I Promise You (Dare, #2) — Chapter no 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

DEKE

THE DOOR FLIES OPEN to Austin’s room, and Cole enters followed by his attorney. “Where are they?” Cole demands.

“They were right outside her door.” The cops may have allowed her a few minutes to gather herself, but they didn’t go far.

“They’re not now.”

“What all did you say to them?” Jacob asks her, not even bothering with introducing himself.

She sits on her bed, her eyes narrowed. She cried at first, but now, she’s pissed. I’m not sure if it’s the fact that Cole told her he was safe or the fact that she didn’t already know he would have covered his ass. I gotta give it to the girl. When push comes to shove, she will knock your ass down.

“They asked me to start from the beginning. I told them I had just got home from a movie date.” I watch Cole’s shoulders stiffen at her words ’cause he was not the guy she was out with. And it’s my fault. I blame myself ’cause I told him to push her away. “I walked in, and they were already arguing. They brought me into it, and I said I just wanted to go to bed, and that’s when Kellan started telling me all this stuff. He pushed her down the stairs, and when I tried to save her, he threw me to the ground.”

Cole’s hands fist. “Choked me. He had dropped a knife next to my head, so I grabbed it and stabbed him.” Her narrowed eyes move to Cole’s. “And that’s when they told me they had a tape. A recording with evidence on it that what I did was in self-defense but not the cause of death. He was murdered.”

“Bullshit!” he snaps. “They lied to you.”

Jacob gestures for him to quiet with his hand. “Go on.”

“Deke told them to get the fuck out. I started crying. Shelby made them leave.” She sighs.

He pats her leg softly over the blanket. “Don’t say another word to them.

I will take care of it. They have all the evidence they need.” He looks at us.

“What did you guys do with his car?”

We both frown. “What do you mean?” I ask.

“He was at the Lowes’ residence, so he must have driven there.”

“We never saw his car,” Cole admits.

The old man’s brows crease. “Then how did he get there?”

Cole and I look at one another. “The fuck if we know,” I answer.

“I didn’t see it either,” Austin adds. “When I pulled up, there was no other car in the driveway. Just mine.” Cole looks at me, and I can tell what he’s thinking just by his fisted hands—we’ve missed something. “Maybe Celeste picked him up and brought him back to my father’s,” she offers.

“Maybe.” Jacob agrees, but he doesn’t sound convinced.

Cole jerks his head toward the door, and I get up to follow him out. “I didn’t think about it,” he growls.

I sigh. “There was so much going on. It’s not like how he arrived there was our first thought.”

He runs a hand down his face. “We missed something. Goddammit.”

I place my hand on his shoulder. “I’ll look into it.”

He nods, then his eyes meet mine. He looks exhausted. Cole has never been someone to get a lot of sleep, but it’s catching up with him. Once he finally crashes, he’s gonna be out for days.

“I have to tell you something.” Cole sighs.

“Okay.”

“Becky knows that you helped me kill Kellan.”

I shake my head. “I lied to her.”

He rubs the back of his neck. “Yeah, she knows that too.”

“How?”

He lets out a long breath. “I told her I killed him, and then when she asked if you were involved, I lied and said no. Well, then when I was talking to you on my way here, I had the Bluetooth on in the car.”

“But why would that make her think …?” You could tell the cops know what we did, and they think she knows what we did. Fuck!

“I’m sorry, Deke.” He sighs.

I wave him off. “Don’t worry about it. Not your fault.” Just another thing for me to take care of.

He runs a hand through his hair nervously. I frown. Cole doesn’t get nervous often. “What is it?” I ask. Whatever it is, I’ll make sure it goes away.

“There’s something else I need to tell you …”

The door to Austin’s room opens, and Jacob walks out. “She wants to see

you,” he tells Cole.

He nods.

“It can wait,” I tell him. He looks like he wants to argue, but I give him my back and walk away. Austin needs to be his main priority right now.

Entering the waiting area, I see Becky and Bennett sitting by one another, neither one speaking. He had run to do a few things but was back before Cole and Becky arrived. He’s looking down at his phone, and she is staring straight ahead at nothing.

“Becky?” I get her attention, coming up to stand in front of her.

She looks up at me through her eyelashes but says nothing.

“May I speak to you for a moment?”

She stays seated, and Bennett ignores us.

Finally, she speaks. “I think I heard all I need to know.”

I refrain from yanking her out of her seat and dragging her ass outside and into my SUV so we can talk. She knows. One of my secrets is out there, but I need to know she can keep her mouth shut about it. I can’t help Cole and Austin if she goes and gets my ass in trouble.

The GWS aren’t stupid. We know what we are up against every time we fight. The adults in this town think we’re just stupid kids who do stupid shit, but they’re so wrong. Their heads would spin if they knew half the shit we’re capable of. And it would scare Becky to death if she knew just how much I could hurt her. I could ruin her, just like Cole wanted to destroy Austin. But our story would be different because I wouldn’t stop like Cole did. I have very few limits when you cross me.

“Why are you still standing here, Deke?” she snaps, getting my attention.

I smile down at her, and her eyes widen in fear. Then without another word, I walk away. I take the elevator down to the first floor. As I walk out of the hospital, I pull out my cell and dial up a number to a friend of mine. I need to find Kellan’s car. My plan to crush my ex can wait.