I Promise You (Dare, #2) — Chapter no 10

CHAPTER TEN

COLE

BECKY SLIPS INTO THE passenger seat, and I get into the driver’s seat.

As she pulls on her seat belt, I notice her body is rigid. And it doesn’t escape me that we haven’t been in the same car together since … “Are we just gonna sit here?” she asks, interrupting my thoughts but not bothering to look over at me.

I start the car and shift it into gear, jaw clenching. “Scars” by Boy Epic begins to filter through the speakers, and I turn it up to drown out any conversation we could possibly have.

Twenty minutes later, I pull up to the house and stop in front of the five- tier water fountain and turn off my car. The music cuts off, and silence follows. She just sits there, staring down at her hands in her lap. Becky and I avoid this kind of situation—being alone together. She wanted to deny Austin’s request, but whatever she said to her had her agreeing to it.

I take a deep breath. “You sure you wanna go in?”

She finally looks up at me, annoyance on her face. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“I’m not sure how much they have cleaned up since … it happened.”

Her face falls. She hadn’t thought of that, but I did. I sure as hell don’t wanna be here, but if it makes Austin happy, then I’ll do it.

She finally nods and gets out of the car. I follow her after grabbing my hoodie out of the back seat.

Yellow crime scene tape blocks the entrance to the house, so we make our way to the back terrace, and I wrap my hoodie around my right hand.

“What are you doing?” she asks, sounding apprehensive.

I tighten my hand around the fabric and throw it into the glass of the back door, shattering it. She gasps, and I look at her over my shoulder. “How else were we gonna get in?” Austin didn’t have a key on her.

She lets out a huff and looks away from me.

I reach into the broken glass and unlock it from the inside, then shove it open. We make our way through the silent house, and sure enough, we see blood on the marble floor at the bottom of the stairs in the grand foyer.

Becky covers her mouth and coughs. The stench of blood is overwhelming because it’s set here for four days now. You can make out where Kellan was straddling Austin when she stabbed him due to the pool of blood there. You can see her handprints where she pushed herself up to run from him. Then there’s another trail where he followed her into the kitchen where she called me.

“Jesus.” Becky gasps, taking a step back and pressing her back against the front door. Her hand comes up to cover her mouth, and it shakes.

I take the stairs two at a time and enter Austin’s room. I’m surprised when Becky enters behind me. She slams the door shut as if that will keep the smell out. It won’t.

My breathing begins to pick up. It’s been a month since I’ve been in here.

Last time was the night of prom when Deke and I came to pick her and Becky up. When her father gave her the check. Her bedspread and top sheets are wadded at the foot of her bed. A pair of shorts and her white Chucks litter her floor. Her backpack sits over by her nightstand. Her curtains are pulled closed, and I try not to think of everything that has happened in this room, from me threatening to hurt her to spending all night with her between the sheets. My chest tightens at some of the things I did to her.

“What do you want from me?” she yells, her anger rising as easily as

mine does.

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“No,” she snaps.

“Everything.”

She lifts her right arm. “You want me to bleed for you? You want me to go to jail for you? You want me to fucking kill for you? Jesus, Cole.”

“I want all of those things. And more,” I say with a nod, and her eyes narrow on me like I’m playing some sick game. She’s not wrong. “Don’t you see, Austin? I’m that guy who wants to take everything from you. I want to destroy you. I want to hurt you.”

“You already have,” she says through gritted teeth.

I smile. She’s referring to her stitches from where I cut her. I could make her bleed to death for me without a fucking knife. “You have no idea what I can do to you. You have no idea what I’m capable of. I could make you nothing.”

I flinch at that memory, and my hands fist down by my sides. Fuck, I gotta get out of here!

I enter her walk-in closet and go to the back. On our way here, Deke had sent me a text to let me know Austin had hidden her recordings in a knee- high boot. Not sure what would make her think the cops would go through her shoes, but here I am, doing as she asked. I pick it up and tip it upside down. The USB drive falls into my hand, and I wrap my fingers around it.

I stand and grab her laptop off a shelf above where her jeans hang and then walk over to her bed. Sitting down, I push the power button.

“She doesn’t have any luggage.” Becky sighs, coming out of the closet.

“Her suitcase is at the clubhouse.” Before we broke up the morning after prom, she was spending a lot of time with me there. She left it, and I never offered to give it back to her.

She huffs and runs a hand through her blond hair. “I’m gonna go downstairs and grab some trash bags then.” She bites her bottom lip nervously before she leaves the room. I also notice that she doesn’t shut the bedroom door when she leaves.

I look back down at the laptop and notice it’s not on. I press the button

again. Nothing!

The fucker is dead.

“Hmm,” I mumble to myself. Where would her charger be? I look over to my right and open her nightstand. I don’t see a charging cable, but I do find something else I want. It’s a black and white notebook with two words written on the cover in Austin’s pretty handwriting. Fuck off!

I pick it up, forgetting about the laptop for a second, and open it.

I lied to Cole today.

Those are the first words I see written on the random page I turn to, and my brows shoot up. It’s a diary? A journal of some sort.

Not like it matters. He’s never been truthful to me. Or anyone else. He asked me if I still spoke to Martin. I said yes. The truth is I haven’t heard a single word from him. I shouldn’t care. I didn’t love him. He was more of a distraction. He would come pick me up, take me to a party somewhere, and we’d get high, and … I’m not sure what you would call it. We didn’t make love, and we sure as hell didn’t fuck like Cole and me.

I smile at that, then it drops off my face when I read the next line.

I hate Cole! Hated him! I don’t know anymore. I’m confused. He has blackmailed me! Used me! Made me bleed. But I can’t help but want him.

Maybe it’s not him per se. Maybe it’s the way he makes me feel. If that even makes sense.

When I was with Martin, I never felt butterflies in my stomach or giddy. I never had that oh my God, I’m head-over-heels in love feeling. I don’t have it with Cole either. Thank God. Instead, I feel like I’m on fire. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s the only way I can think to describe it. He touches me, and I can’t breathe. He takes all my air away. When he places his lips on my skin, I swear they burn me. I’m screaming for help, for someone to throw me in a lake and put out the flames, but no one can hear me. No one even sees me. He says he wants everyone to know that I’m his. But maybe that too is a lie ’cause no one is listening to my cries for help And I hate how much I like it. Crave it. My ex treated me like glass. Cole treats me like I’m unbreakable. Always pushing me and waiting for me to call mercy. It won’t happen. I’ll let the fire burn me alive before I admit defeat. And that’s what scares me the most. I’d rather burn in hell with the devil than freeze to death.

And I’m learning more about him every day. He hides from everybody, but I see him. He’s hurting. I’m not saying his anger and hatred aren’t real, but I just know it’s more than that.

I swallow, realizing just how much of the real me she knew, and turn the page.

He lied too. To everyone. He took the fall for something he didn’t do. And I don’t understand. He covered for Eli, but the question is why?

I thought he was the devil, but he’s so much more than that. And that terrifies me more. I can fight demons, but Cole? Well, he’s a whole new game that I’m not sure if I want to win or lose.

“What are you doing?”

I look up to see Becky standing in the bedroom. With her right hip pushed out, she’s holding a box of trash bags. Her eyes drop to the open journal in my hand, and then they meet mine again. She drops the box and crosses her arms over her chest. “You really have no boundaries, do you?”

“No,” I answer honestly.

She sighs. “I was on your side, Cole. I was rooting for you to finally change. To love her. I thought if anyone could change you, it would be her.”

“I do love her.” She’s the second person I’ve admitted that to. And neither one has been Austin.

Becky tilts her head to the side. “I’m not sure you know how to love, Cole. Not anymore.”

“What the fuck does that mean?” I demand.

“You don’t hurt the people you love.”

My teeth clench. “I thought I was protecting her by walking away. How was I supposed to know Kellan would step in?” You did know it. You just don’t want to admit that.

She shakes her head as if that’s not what she was referring to. “You walking away was probably the best thing to ever happen to her, Cole.”

I slam the notebook shut.

“Deke told me what you had him do. How you had him post the two videos of her online.”

“That’s none of your business,” I growl.

“What will you do to her next?” she demands. “Huh, Cole? How much longer are you gonna make her suffer?”

“I made a mistake!” I shout. “You can’t stand there and tell me you’ve never made one.”

She looks me up and down with disgust. “I’m nothing like you.”

I arch a brow. “Really? Wanna compare secrets? ’Cause we both have plenty.”

Her blue eyes narrow. “Fuck you, Cole!” She storms into Austin’s walk- in closet.

I follow her and lean up against the doorframe, blocking her in so she has nowhere to run. “What do you think Deke would say if he knew—”

“Don’t you dare!” She interrupts me, throwing down a pair of Austin’s shoes, not even letting me finish my sentence. “Deke doesn’t need to know

anything.”

“Maybe he does.”

She walks over to me and places her hands on her hips. Her blue eyes glare up at me. “What? Suddenly, you have a come to Jesus moment?”

I laugh at that statement. There’s nothing religious about me.

“If I go down, you’ll go with me. And he’ll have nothing to do with you.” She smiles like she won. No one ever does when they go up against me. Hasn’t she learned that?

I return her smile, but mine is much more threatening. Hers disappears, and her breathing picks up. “That’s where you’re wrong, Becky. I’m not the one who fucked his best friend. You are.”

She gives me the sweetest smile, trying to act like I’m not getting to her.

It’s the same one I’ve seen men drop to their knees for, including my best friend. Pathetic bastards. “You didn’t stop me.”

“I didn’t,” I admit and take a step toward her, closing the little space between us. “Ever wonder why?” All the color drains from her face. I refrain from smiling. Instead, I lean down, her face inches from mine, and whisper, “Who said I didn’t record you?” Becky should know not to fuck

with me!

I straighten my back.

“You didn’t.” Her voice barely over a whisper. Her eyes are wide with

fear.

I say nothing.

“We had a deal,” she argues. “You kept your mouth shut, and I’d do the same. I even covered for you to Austin.”

I snort. “I didn’t need you to lie for me.” I had that covered all on my own.

“She’s not like all those whores you’ve been with, Cole,” she snaps.

“Watch it, Becky!”

She sighs and runs a hand through her bleach blond hair. “Austin is my best friend. I should have never helped you. I thought …” She looks up at me. “I was gonna come clean to her so many times, but I thought I saw you falling in love with her.” She looks down at the carpet. “That day in the cafeteria when I told you that I saw a change in you …” She sniffs and shakes her head. “I should have realized she was just another game to you.”

“Things have changed,” I say through gritted teeth.

“I don’t see it that way,” Becky argues. “Austin asked me about why you didn’t drink at the beach party, and I explained what happened. I took up for you,” she growls through gritted teeth, looking back up at me. “Told her that they blamed you, but it was an accident.”

“Oh, please.” I laugh. “We both know the truth.”

“I lied to her for you.” She shoves me backward, but I don’t budge.

“You lied, but it wasn’t for me.” Does she think I’ve forgotten what happened that night?

She ignores my comment. “I continued to cover for you even though I had no clue what was going on. I saw you falling for her, so I wanted to help you out. I didn’t want her to see you as a murderer like everyone else

in this town. The things people had said about you …” She trails off, unable to get the words out.

I stiffen. Austin already knew I was a murderer long before she knew I killed three of my friends. “Austin knows I wasn’t driving.”

“You told her?” she asks wide-eyed.

I shake my head. “She realized I was in the passenger seat. She thinks

I’m covering for Eli.”

She swallows nervously. “Did you …?”

“I let her believe whatever she wanted.” My jaw tightens at those words, knowing I’m still keeping quite a few secrets from her. At some point, I’ll need to come clean, but that means telling the others as well.

She nods her head quickly and then runs her hand through her hair. “But I also told her the truth, Cole. It was an accident.”

I fist my hands. “God, quit fucking saying that.”

“It’s true.” She sighs heavily. “We both know none of us could have seen that happening.”

“We were reckless.” No one should have been in that car other than me.

I should have left their asses at that party and left on my own. Jeff must have followed me that night and set it up. We were out of control. Partying every night of the week and never thinking twice when we got in the car to leave. He knew I’d be out drinking that Saturday night, and he knew what the town would say about me once I was dead. But he didn’t count on me not driving. And surviving. I’ve just wondered why he never came back for me once he realized I didn’t die. Why didn’t Bruce try again?

“Bruce paid to kill you,” she snaps.

“Which is what makes it my fault!” I shout back.

She places her hands on my upper arms, but I pull away from her, and they fall to her sides. I’m confused about how we got here. This conversation. At what point did it take a turn? A very bad turn. We don’t discuss that night.

“The only ones who blamed you didn’t know the truth.”

I don’t have anything to say to that ’cause that was my plan all along. No one needed to know the truth. I’ve lived with secrets all my life, so what’s one more?

“You’re right.” Her eyes meet mine. “We both have secrets. And I’ll keep yours if you keep mine.”

I won’t point out that I hold two secrets of hers. If she told mine, then she would be telling on herself.

Her head falls, and she looks at Austin’s closet floor. “Deke would never forgive me if he knew the truth.”

The truth is Bruce paid to kill all of us in that car. Why would he hate her so much for that? He would be mad that she hid it, but never forgive her?

I’d forgive Austin. I decide to change the subject. “He told Bennett and me

that you guys are over.”

“When?” Her blue eyes go wide.

“Does it matter?” I ask. She lets out a long sigh. “If you wanna work it out, Becky, you need to tell him. It’s out. Bruce paid …”

“No!” She shakes her head and tears start to well in her eyes. “I love him, Cole.”

“Then why did you break up with him?” I’ve always known how Deke felt about Becky but how she feels about him …?

“Maybe he broke up with me,” she offers.

I laugh. “I know him.”

She looks around the closet as if searching for an answer. “Bruce won’t matter. He’ll blame me. I’m in too deep. Too many lies. And Austin …”

My jaw clenches. “I think she deserves to know.”

“No!”

“So you want to continue to lie to her too?”

“What is going on between me and my best friend is not a lie. I’ve never once fabricated a story to her, but Deke I have.”

“It’s still a secret,” I offer.

“It was a deal!” she snaps. “And she won’t forgive you.”

She would. I’m not saying it wouldn’t take time, but I’ve done far worse to her than lie. “You make it sound like we had a contract written in blood.”

Which, in a way, I guess it was. Both of us had blood on our hands.

Her eyes narrow on me. “You’re right. It was more like an understanding.

You took the fall for me, making me owe you. And then, one day, you came to collect.”

Four months ago

I sit in my father’s darkly lit game room on the chaise lounge. Deke, Bennett, and Shane are all over by the pool table. Each with a girl under

their arm. Kellan sits over on the couch watching the basketball game playing on the big screen, but there’s no sound. Instead, “Devilish” by Chase Atlantic plays through the speakers.

Looking down at my phone, I go to my contacts. I sent Austin a text, giving her my address, but I did it from Deke’s phone instead of mine. I wanted to remind her she was outnumbered. And alone.

Celeste is forcing my hand. Not that I didn’t wanna play with the feisty brunette with striking green eyes, but I wanted to do it my way. Now I need reinforcements. Of the female kind. I don’t have any friends who are girls.

Hell, I barely have any guy friends. If they’re not a shark, I don’t pay them any mind. And even the women I fuck, I stay clear of. No need for conversation afterward.

Scrolling through the contacts on my phone, I go to the one name I know who owes me a favor. I just didn’t think I’d get to cash in this soon.

Becky Holt—the girl that my best friend Deke is in love with—just happens to owe me a lot. We never speak. Never hang out. Not anymore. We keep our distance and for a good reason. One of the last times I saw her, she had tears running down her face, smearing her flawless makeup. Her shirt was torn, and she had blood on her hands. I told her to run. And she did just that.

I quickly send her a text, knowing she’s here tonight. I saw her downstairs earlier. And that’s why Deke has decided to fuck Sara Logan

tonight—to try and make Becky jealous.

Me: Ready?

It shows read immediately. I see the three dots bounce around and then disappear. My smile widens.

They bounce around again before my phone vibrates in my hands.

B: ?

Me: A friend of mine is coming tonight. You would make a great friend

for her too.

Her response is immediately.

B: You don’t have any girls who are friends.

Touché.

Me: Her name is Austin. Brunette. Green eyes. Probably wearing something red. Text me when she gets here.

B: And why do you want to know that?

Me: It’s time to pay up! Then I send the devil emoji.

I lay my phone on my leg. I told my new toy ten, and it’s thirty minutes past that now. Kids actually started arriving at nine, but I wanted to make sure the house was full of people before she showed. I knew she’d arrive late. She wants to prove she’s not afraid of me and that she still holds all the

cards. I like that.

“Bennett?” I call over to him.

He unwraps himself from his nightly fuck and comes over to me. I look up at him from my lounge. “Do you have the video from my father’s warehouse?” I made her steal a car with me last night. Her daddy’s car.

Just more insurance. And she has no idea I’m gonna use it against her.

Fuck, it’s gonna be so easy to break this girl. She’ll be in tears and begging me from her knees in no time. My cock is hard just thinking about it.

He nods. “Yes. And I sent it to Deke’s phone. It’s good to go.”

Perfect!

Kellan jumps to his feet. “I don’t understand why you want her so

badly.”

“You don’t have to understand,” I say.

His jaw tightens. I feel my phone vibrate. I look down to see it’s from

Becky.

B: She’s here. Kitchen.

I don’t respond.

Showtime.

“Only One King,” by Tommee Profitt, Jung Yong begins to play, and a smile spreads across my face. Game on, sweetheart.

I look at Kellan. “Our guest has arrived. Go get her. She’s in the kitchen.

And Kellan? Don’t touch her,” I warn. She’s all mine.

He just stands there for a few seconds and then marches out the door, slamming it behind him. I lean back, crossing my ankles, and prop my head up with my hand behind it and wait.

Austin Lowes wants me. I saw the way she looked at me. And it’s unfortunate for her that I want her too. Just in a completely different way.

And the thing about the GWS is that they always get what they want. No matter who they have to hurt, blackmail, or kill. They win.

“The moment she walked back into the kitchen with you, I about had a heart attack.” Becky shakes her head, interrupting my thoughts. “I thought maybe you guys knew each other. But when you walked away, I asked her how she knew you, and she said you had just met.” She lets out a long

breath. “I should have told you no. Then you kissed her …” She begins to pace. “I should have never helped you use her.”

She has no idea about half the shit I’ve done to Austin. “I fell in love with her.” I sigh. “I know, Becky. I’m a horrible human being, and I’ve done some really shady shit in my life.”

She stops pacing and looks up at me. “And what? Austin is how you redeem yourself? You think if she sticks around that you can make it better

over time?”

“No. I—”

“Did you kill Kellan?” She interrupts me.

Fuck! This is starting to sound like the conversation I had with Shelby over Jeff. “Yes,” I admit. What’s she gonna do? She can’t prove it. No one ever will.

She begins to pace again. “Were all of you involved?” she asks me, biting

the tips of her nails.

“I can’t answer for the others—”

“I’m asking if Deke helped you kill him,” she shouts, interrupting me.

“No,” I answer.

She looks me in the eyes, and I will her to believe me. I’m not lying to save Deke’s ass. I didn’t tell her the truth to keep her in the lie she’s been in since she started dating him. He’ll never show her the real him. He showed her what he wants her to see, and I’m not gonna take that away from her.

Not knowing is bliss. The truth would be crippling.

She falls to her ass in the middle of the closet and pulls her knees to her chest. Obviously, my lie wasn’t believable enough. “I know why you did it.” She sobs. “I know why he would help you do it.” She starts rocking back and forth.

I lean my shoulder up against the door and cross my arms over my chest.

Fuck, this day started out great, but it sure has taken a turn for the worst.

She pulls her face from her knees and looks up at me, blue eyes full of tears. “I was so afraid for Austin. I thought she was …dead.” She sobs.

Me too. “She’s gonna be okay. She’s strong.”

Becky nods once. “She is.” Then she gives a weird hiccupping laugh.

“She managed to tie you down.”

I smile and agree. “She did.” My phone begins to ring in my pocket. I answer and place it on speakerphone when I see it’s Shelby, allowing Becky to hear whatever update she has to give us on Austin.

“Hello?”

“Cole?” she whispers. “Where are you? Get back here! Austin is freaking out.”

I snatch the laptop off the bed. Becky and I are already walking out of the room by the time she stops speaking. “Why? She okay?”

“The police are back here to talk to her. I tried to tell them no, but she said it was okay. Well, once they mentioned something about a recording of what happened at the Lowes’ residence, she started bawling, so I told them to give her a few minutes to calm down.”

“Do they expect her to listen to it?” I demand. That’s the last thing she needs to hear. She’s already lived it once.

“They haven’t got that far. Deke is in there with her right now—”

“Take him your phone.” I interrupt her.

Becky and I are running out the back door. We’re in my car before his voice snaps through my speakers. “Cole.”

“What the fuck is going on?” Now I’m glad I left him there with her. “Do they expect her to listen to that fucking tape?”

“I think so.” He sighs, and my Bluetooth picks up the conversation.

“They mentioned that she stabbed him. And by the amount of blood loss they found in the house, they said he would either be dead or in an ER.”

“So?” I snap, flying down the road. Becky remains silent in the passenger seat.

“So they’ve called all surrounding hospitals, and he’s not a patient anywhere.”

I glance in my rear-view mirror, making sure I’m not about to get pulled over since I’m doing twenty over the limit. “They think he’s dead.”

“Pretty much. Austin’s eyes went wide with fear when they said that was their conclusion. You could tell the cops know what we did, and they think she knows what we did. So he told her they knew it was self-defense because they heard the tape … and she just lost it. I mean, hell, the bastard has been dead for four days now! They have to know they aren’t gonna fucking find him!” he whispers harshly.

I look over at Becky, and she’s looking straight ahead out the windshield and a tear runs down her cheek. Deke just told on himself. She knows I lied to her, and I didn’t kill Kellan on my own.

“I’m almost there. Let me talk to her.”

“Cole?” Austin’s broken voice comes on seconds later.

My chest tightens. “Hey, sweetheart. I’m on my way back. Don’t say anything else until I get there. I’m gonna call my father’s attorney.” I kick myself for not already doing it, but I didn’t think they would go to her. The recording should have been enough for them to wrap up the damn

investigation.

“What? Why?”

“It was self-defense, Austin. They can’t—”

“No, Cole.” She interrupts me. “I don’t care about that. They have it on tape.” She begins to cry again. “Kellan told me that he watched me burn Jeff’s body.” Becky’s head whips over to look at me. “The car we stole …”

“Austin …”

“And that your final dare was to kill Bruce.” She sobs. “They know everything. You can’t come back up here. They’re gonna … arrest you.”

I ignore Becky, knowing she’s thinking what the fuck? “Babe, listen. It’s all okay. The one we gave to the police isn’t the original copy.”

“It’s not?” She sniffs, trying to calm her sobs.

“No. Bennett altered it. They know nothing.”

After a long moment of silence, she whispers, “Okay.”

“Let me talk to Deke for a second.”

“Yeah?” he asks, coming on the line.

“Don’t let them in her room. I’m on my way.” I hang up and look over at Becky. She arches a brow at me. I just shrug. Motherfucker! “Well, you wanted to know.”

She turns to look back out the windshield. “When Deke came to my house yesterday, I asked him about Kellan. I had a feeling you had killed him because it was strange he wasn’t around and then how things went down with Shane at the hospital. Deke informed me he had spoken to him that morning.” She sucks in a long breath. “Which would have been hard to do, considering the two of you killed him two days before that.”

Fuck!