But Will refuses, and Nate finds himself lifting his hand and slamming it against the side of Will’s head. It lands harder than he intended, making his palm hot. He’s about to apologize, but he notices that Will remains seated with his head bowed. The drug might be making it hard for him to react, but it feels like there’s more going on.
Is this an opportunity?
Nate carefully holds Will’s chin and tilts his head to meet his gaze. He can’t even begin to understand all the emotions that circle in those green eyes, but among all of them, remorse shines the brightest.
“You know I’m telling the truth, right? His death was your fault.”
A single tear slides down his cheek.
Nate takes a breath. “What are we going to do about it?”
“I don’t understa—”
Nate slaps him again, positive that this time he’s going to get a different reaction, or at least a heated threat.
He gets nothing.
The look of acceptance remains, as if Nate’s actions are just, maybe even welcomed. He has nothing to lose, so he goes all in, counting on his instincts and his ability to read this unexpected situation. “We’re going to your bedroom now. I’m going to tie you down to the bed. Look at me. I will help you, Will. I’ll be Joel’s vengeance, and you are going to be so grateful.”
“That’s… a bad idea.”
“You won’t know until you try it. I might be the only person who understands what youreallyneed.” He grabs Will’s hair, feeling such a rush it’s making his head spin. “Do we have a deal? Say it!”
“Yes!”
Before Will can change his mind, Nate pulls him up on his wobbly feet and drags him to the bedroom.
Chapter 4
Owen
His aunt is late. He isn’t eager to see her, but he hasn’t slept for over a day, not even on the long bus drive. All he wants is to reach his new room and crash until tomorrow. He’s waiting inside a small coffee shop next to the main bus station in Van Buren. Only a few buses stop here, which explains why he barely sees people. It’s getting dark outside, and the gathering clouds carry a promise of rain.
“More coffee?” a waitress asks him.
He wants caffeine to help him stay awake, but it might keep him up all night. “I’m good, thank you. My aunt should be here soon.”
“You can try calling her again.”
“She didn’t answer earlier, but I’m sure she’s on her way.”
The waitress smiles and leaves. Owen wishes that someday, people would have their phones with them wherever they go. He has no way of reaching Sherylwhen she’s on the road, and she might have forgotten all about his arrival. He barely remembers her from childhood, and he only ever visited her with his parents. His mom grew up here, but she left for college and never looked back. He knows he’s going to hate it here, but he isn’t supposed to enjoy his stay. This is about keeping out of trouble and away from temptations. He’s going to make this work, because he promised his parents, and he can’t honestly think of an alternative. After what happened yesterday, he doesn’t see himself returning to Kansas City anytime soon.
Are the police looking for me?They can’t be. He hid the evidence and made sure that no one saw him leaving the area.
During the long bus drive, he wondered if what had happened in that alley was just a hallucination. He wishes that was the case, but the sights, sounds, and scents were too real. Not to mention he has a nasty bruise on the left side of his face from Lee’s punch.
His aunt—if she ever picks him up—will undoubtedly comment on that.
“Oh, there she is,” the waitress says.
Owen turns to look as a police car slides into the parking lot.Here we go.He stands up, dizzy from lack of sleep, and picks up his bags. He leaves money on the table and includes a nice tip. His parents added money to his bank account so he wouldn’t rely on his aunt.
There’s a drizzle when he leaves the coffee shop. Hisaunt doesn’t exit the car to greet him, but she does open the trunk. He throws his bags inside, then slides into the passenger seat.
“What the hell happened to your face?”
“Hey, Aunt Sheryl. Great to see you too.”
