She looked up. It was definitely him. There was a bandage over his nose, but it was his wide pupils and glassy, bloodshot eyes that had her belly dropping. She’d seen the look often when he’d been high on drugs during high school.
“Casper?” she gasped. “What are you doing?”
“What am I doing? That asshole Jace always thought he could tell me what to do, and he’sstill fucking doing it. He wants me to stay away from you? Well, guess what—he doesn’t get to dictate my fucking actions.” He pinned her against the car and leaned into her, smelling her neck.
She shoved at his chest, but he didn’t budge. “Get off me!”
“You’re not, you know.” His hand slipped under her top, sliding up her waist.
She grabbed his wrist, trying to stop him. “Notwhat?”
“Too good for me like both of you think.”
When his lips touched her neck, she reacted on instinct, throwing up a knee hard between his legs. He groaned and doubled over, and she immediately followed up with a knee to his injured nose.
A sickening crunch sounded, but she ignored it, shoving him hard and running around the car into the trees that surrounded the drive.
“You bitch!” Casper shouted.
She’d just reached the tree line when, simultaneously, a heavy weight fell on her back and a gunshot exploded through the air.
She cried out as she hit the ground, the weight of Casper’s body pinning her. For a moment, she didn’t move, confusion clouding her head.
Who had fired the gun? Casper?
But he was on top of her. It didn’t make sense.
She tried to shove him off, but not only was he too heavy, he wasn’t moving.
Why was he so still?
Her breathing became labored, her limbs shaking. It took her three tries to shove him off and roll behind the closest tree.
Popping noises sounded around her as puffs of dirt exploded near her feet.
Shit. There was someone else here.
She shot a look around the trees to see a flash of a person. A woman.
That’s when Elle’s mind cleared and she realized what was happening. Someone was firing a gun at her—and they’d already shot Casper in the back.
Jace slammedhis car door shut. He didn’t want to be here. He wanted to be with Elle, making sure she got home safely. But whatever this was, Eastern had said it was important.
He walked into the sheriff’s station, nodding toward the lady behind the desk before stepping into Eastern’s office. He stopped at the sight of a woman sitting in front of the desk. She turned—and recognition hit Jace hard in the chest.
Alice Kelly.
Before he could open his mouth to ask one of the million questions in his head, Eastern spoke.
“Alice got back from her retreat, and her parents got in contact to let her know what’s been happening here. She also got my messages.”
Alice rose. “The second I got Sheriff Walker’s messages, I knew I had to come.”
Jace crossed the room slowly. “What do you mean, you had to come? According to the car rental company, you’ve been here for weeks.”
She shook her head. “No, I haven’t. And I didn’t rent that car.”
What was she—
