Page 49

Chapter 48

I sit on the edge of the truck, watching as Eli backs the concrete truck toward the edge of the footer.

After William lost consciousness, I started an intravenous line, administering a full liter of normal saline to keep him hydrated longer. He’s also receiving oxygen through a nasal cannula connected to a small portable tank.

We can’t have him leaving this earth just yet.

Eli climbs out of the truck and turns the machine on, the rumble of the cement mixer humming steadily. I still find myself in awe of him as I watch him work. No wonder he has the honed body he does. He lifts hundred-pound bags of concrete mix as if they weigh nothing. I offered to help, but he wouldn’t allow it—such a gentleman. With a contented sigh, I hop down, start cleaning up our mess, and toss the duffle into the passenger side of the truck.

We meet at the cross. I pull the ball gag from William’s mouth, and he stirs, groaning. After removing the IV line, I toss the used medical equipment into the dirt behind him, no longer needing any of it .

“Any final words, Governor? Speak now if you want your wife and children to live.”

He mumbles under his breath and coughs.

“What? What was that?” I yank the cock torture device, effectively castrating his penis and slap him across the face with what’s left of his mutilated dick.

“Uncle!” he screams, his voice hoarse and broken.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re crying uncle. Are you going to spit it out or not?”

“H—h—his uncle,” Hunt finally spits out. “Walker. Alvin Walker.”

Eli stills and then curses under his breath. “Motherfucker.”

I reach for him, but he pulls away. Anguish etched deeply across his face. “I need a minute,” he says, as he steps toward his truck and tightly grips the tailgate.

I pause and give him the space he needs. Having met none of my extended family, I can only imagine what he must be feeling—the hurt, the betrayal. The more we discover, the more questions we have. And Allie.

Oh God. Allie is going to be destroyed, and the timing couldn’t be worse. She’s so close to her dad. Alvin always seemed like a good guy, a good husband, and a good father. But looks can definitely be deceiving. I would know—I had to learn that the hard way.

Eli walks back over, and I lay a hand on his arm. He gives me a tight nod, signaling he’s okay for the moment. Standing on my tiptoes, I kiss his cheek before releasing his arm.

We have one last task to complete.

Eli starts digging into the dirt at the base of the cross with a shovel, loosening the ground until the wood is free enough for us to lift it—and William—out of the ground. We lay the cross flat in the dirt, with him looking upwards. I smirk.

He could make a snow angel—or a dirt angel—if he could move his legs. I grab the shovel and toss dirt across his torso and extremities, saving his head for last.

“I hope you’re ready for hell, you sick bastard. Let Lucifer know I’ll see him when I get there.” I don’t bother to restrain the venom in my tone. I’ve never meant anything more in my life.

Burying him alive seems like the perfect endgame for a monster like Hunt. The concrete starts running out of the truck, inching closer to him. I climb out before it can reach my feet.

It doesn’t take as long as I thought it would for the concrete to engulf his body and fill the footer. Eli smooths the mixture as I watch in silence. I welcome the peacefulness already seeping into my body. It’s a beautiful night—clear skies, stars shining brightly. Everything feels more alive, more vivid. Lighter. The air is cleaner, as if a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. A burden I knew I carried, but hadn’t realized how heavy it was.

Eli turns the machine off and parks the truck where it previously sat before heading my way. I give a final look back before climbing in with Gabriel. He’s waiting for us at the exit, and we follow him back to the hotel, where we return the Jeep we stole. I’m careful to ensure we’ve left nothing behind. Heading to the hotel on foot, I leave Gabriel and Eli to dispose of William’s vehicle.

Throwing my hoodie back on to cover my face—and possibly any blood splatters on my shirt—I sneak up the backstairs to the third floor before taking the elevator up to the suite. I slide the key card over the door scanner and enter the foyer .

“Bryce?” I get no answer. It’s strange. It’s oddly quiet in a room that would usually be boisterous. I enter the living area and freeze.

Standing beside Bryce, who is sitting on the couch with a solemn look on his face, is a handsome dark-haired man with deep, amber-colored eyes.

Instantly, my pocketknife is in my hands. Just as quickly, the man has a gun out, pointed in my direction.

“Who is this?” I aim my question at Bryce.

“He’s with the FBI.” “You’re going to want to put that away,” the man says, turning his weapon toward Bryce.

Caught off guard, I’m not sure I could take him.

“Okay, don’t hurt him.” I slide the switchblade into my back pocket. “He’s done nothing wrong.”

“That’s yet to be determined. Take a seat on the couch with your friend.”

“You can take your gun off us. I’m not going to do anything.”

The agent eyes me suspiciously before lowering the gun. “We have some things to talk about.”

“Okay.” I side-eye Bryce, trying to glean anything I can from him.

Eli and Gabriel should be back any moment now and Bryce’s phone is on the end table to the right. I discreetly try to inch my hand toward it. If I could warn them, we could keep them out of whatever this is, but I have to find a way to distract him.

“Did he show you his badge?” Bryce shakes his head. “How can we be sure he’s really a fed?” I ask Bryce.

The man raises an eyebrow before flashing his badge at me .

Fuck. He’s actually who he says he is. I take a deep breath, thinking of a way to get us out of this. But first, I need to know what he knows.

“What do you want to kn—” I break off as I hear the suite door opening. My stomach drops, dread creeping up and tightening inside me. The guys are joking about something, and Eli carries a fast-food bag in his hand.

Seeing us, he pauses and sets the bag on a side table. “Jonah?” His eyes widen with recognition, and a broad smile spreads across his face. Eli walks toward the agent and wraps him in a bear hug.

I’m pretty sure my jaw is touching the floor. What’s happening right now? Am I in an episode of Black Mirror ? Bryce is also eyeing Gabriel and Eli in confusion.

“Elijah, man, it’s been too long,” The agent says, returning the embrace wholeheartedly.

“Elijah.” My voice is tight with tension. “What’s going on?”

“This is Jonah Miles. My old Navy buddy.” Eli gestures toward me, before turning to the man who apparently is his ‘friend’. “Jonah, this is Tess.”

“Did you know he was coming?” I grit out as my eyes narrow.

“Yeah, I called him.”

“I didn’t realize he’d get here this quickly, though,” Eli adds, looking at me apologetically.

“You knew who I was? And you still put on that show?” I growl.

Jonah shrugs, unfazed by my anger. Which pisses me off more.

“I’m sorry I sprung this on you, Tess, but hear him out,” Eli says, reaching for my hand and squeezing it tightly.

Jonah follows the movement, looking back at me with renewed interest, something unreadable in his eyes .

“My unit was called in after the murder of Wilson Randall. We have reason to believe Dalton Jones is responsible, as he’s disappeared after your cousin’s attack.”

“And you think he came here? To Atlanta?” I ask.

“Not exactly. This is just one of several locations we’re looking into. To be honest, I need your help. I know you’ve all been investigating this, and from what Eli shared with me, you found evidence at Dalton’s that ties in with a case I’ve been working on for the last couple of years.”

“What case is that?” My heart is racing, my hands feel tingly, and my face is surely draining of color. I try to slow my breathing and keep my expression neutral.

“Most of this is classified, but since I’m in the room with all of you involved in nefarious activity, I assume I can trust your silence. If not for me, then for Eli.” Jonah takes a breath. “We’ve been working on locating the missing girls, and most recently, I’ve reopened Paisley’s case.”

Surprise furrows my brow, and I look at Jonah with renewed interest. “The case has been reopened?”

He nods his head in response, his eyes lingering for a moment on each of us. “Yes. I don’t know why any of you are here or what you’re doing, but I need to see those photos and the zip drive.”

“Bryce, show him what you have,” I respond.

“Sure thing.” He releases a breath I know he’s been holding, starting to look more like himself.

“We’ve got this, love. Go grab that shower you mentioned earlier.” Eli looks at me intently, silently urging me to leave the room. His eyes dart to my arm, where my hoodie has rolled up. I spot a speck of blood on my wrist and quickly pull the sleeve back down.

“Okay… but I’ll be back soon.”

Freshly showered, I dress in comfortable clothes, and head back into the living room when I hear the hushed voices of Eli and Jonah. I peer out, noting both Bryce and Gabriel have retired to their room. Relief floods me, but it lasts only momentarily as I hear Jonah bring up William’s name.

“So, the governor is involved. That likely means multiple other powerful people have their hands in this. I need to have him brought in for questioning.”

“No,” Eli says sternly.

“No?” Jonah says incredulously. “Eli, he could be the key to everything.”

“This was the part I told you that you have to trust me about. You won’t find answers with him.”

Yeah, it’s hard to interrogate a dead man.

Eli and Jonah face off for a moment until it’s Jonah who relents. “Okay. Is there anything else I need to know?”

“I need you to look into the warehouse in these photos.”

Jonah glances through the pictures before looking up at him.

“That warehouse belongs to my Uncle Alvin.” I go over to wrap my arm around Eli. He squeezes me back and presses a kiss to my forehead.

“Speaking of showers, it’s my turn. Excuse me for a moment, J?”

“Of course, man. I’ll just get acquainted with your girlfriend.” Jonah smirks at his friend in jest.

“If you weren’t my friend, you’d be a dead man right now,” Eli replies.

Jonah throws up his hands in mock-surrender as Eli leaves the room.

“I was about to make some coffee. Would you like some?” I ask, heading toward the small kitchenette.

“Coffee sounds wonderful.”

We both sit in silence, waiting for the brew to finish. When it’s ready, I pour us each a cup.

“Cream? Sugar?”

“I’m good, thanks.”

I add both cream and sugar to mine. It’s not my favorite brand, but at this moment, coffee is coffee. I’m not sure how much longer I can keep my eyes open.

I take a sip and feel Jonah’s eyes on me. Unfazed, I meet his gaze. Something akin to respect flashes in his eyes.

“I’ve known Eli for a long time and never seen him like he is with you. He loves you.”

“Is this the ‘if you hurt him, you’ll have to answer to me’ talk?” I say with a light laugh. “You have nothing to worry about. I never thought I’d find someone to spend my life with, but I did. He’s the one. He can’t get rid of me if he tries.” I smile, knowing my emotions are written all over my face. I can hide many things, but my feelings for Eli are not one of them.

Jonah nods and raises his mug in toast, and I clink mine against his. It seems we’ve come to some sort of understanding. I know in my bones he has his suspicions, but I also feel he has the same mindset I do—he just follows closer to the black lines, whereas I’m clearly in the gray.

Three days later, Eli and I are back in Lake Falls after bidding Bryce and Gabriel farewell. As much as I hated to see Bryce go, I didn’t want to keep dragging him into my madness. He and his partner deserve a nice, happy life, free from worry that the FBI will come knocking at their door—something Eli and Jonah have assured me won’t happen. Eli admitted on the ride back Jonah is very aware of Bryce’s hacking skills and is choosing to look the other way which makes my respect for him grow even deeper.

As for the investigation, Jonah and his team have opened a task force, welcomed by the sheriff’s department, who willingly agreed to their help. Sheriff Randall wants closure for his son’s death, and I feel a small amount of regret for that. But Wilson was crooked, and his demise was a long time coming.

William Hunt was reported missing yesterday. Shortly after, the Atlanta PD received an anonymous document with evidence of his involvement in the missing girls. His car was found in a rental lot near Atlanta-Hartsfield airport and a man matching his description was seen on camera. A last hurrah from my dear friend, I suppose, before he goes back to being a law-abiding citizen. It’s believed Hunt fled to his private home in Morocco. The press has a variety of conspiracy theories floating around on all media platforms. Some have speculated that William had Dalton killed.

Alvin Walker has also been arrested and is being arraigned for his involvement in the kidnappings as well as the murder of Paisley Huntington. The police showed up at his home with a search warrant and took him into custody. Allie called me in distress and shortly after had to be taken to the emergency department to treat her panic attack. I’ve been checking in with her multiple times a day; sometimes, I get a response, and other times, I don’t. She’s retreating further into herself. They discharged her back to her parent’s house with lorazepam and a sleep aid. I’ll be there for her, and I can’t fail her again. As much as I hate watching from afar, I feel I need to let Jonah and his partners complete the investigation so we can find all the answers.

The man who broke into my house remains an enigma, his identity still a mystery that haunts me. The case has gone unsolved. A flicker of uncertainty remains, yet I hold onto the hope one day the truth will surface, and the pieces will finally fall into place.

Despite all the heaviness, Eli and I continue to grow closer—soulmates—we were destined to be, even when we didn’t believe in it ourselves. We’re leaving soon to go to the local home department store. I have a few more white rose bushes that need to be planted.