He went back to working, and I was effectively dismissed.
I tried to rally up indignation, disgust, or even anger. All of them failed me. For some reason, I was more mystified than anything.
That was another emotion I’d never felt before.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The ride after our stop was more comfortable.
Tanner must’ve gone to bat for me, because Kai allowed me to ride with him and Jonah when we left the gas station. They told me stories about Brooke, starting from when she left Hillcrest and continuing through just before she’d disappeared. I knew they skipped over the bad parts, like their father’s death or whatever happened that led to Brooke going missing, but it was nice to hear about her.
It felt like my old friend was back with me, and she was just as vivacious and adventurous as she’d been with me at school. Tanner told most of the stories, with Jonah jumping in. He spoke quickly, seeming excited to be able to add something to the conversation. But Tanner was clearly the one with the closest relationship with her.
Just as it had been in the Hillcrest days.
They were cautious when speaking about Kai, but sped up as soon as he wasn’t involved. Both were smiling, laughing.
The last few hours sped away like that, until I realized we’d been traveling for eight hours.
“Why don’t you guys fly?”
They quieted, seeming startled by my question.
I looked between them. “I mean, it’d save you time. Right?”
Jonah coughed and turned toward his window.
The car went from feeling light to being suffocating. I frowned.
Tanner responded, his voice low, “Cord died in a plane accident.”
That was how he’d died?
Tanner frowned. “Shit. What’d Brooke say about how he died?”
I must’ve reacted.
I shrugged, suddenly interested in my hands. They were dry. Very dry. Too dry. I needed lotion.
“Nothing, just…that he died.”
I was still looking at my hands when Tanner snorted. “Right.”
The conversation ended, and we rode in silence for another twenty minutes until Jonah said out of the blue, “She talked about you all the time.”
A shiver went down my spine.
They were talking about her as if she were dead, not somewhere else.
I tried to shake that feeling. It was wrong. She was fine. She would be fine, wherever she was.
“Really?”
“Yeah.” His head rested against his headrest, and he swallowed before adding, “She never shut up, actually. It was sweet in a way, but annoying too.” He opened his eyes enough to squint at me. “No offense. It was just that she acted like she was back at school, even up till last year.”
Tanner coughed, and whether it was intentional or not, Jonah quieted.
The brothers shared a look before Tanner glanced down, then murmured in an almost distraught tone, “It was six months ago. She changed six months ago.”
Why?
What happened?
Those questions burned in my throat, and I wanted to know all the answers. I wanted to know the adult Brooke, what she’d been like before she changed and how did she change.
I looked between the two. What the hell had happened?
Ask them!
It was as if Brooke was yelling at me. I imagined her voice, crying out in my head.
“What happened six months ago? How did she change?”
Please don’t shut up now. Please don’t remember I’m the enemy and shut me out.
I held my breath, worried they’d do just that.
“I don’t know.” Tanner expelled a sudden rush of air. His eyes were bleak, flicking up to mine before sliding to the window. “She just changed. She seemed happy, bubbly, and then nothing. Something happened. Whatever it was, that’s why she’s gone.”
“Because she’s scared of Ka—”
“Stop!” Tanner said sharply. He glared at Jonah, controlling his voice. “Family first, Jo.”
Jonah’s eyes clasped shut a second. He raised a hand, rubbing his forehead before letting it fall to his side again. He sighed. “Yeah. Right. Yeah. My bad.” His eyes were bleak when he glanced at me. “Sorry, Riley.”
Damn.
It’d been building, and then nothing. A gate slammed down, stopping the flow.
Disappointment filled me, but I had a feeling I’d be in this car for another few hours. Another opportunity might present itself.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The stop was sudden.
We were whizzing along, and then suddenly our vehicle veered to the left, then right, and we skidded to a halt. I grabbed my armrest to keep from falling over, and after the second veer, Jonah slammed an arm over my chest, cementing me in place. The two guards were holding on themselves, but trying to watch out for Tanner