“What the …?” I trail off as two men grab him, picking him up. One at his feet, the other by his head, and they start to walk away with him.
The one man slams the trunk while another grabs a black duffel bag out of the SUV. And then they start to walk off. I duck to make sure they don’t see me, which is stupid. They don’t know I’m up here, and it’s past eleven on a Saturday night.
Do they know my father lives here? Although trees cover most of this side of the house, you can still see it from where they are now. Do they just not care?
Going over to my suitcase, I yank out my black hoodie and slip it on before leaving my room. I quickly make my way down the staircase and to the back foyer.
I crack the back door open just enough to squeeze through, and then I crouch, going over to the far corner of the terrace. I peek over the railing and see the five figures walking. Two still carry the man, two others have flashlights in their hands, lighting their way, and the fifth trails behind them. Hands in his black jeans pockets, head down. None of them seem to be in a hurry.
“I didn’t know …” the man they carry wails while some of the others laugh at him. “Please,” he begs. “She never told me.”
“Lying?” one asks with a snort. “Have some fucking balls to admit it, man.”
“You’re gonna kill me,” he cries.
They don’t respond to that statement.
With leaves and branches crunching under their weight, they walk farther and farther away from the house and up the hill toward the cemetery.
I squint and can barely make out their flashlights anymore. Where are they going? Do they really plan to kill him? Or just fuck with him? I can’t not know.
Making up my mind, I stand, pulling my hoodie up and over my head, and take off after them.
I follow their lights, making sure to stay far enough behind them so I’m not seen. I only run into a couple of trees along the way. By the time we come to the top of the hill, I’m sweating and panting for breath. The cemetery finally comes into view, and I look back over my shoulder, but all I see is darkness. The house is no longer visible.
CHAPTER TWO
COLE
“Here she is,” Deke says as he drops the man’s legs.
Shane drops his arms, and Jeff lands face first in front of the pile of dirt. A grave he knows all too well.
“What?” he asks, doing the crab walk backward, but my legs stop him. I kick him forward. “Why are you doing this?” he cries.
“Because we believe in an eye for an eye,” Bennett answers. “And I wanna see you fucking blind.”
He places his hands up. “You guys are just kids …” My friends laugh at that.
“And you’re just a sorry piece of shit.” Deke spits on him.
My four friends circle him. Like sharks. I stay where I’m at, facing him and the cemetery. I take my hands out of my pockets and place them behind my back, watching him size us all up—weighing his odds. They’re not in his favor. They never are when it comes to us. No one can get past the GWS unless we all agree to allow it. And walking away comes with a price.
That most can’t afford.
“Just please … let me go.” He swallows as the others shine their lights on him. “I won’t tell anyone …”
Their laughter grows. I step up to him, and he looks up at me. His tear-streaked face makes me sick. “Every action has a consequence,” I begin. “You can deny it all you want, but we all know why you’re here. And we believe it’s time for you to pay up.”
“What about your consequences, Cole?” Jeff yells at me, and I stiffen. “Huh? You killed three of your best friends, and I don’t remember you having to pay up!” he snaps.
I pay every day.
Deke takes a step toward Jeff, but I place my hand on his chest to stop him. “It’s okay, Deke. Let the man speak. They’re his last words, after all.”
“You’re not fucking God!” he shouts, pounding his fists into the wet ground. The earlier drizzle now falls steadier, soaking us all. I smile. Find that fight, Jeff. You’re gonna need it. “You guys can’t do this to people.”
I look around the dark, abandoned cemetery where the dead are laid to rest and then forgotten.
You can’t see the cliffs to the right, but you can hear the ocean hitting the jagged rocks below. There’s blood in that water. “Who is here to stop us?” I ask simply.
“Cole!” He growls my name. I tilt my head to the side. “I knew your mother … She would be so ashamed of the man you’ve become.”