Page 36

I hope not. Grimacing, I climb on, and we hit the road again.

Instead of continuing down the mountain into town, we take a right, hurtling down a short dirt path leading into the woods.

It’s a route only used by hunters, and even they are too superstitious to spend a long time in this section of the forest. This is the type of place where a serial killer would bury bodies and go undetected for years.

Mud kicks up the backs of my bare legs as we bounce off every stone, protruding root, and bump. The bike lights guide our way through the blackness, and the rustling trees cast strange shadows over the tightly clustered trunks.

We ride for what feels like forever. The guys expertly navigate the uneven terrain until, up ahead, a small wooden cabin comes into view.

A chill runs down my spine. Yep, this is definitely somewhere you’d chop up bodies and never find the pieces.

Light shines through the small cabin window, and Lex’s face peers through it, watching. His face morphs into a psychotic grin when he sees me. Maybe a night in the asylum wouldn’t be so bad after all.

“Home sweet home,” Eli says, stopping.

When Aiden brakes, I practically leap off the bike. My feet land with a squelch in a muddy puddle, soaking my socks.

“So, this is where you’ve been hiding,” I say, more to myself than to them.

“What’s wrong, Little Ghost?” Aiden asks, tilting his head to study my reaction. “Not the luxury you’re used to?”

“N-no, it’s not that,” I stammer. Obviously, they think I’m a spoiled brat because of my upbringing, but I’ve never cared about materialistic bullshit before. “You’re just… closer than I thought.”

“It’s an old hunting cabin,” Eli explains. “One of Acacia’s friends owns it, but he doesn’t use it anymore.”

“Why did you bring me here?” I ask.

“We’ll explain in good time,” Aiden says, prodding me in the back to herd me inside.

The smell of fresh pine and a crackling fire hit me straight away.

Dried dirty boot prints coat the wooden floor, which squeaks underfoot.

Looking around, half-melted candles and dried wax droplets cover most surfaces, and mounted stuffed animal heads eerily follow my movements with their glassy eyes.

To my left, a sofa and two armchairs with chunks missing sit around the fireplace.

Moth-eaten blankets drape over the upholstery, signaling this is where they’ve been sleeping.

To my right, a kitchen area with a small stove, a sink, and a table with four chairs.

Knives are laid on the table, and next to them, three laptops are open, looking out of place among the dated decor.

“Did you get it?” Lex asks. He stands at the stove, monitoring the hissing copper kettle.

Aiden grins smugly and taps his inner pocket. “Right here.”

Lex scowls and looks me up and down disapprovingly. He tips steaming water into a large bowl, puts it on the floor, and nudges it in my direction.

“Here,” Lex says.

I look down in confusion.

“For your feet.” He throws me a dirty rag. “You’re covered in mud.”

Eli pulls out a chair for me to sit down and forces me onto it. He kneels before me and removes my socks carefully, then steers my ankles into the waiting hot water. I bite my lip to stop myself from groaning. It feels heavenly.

“We’re not animals,” Eli says.

“You had me fooled,” I grumble sarcastically.

I expect him to leave me to wash in peace, but he grabs a tiny bar of soap from next to the sink and kneels at my feet.

He works the soap into a frothy lather between his strong palms, then takes my foot gently into his hands.

He massages the suds into my skin, taking his time to clean my toes and knead the balls of my aching feet.

I blush, stunned by the intimacy and care he’s taking.

“So…” Lex talks to Aiden. “When can we open it?”

“Soon,” Aiden promises. “First, we need to find out why our little ghost ended up in Sunnycrest again.”

Their attention returns to me.

“I was looking in my dad’s office for evidence,” I say. “He caught me, and I made up an excuse about looking for pills.”

“Not bad,” Lex says. “For an amateur.”

“He was furious,” I say. “I don’t think I’ll get another chance to search his office again. He’ll be watching me like a hawk if he ever lets me go home.”

Eli rubs the arches of my feet, encouraging my rising anxiety to fade away. I’ve never had a foot rub before, but I could get used to this at the end of a hard day.

“You did well,” Eli says.

“You were testing me?” I read between the lines, looking from Eli to Aiden. Their expressions confirm my suspicions. “Why?”

Eli removes my feet from the water, patting them dry with a rag, before going to empty the basin.

“We needed to know that you were serious,” Aiden tells me. “Your father would never leave anything incriminating lying around for you to find.”

“Great,” I huff, crossing my arms. “So, you got me drugged and locked in Sunnycrest for no reason?”

“There’s a reason behind everything we do,” Aiden says, his eyes narrowing. “But that doesn’t mean you’re privy to it. The sooner you learn to stop asking questions and follow orders, the easier everything will be.”

“I’ll never stop asking questions,” I say, daring to be defiant. “I don’t want to be another pawn in your twisted games.”

“Oh, really?” Aiden tips my chin up to face him. “And what do you want to be? One of us?”

“No,” I answer. Too quickly.

Lex cackles while Aiden’s lips curl, and he drops his hold.

Eli slumps onto the chair opposite me, hurt flashes in his eyes as he hurls a clean pair of socks in my direction.

They’re three sizes too big and will come halfway up my shins, but they’ll keep me warm at least. I open my mouth to speak, but Eli sharpening a knife tells me not to waste my breath.

He’s pissed. The scraping noise puts my teeth on edge, like sharp nails dragging down a chalkboard.

The truth is, I’m not sure what I want our relationship to be.

Do I want to be someone they listen to? Someone who has their approval?

More than just an object of their fascination, who gets picked up and down whenever they please?

However, admitting I might want more means facing feelings I’m not ready to…

Aiden slaps the evidence bag he acquired from Blackwell on the grubby table with a flourish.

My throat constricts. A worn red notebook with doodles adorning the front cover sits inside the plastic.

I go to grab it, but Aiden slams his hand on top of mine to stop me, like a gavel crashing on a judge’s podium.

He tsks. “Not so fast.”

My heart thunders. “But it’s Sarah’s.”

She didn’t know I knew about her diary. A few weeks before she disappeared, I found it hidden in her closet when I was looking for a shirt.

I only peeked inside the pages for a second before putting it away and feeling guilty, even though I didn’t read it.

Dad already invaded our privacy enough. When she went missing, I told the police about it, hoping it might give them some clues.

But they didn’t find it when they searched her room, or so I thought…

Lex rolls his eyes, always three steps ahead of me. “Obviously.”

“I need to read it,” I insist. “If there’s something in her diary that will tell me what happened, I have to know.”

“Poor Little Ghost,” Aiden says. “Are you really still clinging to hope that your sister is alive?”

All the air zaps from my lungs. Although I can’t see myself, I imagine I’ve turned a ghostly white as blood drains from my face.

“N-n-no,” I gasp, as if I’ve been doused with a bucket of ice water. “She can’t be. She ran away. She left home. I…”

“Your sister is never coming back,” Aiden says bluntly, devoid of any sympathy. “She’s dead.”

I pull my hand out from under Aiden’s and stand. My knees are too wobbly to hold my weight, so I collapse back onto the chair again. I’m not stupid. I’ve watched enough true crime to know the chances of Sarah being alive are slim, but I’ve still clung to hope. It’s all I have.

“How do you know?” I ask, attempting to regain my composure. Aiden enjoys messing with people’s minds. Another of his torturous tricks. “I need proof.”

“As I said, we know all the town’s secrets.”

“Tell me what happened to her,” I beg. “Whatever it is, I can handle it.”

“Your biggest mistake, Little Ghost, is thinking we have to do anything,” Aiden mocks.

“Fuck you,” I snarl.

Instantly, a tension-filled silence sweeps through the cabin like an icy breeze.

Eli exchanges a nervous look with Lex, shocked at my outburst. Contrary to what they think, I can stand up for myself when it’s something I feel passionately about.

Aiden’s eyes narrow into murderous slits.

Did my father hurt Sarah, or do they know Sarah is dead because they were involved?

I wouldn’t put it past them. They injured Nate and killed Gilsmear—how many other deaths are they responsible for?

“What did you say?” Aiden asks. His tone is calm, yet hides a menacing undertone, warning me not to push my luck.

“I said, fuck you,” I repeat, staring right into the inferno. I won’t cower in the corner anymore when it comes to Sarah. I owe her that much, at least. “Sarah’s my sister. You are going to tell me what happened. I have a right to know!”

“You’ll learn everything you need to know when you return to Sunnycrest,” Aiden says.

I lunge for the diary in desperation, but Aiden grabs it first. He holds it up high, waving it in the air to tease me.

“Give it to me,” I demand.

He cackles, ignoring my request. I claw at his arms to lower them, but he doesn’t react.

I dig my nails into his muscles, tearing his skin until it bleeds.

He doesn’t budge an inch, remaining as still as a statue.

He’s holding Sarah’s last words—doesn’t he understand how much they mean to me?

She was my everything! My twin! My other half!

I scream in frustration and punch his unmoving chest.

Lex chuckles as my blows bounce off Aiden. My knuckles slamming into him are as useless as twigs beating against a brick wall, hurting me more than him. I won’t stop, though. I keep going, pummeling continually until my chest heaves from the exertion of releasing every bit of my repressed rage.

“You bastard!” Hot, uncontrollable tears fall down my cheeks, and cruel insults shoot from my mouth with every pointless punch. “Sick.” Whack . “Motherfucker.” Whack . “Twisted fucking monster!”

I keep going, each hit getting weaker, until I have no strength left. Still, Aiden stands, unwavering, while Sarah’s diary dangles tantalizingly above my head, promising answers.

“You’ve forgotten that we don’t feel pain anymore,” Aiden says. “Not after what your father did.”

I double over, panting, with my heartbeat thundering in my ears. I’d almost feel bad, if not for the secrets he was hoarding.

“It was a mistake bringing her here,” Lex says, shaking his head in disappointment. “She needs more time.”

“More time?” I direct my anger at him. “More time for what? To go without knowing what happened to my twin?”

“Lex is right,” Eli says, like I’m not in the room. “She’s forgetting who owns her.”

“You don’t own me!” Fury pours out of me. “No one does!”

Aiden stomps across the cabin, stashing Sarah’s diary on top of a cabinet, then retrieves something from a box on the side. When he turns around, he’s holding a strange object. It’s hard to make out what it is. Something shiny and metallic appears to be attached to a hilt by duct tape.

“Get the ink, Eli,” Aiden orders.

That’s when I realize what he’s twirling around his fingers.

“No,” I stammer, “y-you wouldn’t.”

“We won’t let you forget who owns you again,” Aiden says, approaching me. “You’ll leave with a permanent reminder.”

I sprint for the door. No one makes any effort to stop me, but their laughter follows. I breathe a sigh of relief, finding the door unlocked, and fly into the night.

“Run, run, run, Little Ghost,” Aiden calls. “But you won’t get far…”