Just leave it.”
“I can’t fuckin’ leave it. I need to fill it back in.”
“She’s right; leave it. It doesn’t matter,” Mykel tells him, looking behind him.
“I have to clean up at the very least. Samson and I have been sittin’ here; I need to make sure nothin’ is left behind. You go. I’ll get out,” Kendric says, taking the shovel and shoving large scoops of dirt back onto the body.
I feel sick.
“I’m not leaving you here,” I cry. “Please Kendric, we have to go.”
“Leave me here,” he growls. “Go. Now. I’ll get out.”
“He’s right. We gotta go,” Mykel says, taking my arm. “Samson, let’s move.”
“I’m not leaving him here!” I yell, jerking my arm from Mykel’s.
Kendric walks over and looks down at me, his face hard. “Mykel will throw you over his fuckin’ shoulder and carry you out if you don’t do as I’m askin’ right now. Go. Get the fuck out of here. I’ll catch up.”
I want to shake my head, to fight him, but I know there’s no point. Mykel will most certainly carry me out of here. I step forward and hug Kendric so tightly, it hurts my sore and damaged body. He hugs me back, and then Samson, Mykel and I start running.
I know we’ll reach the fence boundary soon, and we’ll be able to get out. It’s not going to be easy, but we’ll make our way out before the cops find us.
I just pray to god Kendric makes it too.
Please, please let him make it out.
It simply cannot end like this.