He’d probably regret her most.But Jacob had to do it.He just had to.“I’m sorry about this.If you had just died that first night, none of this would be happening to you now.Probably a good thing you didn’t die either time, right?For me.Now I can blame it all on Bruce.”
“Either time?What all have you done?”
“Slipped you something that day at the mechanic’s.Just for the hell of it.Figure you deserve to know.Before I kill you tonight.”
“Why did you do that?”
“You were so smug, asking about precious Kameron and what he was up to.As if the two of you rich bastards don’t hang out together all the time, anyway.”
“And why did you run me off the road that day?”
Jacob wasn’t sure, but had the guy gotten closer?Was Grady moving closer?“Stay back.And why the hell not?You came out of the wreck okay, right?That just sort of happened.”
“You nearly killed him because it just sort of happened?Why did you drug Cal?”Auggie asked, in a tone Cal couldn’t identify.
“Just happened.Figured it would be funny to see the great Calloway Grady brought down.Used to do it to Kameron all the time.Nobodyaskedme if I wanted to go watch that asshole run around a damned track, did they?A bit of Dad’s shit medicine and off Kameron would go, holding his stomach.Practically crying.I got a kick out of that.”
“You used to give Kameron drugs to make him sick before track meets?Why in the hell would you do that to your own brother?”Grady asked.
“I wasn’t his fucking keeper.I had to be dragged around everywhere because of Perfect Kameron.”
“You are going to kill us, because of jealousy over your brother?”Auggie asked.“That’s…insane, Jacob.Stupid, too.You should just leave.While you still can.”
Cal could feel her hand spread over his back.Keeping them anchored.He shifted.
Jacob Neilson wasn’t going to hurt her.Not while Cal lived.
64
Auggie was trying notto panic.As long as Jacob was focused on her and Cal, he wasn’t finding her babies.She had her phone open.With 911.She kept her phone behind Cal’s back, where Jacob couldn’t see it.
And she’d seen… the door to the kitchen had swung open.A beautiful woman had stepped through—to stare at them with her brother’s dark green eyes.Clancy washome.
Cal’s sister disappeared.Backed out of the kitchen quietly.Auggie made a decision she was already second-guessing.She ended the 911 call.
She kept herself partially hidden by Cal.Just long enough…to bring up Clancy’s number.
2 babies r n your room.Get them out!Please!
She sent the text.And then dialed 911 once again.
Auggie looked at the drunken man who could kill them both.“You can’t kill us, Jacob.People will figure it out.There are cameras in here.People will figure out it was you.”
“No.They will think it was your old man.Like they already think he ran lover boy here off the road that day.Perfect opportunity.”
“No, they won’t.Because they are smarter than you.Do you think Claudia will ever stop?Do you think she won’t put it together that you were involved?She’ll find you eventually.Claudia won’tstop.Because unlike you, she loves her brother.And me.”She’d tucked her phone into Cal’s pants.She didn’t want Jacob to see it, to think the cops were coming, to panic.“You’d be better off just running.Heading to Canada or something.You aren’t that far away.Because the cops will figure this out.You won’t stand a chance against them.Go.”
Clancy would get the girls out.Sage and the cavalry would be coming soon, too.She almost swore she heard the sirens in the distance.
But she wasn’t going to let him hurt Cal, either.She just wasn’t.
Auggie stepped in front of him.
You protected the people you loved.And she’d already figured one thing out.
Jacobwas freaked out byherbeing there.By the idea of killing her.He was so cold, and dismissive when he looked at Cal, when he talked about hurting Cal.And he was disgusted by Kameron—but when Jacob looked at her, spoke about her dying, he got nervous.Agitated.“I need to get home to my children, Jacob.They are just little girls.I even have a baby.I am theirmom.Do you really want to take amomaway from six little girls?Do you know what that will do to them?”
“I’m sorry about your girls.But I got to do it.Or it won’t make sense.Everyone will figure it out.That it wasmewho hurt Kameron.”
