Dare Series Collection - Shantel Tessier Page 0,224

a step back. “You … What …? Why, Deke?” she rambles.

I’d never kill her. But the fact that I can scare her excites me. My dick is already hard. Now I understand how Cole got off on this shit. “It doesn’t concern you.” I turn to leave.

“Wait! Please?” she begs. “I can fix this.”

“No. You can’t.” Things have gone too far. There’s no going back now.

“Deke? Please? I can’t lose you,” she cries.

“You already have.” I reach for the door handle, but she places her hands on my back, gripping my T-shirt and causing the collar to choke me.

“I’m sorry. Is that what you want me to say?” she grinds out. “I lied. And I’ve felt terrible about it. Austin is my best friend. And I love you. You love me.”

“Not anymore.” I shake my head.

“I don’t believe you,” she argues. “There has to be something I can do. Please … tell me.” The desperation in her voice makes me smile.

I turn around and cup her tear-streaked face. She sucks in a long breath, and her body presses into mine, now interested. Funny how women turn to sex when they’re desperate for forgiveness. “Unless you plan on falling to your knees and opening that mouth of yours so I can fuck it, I have no use for you.”

EPILOGUE ONE

COLE

AUSTIN, LILLY, AND I have been living in our house in Texas for a month now. Deke and I are about to start our first year in college. Lilly will be in first grade.

I thought over time that I would begin to forget what happened to Austin. That maybe putting distance between us and Collins would make it better.

I was wrong.

I thought over time I would begin to understand she was okay. That Kellan could no longer hurt her or take her from me.

Again, I was wrong.

Moving hasn’t helped the nightmares or the memories that flood back. I’ve learned that loving someone comes with a price. Your sanity. And if they thought I was fucked up before, now they’ll think I’ve gone mad. Now I understand what I have to lose. It happens at night when I try to sleep. I’ve never been one to get much sleep to begin with, but now it’s worse than ever. Maybe it’s because things are going so well. Our plan worked, but I feel like I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop. So my worst fears come to life when I close my eyes.

He’s dead.

I continue to sit in the ditch. The lights from my wrecked car allow me to see everything clearly. I silently rock back and forth with Eli in my arms. I cling to him as tears run down my face. It’s hard to breathe, and my head pounds. My entire body hurts, but I ignore it.

“Cole?”

I look up to a familiar female voice.

“Becky?” I ask in disbelief. “What are you doing here? I told you to go …”

“I can’t just leave you here,” she cries. Her arms are crossed over her stomach to hold her bloody, ripped crop top in place. “I did this …” She swallows and looks around the street with wide eyes. “They’re all dead.”

“Fucking go!” I dismiss her.

Her eyes fall to Eli. “I don’t know what happened …” She sobs.

I close my eyes. “Just go, Becky! I’ll handle it.”

“You’ve been drinking,” she reminds me.

My jaw tightens. “Becky …”

“They’ll arrest you, Cole. They’ll think you killed them all…”

“I did!” I scream at her. “I fucking did this!” I hang onto my friend’s lifeless body. “I did this.” I can’t hold the tears back as they run down my face. “Just go, Becky.” I choke out the words. Tonight was my decision. I wanted to go out, and I dared them to drink. It doesn’t matter who the fuck was driving. It was my car! They were my responsibility.

I hear her run from the scene for the second time.

“Please …?” I beg to no one.

I drop my forehead down to Eli’s and close my eyes. “I’m so … sorry …” I choke on the words. They’re pointless. “I promise. I promise I’ll take care of Aimee.”

I hear the sirens in the distance. They’re too late.

I pull back and look down at him; his short dark hair grows like vines, transforming into long, thick, and dark strands. His face thins, his sharp jaw and high cheekbones changing to a petite face with a button nose. Short dark lashes replaced with full, long ones. His large body turns small