Wicked (Somerset University #2) - Ruby Vincent Page 0,86
all into the theater and brighten this crappy week spending time together.
Yes, that is exactly what I’m going to do. I’ll call Sofia too.
I rang her up and we talked on the drive.
“I’ll bring dessert. What do you think of salted caramel popcorn bars?”
“I think I’ve always known you were my best friend, but now I see this friendship will last forever.”
She laughed. “You’re so weird, Moon. I’m going to claim the oven before someone gets there first. See you soon.”
“Bye.”
The mansion came into sight. I honked, waving out the window to my guards, and turned up my drive. The gate rumbled open at my keycode and I pulled in, killing the engine behind Ryder’s car.
Adam will pass out an hour into the first movie. After I put him to bed, we’ll watch—
A faint click broke into my thought.
I turned—mind consumed with comedies and caramel popcorn—and lit on the back as the seat came down. My heart stopped, locking on to a pair of eyes through the dark of the trunk.
I screamed.
Whipping around, I scrambled for the door handle, shouting for bodyguards I knew weren’t there.
“Shut up!” A hand clamped over my mouth, yanking me back.
The thought to bite her crossed as she pressed the gun to my temple.
“Drive,” she ordered. “Now.”
My heart hammered on my rib cage, collecting dents I felt as well as heard. Driving off with this maniac was the worst possible thing I could do.
But staying here when Adam will be home from school any minute isn’t an option.
Hands shaking, it took me three tries to start the car. The gun dug harder into my temple with each failed attempt.
Finally, the engine hummed to life. I put the car in reverse and drove out of the gates.
JAXSON
I pushed my dad onto a chair and shoved a coffee in his hand. He looked like he hadn’t slept all night.
“How’s Meyer?” I asked.
Dad propped himself up, rubbing the bridge of his nose. We were in the family visitor room. A sterile, windowless space. Flower pots and landscape paintings did their best to cheer up the room. It didn’t work.
“He woke an hour ago. He’ll be okay but we have another issue. Daniel told Fernanda that he was run off the road.”
“What the hell? By who? Did he see the car?”
He shook his head. “It was dark. It all happened too fast.”
I opened my mouth to tell him who it was, and then closed it. It was a rare and stressful moment when my dad looked his age. He had enough going on without discovering his assistant was a psychopath. Plus, there was the fact that I didn’t have proof.
“You should go home and get some sleep,” I said. “Now that we know he’s going to be okay.”
“I just found out someone tried to kill my partner. I’m not going anywhere.” Dad bumped my knee with his fist. “You go home. Thanks for the coffee and clothes.”
“I can stay with you, Dad.”
“No need. We’re good here.” He stood up, drawing me in for a hug. “I’ll be on the police, making sure they’re doing everything they can. You take the rest of the day off.”
“Are you sure?”
Nodding, he steered me toward the door and called bye as he headed back to the ICU.
I made for the elevator and dialed Val.
Voicemail.
I tried Ryder.
“Yeah?”
“Put Val on,” I said. “Meyer was run off the road last night.”
“Are you serious? Any chance it’s not connected to Gwen?”
“Has to be her. She blames the label for screwing over her brother,” I said. “Get Val. I have to tell her about this.”
“Val’s not here.”
“Yes, she is.” I got in and jabbed the button for the first floor. “I talked to her after class. She was going straight home. Get out of your office and look.”
“Adam and I called for her when we got home.” Alarm crept into his voice. “Her car wasn’t in the driveway. She’s not here, Jaxson.”
“I’m calling Juliet.”
I didn’t waste breath on a goodbye. I hung up and dialed the bodyguard. She picked up on the second ring.
“We followed her home and watched as she drove through the gates,” she said. “If she’s not there, then she went out again and didn’t inform us.”
Panic rose like bile in my throat. Calm down. For all I know, she swung by Ezra’s mom’s.
I called Val again. And again. And again.
“Hey. This is Val. I can’t get to the phone right now—”