“Get in the damn car like your boyfriend said,” she spits.
“No, no, I’ll stay right here and talk to the police,Nina. Why are you helping me?”
My gaze finds Nina, waiting for an answer. I would pick Sable up and put her in the car, but it seems I want this answer as much as she does.
Nina’s mouth stretches in a smile, and she steps closer to her former best friend. “I’m a con artist, Sable. I’m only friends with people I can take from. When your dad died at the bottom of that river, I thought you had no use anymore.”
“I certainly don’t have any use for you,” Sable says.
Nina laughs. “You’re wrong. You’re my winning lotto ticket.”
CHAPTER 20
SABLE
“Sable,it’s time to get in the car. Now!” Hadrian vibrates with tension beside me. The car opens, and Soren steps out, but I’m not sure what he could possibly contribute. We sat in that damn car in complete silence for nearly two hours.
“What are you talking about?” I ask again.
“Shit, we need to leave,” Soren adds, and I roll my eyes at how helpful his addition to the situation is.
Nina’s eyes flip from Hadrien to Soren, a wicked smile I don’t even recognize stretches her lips, and the best way I can describe the expression is predatory.
“I own you, Sable. You and all of your boyfriends.”
My heart drops. The feeling that she can’t possibly do worse to me looks so unbelievably foolish now.
“How so?” Hadrien demands.
“You are the last Briarwick.” She stares at me like I’m the one who asked the question. “These stupid boys are worth a few billion between them, and they are going to doanythingto protect you.” She steps right in front of me, powder blue eyes meeting my own. “You just became my bestie again.”
Soren growls like an animal, catching us all by surprise, but Nina only smiles, as if she just confirmed our fate.
“Don’t worry, I don’t have hoops for you. I just want your money.”
“How about we just kill you?” Hadrian threatens. His position is not a super strong one with the already raging fire, but he seems serious.
“You think no one knows I’m with you?” Her wicked smile only grows. “You think I’m out hereallalone and I haven’t set contingencies in place to fuck you over if I don’t come back?”
“You’re bluffing,” Hadrian says, looking like it’s taking every bit of his self-control not to attack her.
“Kill. Me. Then.” She stares him down as if she’s giving him a chance, but I know deep down he can’t do it,andshe’s not lying.
“We need to go,” I finally say. My eyes are back on the burning house, and sudden self-preservation fills me. Maybe I really don’t want to speak to the damn cops. Even worse, I’m still covered in blood. My eyes drop, witnessing the tiny nightgown soaked with blood underneath a man’s coat, maybe my father’s, or possibly my dead uncle’s. I need to get intoanythingelse, but my heart longs for Orion’s designs.
Hadrian nods, grabbing my arm and leading me forward. Soren stares at the fire instead of following right away. The rest of us head to the car in silence, but I watch him. There’s something so much deeper than the loss of a relationship in the lines of his face, in those hours of silence. Something is very wrong. Hadrian opens the passenger seat door for me before taking the driver’s seat.
Soren is the last one of us to climb in, and even once he closes the door, he still stares back toward the flames. Part of me wants nothing more than to turn around and watch him, but I have some limits on how much of a fool I’ll act like for his well-being. Hadrian turns the key, starting the car and putting it in gear. He peels out of the driveway.
My heart and chest both hurt so badly as we cross the bumps, and even more of my happy memories go up in flames behind me. Yes, Uncle Carl covered them in cum and pain, but now they’re nothing but ashes.
We’re a few miles down the road when flashing lights show in the distance. I barely breathe as they draw closer, and we hear the sirens. We slow down and move to the side to allow them to pass. The fire trucks and a few cop cars speed in the other direction. As soon as they’re out of our rearview, Hadrian hits the gas, driving far faster than is safe for these mountain roads. I continue to hold my breath.
There’s a thump from the back seat. Nina leans forward, putting her face between Hadrian and me. “You can stop here.”
“This is in the middle of nowhere, and we just passed cops,” Hadrian says, not stopping the car.
She kicks him again. “Stop the fucking car.”
