‘I wondered where that went,’ Andy says, no longer moving back. ‘No closer or I’ll kill the Garrett bitch and use one of you to get our dumb stepsister to do what I want instead.’
‘And then you blamed it on Daisy.’
Andy chuckles. ‘That was the easiest part. I drugged her water bottle while she was running alone on the track that afternoon. Waited until she passed out and dragged her out there. I was actually pretty surprised. No one questioned it.’ He looks over at me. ‘You were so fucking nuts, and you and Mike hated each other. Everyone just believed it was you. It was perfect. Pop was the only one who suspected, but he wasn’t gonna say anything. He was just glad to finally get ridof you.’
‘You son of a bitch!’ Mav snarls. ‘You ruined her life!’
‘Why did you kill him?’ Shade asks, looking more and more confused. ‘He was your friend.’
Andy frowns and then laughs a little. ‘You know, I can’t actually remember.’ He gives a faux grimace. ‘That’s crazy, right?’
‘What the hell are you doing?’ Shade asks. ‘Why are wehere? Daisy’s not marrying anyone. That was Pop’s idea, and it doesn’t make any fucking sense.’
‘Spare me, Jack,’ Andy scoffs. ‘You already know we need it. Pop ran us into the ground. Marguerite’s money is the only thing that can save us.’
‘She’s not a horse. You can’t just sell her to the highest bidder, you asshole,’ Mav shouts.
Andy laughs. ‘I’m her guardian. I can, and I am. Bro, you’ll thank me, and you can still waste money on all your science shit while I make sure our finances are secure.’
‘I’m not letting you do this.’
‘Jesus, Jack,’ Andy snarls, suddenly losing his semblance of calm. ‘Why do you even care? Pretty girls are a dime a dozen for men like us.’
He lets out a harsh laugh. ‘I mean, if you want a fucked-up one like her, just find one in an institution. There’s a ton out there.’
‘Come over here and say that, asshole,’ Shade sneers. ‘Or are you too scared I’ll hand your ass to you?’
‘Been hitting the gym, bro,’ Andy answers. ‘I’m stronger than you think.’
‘Prove it.’
Andy doesn’t move, and Shade laughs.
‘Admit it. You’ve always been a coward.’
That’s enough to make Andy take two steps forward. Lu and I aren’t in his line of sight anymore, I realize. Shadehas slowly moved further and further around so that Andy’s body is now angled away from us.
A hand covers my mouth, and I jump, my heart in my throat as I turn to look. I breathe out a sigh of relief when I see that it’s Blake.
Of course he’s here, too.
He takes his knife and silently cuts the rope around my wrists before moving to Lu’s. I hear Shade still keeping Andy’s attention, using his brother’s inflated ego against him as I untie the rope from my ankles hurriedly.
Almost… We just need to be quiet…
But then Blake stops cutting Lu free. He freezes and I look up.
There's a man behind him who I don’t recognize with a gun to the back of Blake’s skull.
‘We didn’t contact you,’ he says. ‘What are you doing here?’
Blake stands and turns around slowly.
‘I just came on the off chance there was some work. Saw you guys weren’t here and found these two trying to escape. I was trying to stop them.’
‘That’s not what it looks like,’ the man says.
‘Bullshit,’ Andy snarls with a laugh.
