Make You Beg

He’s dusting my back and ass off when I look up and see a familiar face in a hole where a window once was on the second floor of the old and damaged building. “I thought you said Dax wasn’t coming tonight?” I ask.

“He’s not,” he answers.

“I just saw him.”

He shakes his head, chuckling. “Lay off the alcohol, Hen. Come on, let’s go inside.”

I don’t get to argue. He grabs my hand and pulls me into the main building on the property. “Sex Metal Barbie” by In This Moment drowns out my thoughts. The only lights in this part are from glowsticks. Most of the kids are rolling. I follow Scout into what was once the atrium that held the cafeteria and snack bar. It was known to hold up to around three hundred boys at once. It’s bigger than Alcatraz, and the security was just as tight.

Not everything in the fire was destroyed, but they have definitely seen better days. We should really be getting tetanus shots after leaving here.

He pulls out a chair for me to sit at one of the rusty steel tables. I look over at the table next to us and see several lines of cocaine. Kids have hundred-dollar bills rolled up and held to their noses as they snort them. They rub what’s left on their gums. Everyone is accepted at Death Valley—the rich and the poor. It doesn’t matter; they all party just the same.

A guy by the name of Derek Sanders sits down across from me and holds out his right hand. I’m not friends with him, but he does go to our school. “Here, Henley. Have one.”

I look down at the circular pink pill and know I shouldn’t do it tonight. I’ve already drunk too much.

“She’s had enough for the night.” Scout pushes the pill away as his cell dings in his pocket, notifying him of a message.

And that’s all I need to hear. I snatch it from Derek’s hand and toss it into my mouth before stealing the guy’s drink and downing it. I look over at Scout and stick my tongue out to show I swallowed that bitch. He glares at me. “Better take me home before this kicks in.”

He shakes his head. Shoving his chair back, he stands and walks away. Mumbling to himself, he pulls his cell out.

I should never have swallowed it. I should never have taken a sip of alcohol that night. And I sure as shit shouldn’t have gone looking for Dax to prove he was there. I hate that I was right.

A knock on my door has me looking up. “Hey.” My father sighs heavily as he steps into my room.

I hate this for him. How much I’ve ruined everything. I can see the stress on his face—aging him too soon. “Dad, I’m—”

“Don’t do that,” he interrupts me. “There is nothing to be sorry for, Henley.”

I look down at my hands in my lap. I wish that were true. Looking back up at him, I see he’s standing there with his hands on his hips staring down at my unpacked suitcases. “I have to leave town tomorrow,” he finally says.

I swallow nervously, hating the fact of being here alone. But I remind myself that the staff and guards will be here at all times. “Okay.”

“It’s just for a couple of days. I’ll be back Friday morning.” He runs a hand down his face. He’s nervous, and I sit up straighter.

“Everything okay?” I ask. I haven’t gotten to speak to him much since he sent me packing on his private jet with little notice that I was to start a new life. But I knew he meant well. His eyes meet mine, and my spine stiffens.

“Henley, we need to talk …” His cell rings, and he looks down at it. He lets it ring a couple of times before he speaks. “I need to take this, but don’t bother with that.” He gestures to my suitcases. “The staff can take care of them.” Then he exits, leaving me alone once again.

CHAPTER TWO

HENLEY

I PULL UP to the school the following morning. It’s a Wednesday, middle of the week. I should have talked my father into letting me stay home until next Monday. What would three more days have hurt?

Thankfully, my windows are blacked out in my Ferrari California so I can sit here for a moment unseen while I gather my bearings. I didn’t get any sleep last night. Not because I’m afraid of them, but because of what everyone at school will say about me. They think I made it up or that I’m crazy. I went up against one of them, and they all banded together, taking me down and making me sound insane.

The prosecuting attorney told my father we had a good solid case even without the body. Because her missing made it look believable. I rolled my eyes when he told us that. As if he didn’t really believe what I was saying. Then her adoptive parents took the stand, and well, that went to shit. Brenda Nash was a year older than us but still a junior. Due to her being in the system in her younger years, she had fallen behind and was held back a year before she was adopted. Legally, she was eighteen, so if she wanted to run away, nobody could do anything about it.