Monsters' Gift (Crude Hill High 2)

“Are there any places you haven’t looked?” Earl asked.

“Be quiet.”

“Be careful how you speak to me, boy. A little respect goes a long way. Remember, I didn’t have to come to you.”

“I seem to recall threatening to blow your fucking boat up,” I said. “And you were in shark-infested waters. I don’t think you would’ve lasted long.”

He laughed. “Do you think that scares me? I know for a fact you wouldn’t have done that.”

“And why is that?”

The smile on his face made me want to punch him again. There was only a slight reddening from the blow I’d landed on him less than an hour ago. I was starting to think this prick was invincible.

“Ashley. You can hate me all you want, but I knew what she meant to Emily, and there was no way you were going to allow anyone to hurt her. Least of all yourself.”

“Do you think I couldn’t have covered it up?” I asked.

“You could, but you see, that would have made you a liar. I’ve seen the way you look at that woman, and it’s with stars in your eyes. Always.” He laughed. “Be careful, people may start to see you as weak.”

“What do you think they see you as?”

“Because of my need to have an innocent woman?” Earl asked. “The difference between me and you is I don’t care. I take what I want, the consequences be damned.”

“I wonder if you’ll feel this way when you fall in love,” I said. I didn’t care if he loved Ashley or not. I’d already made the necessary arrangements for when he tossed her aside like trash. I knew deep in my heart Emily would never forgive me. It meant Earl was right. I’d never do anything to hurt her, and purposefully killing her best friend wouldn’t exactly win me rewards. I had to be smart when it came to Emily. Win her over the only way I knew how, and that was to be honest with her.

“As thrilling as this is, I want to take Ashley back home.” Earl got to his feet.

They’d overrun a hotel building. No one was allowed to take a room while he was there.

I was about to say something to piss him off when the door opened. Ashley stood with a smile but soon frowned when she saw me. “When did you return?”

“Just now. Our final building was a bust. They’d burned it down to nothing. It’s going to take a lot of money to do some rebuilds.” I was only grateful that so far, my father was happy to irritate me, not to kill any more of my men.

Ashley shook her head. “Wait, what?”

“What is it?” Earl asked. He went to Ashley’s side and I saw the way she tensed and his jaw clenched.

What the hell did that mean?

Ashley looked from me to Earl. “Emily got a letter with a single white rose. It told her to meet you at the family graveyard.” She looked between us. “She’s been gone an hour. “Tell me you were there.”

My blood ran cold.

“Show me this letter,” I said.

Ashley rushed out of the room and I followed closely behind her. She handed me the small rectangular letter. It wasn’t my writing, but I recognized it instantly.

“Where’s Drake?” I asked, already heading toward the door.

“He got a call before Emily saw this, from you.”

“I didn’t fucking call him.”

They had her and because I’d been too damn focused on finding them myself, I’d put her in fucking danger.

I was an asshole.

Chapter Twenty

Emily

Pain.

That was all I felt.

In my head. All over my face. My back where he’d landed a blow.

They’d also stripped me down to my underwear. So far, they hadn’t gone far, but I’d curled up in a ball, hating myself so damn much.

When I got the rose and the letter, it had confused me, but rather than question it or wait for Drake to return, I’d followed the directions.

Big fucking mistake.

The moment I walked into the graveyard, Daniel and Dean had been waiting. They’d slammed me against a tree, I’d been punched in the head, and then dragged to this crypt. I’d never seen the family graveyard before. It was nearly a ten-minute walk from the house, and that was if you were speed-walking.

Crypts and graveyards freaked me out in a big way.

“I wonder what they will think when they find your body,” Daniel said. “What I can’t decide is if I should cut you up, fuck you, and then slit your throat.”

“It has been years since I’ve fucked someone covered in blood,” Dean said.

“You were always a sick and horny fucker.” Daniel looked toward his friend with affection.

“Takes one to know one.”

Daniel crouched down on the floor next to me and ran a finger down my body, going from my neck, sliding down toward my thigh. He grabbed my thigh, his fingers digging in so deep that I whimpered.