Lexie peeks around a corner, then goes to move, but halts, causing me to crash into her.
“Oof.Sorry!”I whisper-shout.
“Sh!”she orders.
My mouth snaps shut, and I peer around her.What the…?
“Shit,” Lexie whispers.She looks like she’s seen a ghost.I follow her gaze, my brows dipping.Across the grounds is Hawke.His hands are fisted in someone’s dark jacket.But who would he be grabbing that’s wearing black?I squint, trying to see to whom he’s talking.
“Is that…” My jaw drops, and my neck snaps back to Lexie.“I thought you said your brother’s working!”
“He was!Is!”She shakes her head and takes a step forward before I reach out and stop her.“Maybe he hasn’t seen you yet,” I whisper.Her body freezes in place.“How far away is your house from here?”
“Two miles.Maybe three.”
Two to three miles?That’s…hmm.“You should go,” I urge.Normally, I wouldn’t encourage one of my friends to walk home alone in the dark, but after seeing Ethan’s controlling side at the dental office, I’m pretty sure it’s the lesser of two evils.Her feet stay planted where they are, but I don’t miss the hesitancy and indecision in her gaze.“You really think he’ll be okay if he sees you here?”I argue.
I know why she’s stalling.She doesn’t want to give him the power.Doesn’t want to acknowledge that the freedom she craves more than anyone I’ve ever seen has been in danger since the moment her brother moved back to town.The question is, what is she going to do about it?
“My phone’s in Violet’s car,” she murmurs.
“I’ll make sure you get it later,” I promise.
She glances across the way again as Ethan shoves Hawke.The guy barely budges, standing his ground.
“He’s going to be pissed,” she whispers.Part of me wonders if the words are meant for me, or if they’re simply her inner thoughts that’ve managed to slip through her defenses, revealing the truth.
“Maybe he doesn’t know you’re here.Maybe he’s here for work, like you said,” I offer.
“Maybe,” she breathes out with a tremor of fear.
“Either way, the longer you’re here, the more time he has to figure it out.Now, go!”I push.
Her head bobs.“You’re right.”She steps away from the alley entrance and deeper into the shadows.“Thanks, June.”
“Do you want me to come?”I ask.
“Someone’s gotta fill in Violet where I went, or she’ll be here all night waiting for us to show up after the game.Besides, you still need to find that halo.”A smile plays at the edge of her mouth.“Do it for me, okay?Good luck.”The darkness swallows her retreat as she darts away.
Which means I’m alone.In an abandoned carnival slash amusement park with creepy skeletons and demons hunting me.Yup.
That sounds…perfect.
27
JUNE
I’m not sure how many girls are still alive.Now that Lexie’s gone, the grounds are less likeThe Purgeand more likeThe Shining.Quiet.Eerily quiet.And with an ominous undercurrent I can’t shake.I fold my arms and peek around the building into the main area again.Hawke and Ethan are out of sight, though I have no idea what happened or what the fallout was between them.It shouldn’t matter.The less I have to do with the Harden Brothers and all their turf drama, the better.Besides, I’m here for a classic Harden Night and a solid distraction from my lackluster love life.Nothing more.Nothing less.
Which means one thing.I need to get my head back in the game.
If not for me, then for Lexie.She deserves a win.
I slip through the small alleyway and round the edge of the grounds when an old, decrepit building comes into view.It almost looks like a haunted house, complete with a small porch and a creepy rocking chair out front.Add in the cobwebs I pray are fake, and the crooked shutters framing barred windows, and it looks straight out of a horror movie.They wouldn’t be that…on the nose, would they?To hide the halo in there?What would Ford do?Where would he hide the halo?After all, it’s his brainchild.I need to get into his head.
What were you thinking, Ford?
My brows pull, but I quicken my steps and race toward it.My hands tremble as I reach for the iron handle.The door is cracked open.Does that mean someone’s inside?Duh.What am I thinking?Of course, people are inside.There are only so many buildings, and the ratio of participants to hiding places is…I don’t know, I don’t do math.
