had all thought the gun was unloaded, and so had she. She hadn’t realized that she might have accidentally left it loaded, might have left, until it actually went off. She might not have, too. It might not have been her fault. It probably wasn’t. She was an organized person. She got things done. She didn’t make mistakes. She had tons of extracurriculars. Her grade average was 4.1. She was going to make National Honor Society and already ranked first in her class.
Sasha tried to think back in time. She hadn’t been alone Saturday night. She had been with a boyfriend she kept secret from everyone, even Bonnie and Clyde, who would have told her parents. His name was Luiz Carvalho and he went to Penn, from a super-rich family in Rio de Janeiro. He was gorgeous, sexy, and smart. A man, not a boy.
Sasha loved seeing Luiz. He lived in an entirely different world, even bigger than college, hanging out with other rich Latin Americans from New York. He’d taken her to private casino nights and VIP dinner clubs in Philly and Manhattan. She’d lost her virginity to him, and he’d taught her everything. He told her she was good, and she felt like she’d gotten another A.
Sasha tried to stay focused, thinking back to last night. Luiz had called her, saying he was free, and he’d picked her up around the block, away from the house, the way he always did. She’d told him about the gun because she wanted to go shooting. It would be fun. He had a car and could take her anywhere she wanted, to shoot. So they’d gone to the woods to get the gun. But he’d had other things in mind. He’d kissed her against a tree, so hard that she’d felt his teeth pressing into her mouth, like he would bite her. His hips grinded into hers, making her feel his erection, parting her legs with it, letting her rub against it, teasing her until she was begging him to make love to her.
Sasha felt her eyes close, and a tingle shuddered through her body. When Luiz had had enough, and so had she, they’d dug up the gun and the bullets. He’d had a penlight on his keychain, and they’d used it to see in the dark. She’d loaded the gun, showing off. He’d never held a handgun, and she’d felt like she was the adult, for once. They’d been about to leave when they’d heard women walking a dog at the top of the hill, where Luiz’s Porsche had been parked.
Sasha hadn’t wanted to get caught with the gun, and Luiz hadn’t wanted to get caught with her. They’d unloaded the gun quickly, put the bullets back in the box, reburied the bullets and gun, and run from the woods the other way. Sasha hadn’t checked to make sure the gun was unloaded. She hadn’t been paying attention. It had been dark. They’d had only the penlight. They’d had to hurry. But still, they’d probably unloaded the gun completely.
Sasha bit her lip. She hadn’t told Julian, David, or Allie about Luiz and the gun. She was supposed to have kept the gun a secret. She was supposed to have kept Luiz a secret. She wasn’t about to tell them now that Kyle was dead. Maybe it wasn’t her fault. She thought she’d unloaded the gun and put it back the way she’d found it, and she probably had. She never messed up. It was like when you thought you left the water running, but you didn’t.
Sasha never left the water running. She wasn’t that kind of person. It definitely wasn’t her fault.
Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them away.
CHAPTER 43
Julian Browne
Julian’s bedroom was dark, and his mother thought he’d gone to sleep, but he was sitting at his computer, having messaged Sasha to call him. Across the street, her bedroom was dark, but she wasn’t asleep, either.
Julian had never felt more focused. He hadn’t drunk as much as the others had. He’d wanted to keep his wits about him. He had to make sure they didn’t get caught. It would ruin his life, his father’s business, and the Browne brand. His mind was clear, and he knew what to do.
His phone rang, and Julian picked up right away. “Sasha, are you okay?”
“No, it’s just so awful.” Her voice sounded soft and shocked, and Julian imagined her curled up naked in bed, talking to him in the darkness.
“I