Lie.
I know why. I want to bait him. I want Gunner to call Sin and tell him I’m here. I want to see him show up and drag me out of here, kicking and screaming. I want everyone to see that I belong to him. That I’m not a secret anymore. I want the world to see that he’s cheating on the woman he’s going to marry. Fuck my consequences with Chance. It’ll be worth it. Just to know that someone would tell Amelia that Sin cares about me.
“Sin?” Holland questions, finally joining in on the conversation. “Since when would he care about you?”
My shoulders drop at his words. The truth hitting me like a slap to the face. The only reason Gunner knows anything is because he’s a Lord. Amelia was probably right that they all sit around and laugh about the women they fuck. I’m just another girl on his long list of hookups.
Even if Sin came barging into the party and dragged me out, no one would think twice as to why. He did it once and the only rumors that started spreading the next day was that I fucked three guys. None of which named Sin as one of them.
I take a big gulp of the drink while Gunner glares at me once again. Sarah looks uncomfortable, biting her bottom lip nervously.
“Want a little something stronger than that?” Holland asks, breaking the tension and taking the drink from my hand, setting it on the counter. “Come on.” He doesn’t even wait for an answer.
I allow him to pull me out of the kitchen and down a hall. He brings me to a set of stairs and into a new room. It’s darkly lit with neon signs hanging on the back wall. Guys and girls sit in chairs and lounge on the couch, a pool table is to the right and a small bar in the corner.
“Hey, man.” Holland commands as we enter, “She needs something.”
I frown, looking at the guy he’s talking to. “Mack?” He sits back reclined in a chair.
“Elli.” He jumps to his feet, pulling me in for a hug that lifts me off mine. Setting me down, he frowns, looking over my face. “What?”
“Nothing,” I answer, shaking my head. I didn’t think he was the type to party but then the thought of him at the marina comes to mind. But still, even then he was so shy. Acted innocent. So why is Holland asking him for drugs?
Holland slaps his shoulder. “Give her your best.”
Mack frowns. “You sure?”
Holland nods. “Positive.”
Mack starts digging into his pocket and removes a tiny plastic baggie. He opens it up and pulls out a white pill. Handing it over, he says, “You only need one.”
“What is it?” I ask.
“The best Molly you’ll ever have,” Holland answers, winking at me, and I toss it into my mouth, not bothering to even think about it.
Mack hands me a cup and I take a gulp of the mixed drink, swallowing the pill.
“Thanks, man,” Holland tells him.
“Give it fifteen minutes and you’ll be good,” Mack adds.
I go to hand him his drink back and he shakes his head, pocketing his hands. “You keep it.”
Holland grabs my free hand and pulls me out of the room. We’re walking back down the hallway when my cell vibrates in my pocket. I wore jeans tonight because I knew I wouldn’t be sober. I’d rather not flash anyone. Pulling my hand from his, I look to see it’s Kira. “Hello?” I shout over “Lilith” by Ellise.
I can hear her voice but can’t make out what she’s saying. “One sec.”
I step into a room and turn on the light. It’s a half bath. “Hello?” I repeat.
“Where are you?” she shouts, thinking I still can’t hear, and it makes me flinch.
“At a party.” No need to lie. I’m not sure if Sarah finally got a hold of her or not. Kira and I have been friends for too long to lie to one another. We may not agree on some things, but I’ll always tell her the truth.
“Elli,” she sighs. “Are you fucked up?”
“Not yet,” I answer honestly.
I hear her whispering, and I guess she’s telling Corbin what I’m up to. “Who are you there with?” she goes on.
“What’s with the twenty questions?” I look up to see the door open and Holland enters, closing it behind him, obviously tired of waiting for me in the hall.
“Elli, please leave,” Kira goes on as Holland comes to stand behind me. He places his hand on my hips and I shove them off.
He holds them up and chuckles like it’s funny. I’m not there. I didn’t come here to get laid. The only guy I want is Sin. And I hate myself for that.
“Elli?” she snaps when I ignore her.
“I’m fine, Kira. I’ll call you tomorrow.” I hang up and turn off my cell, knowing I’ll try to call Sin the moment everything goes numb. Even if he has me blocked, I don’t want to know that kind of heartache when I hear him on his voicemail.
“How about we have a little fun?” Holland offers, pulling a bag of his own out of his wallet.
Taking a sip of the drink that Mack gave me, I pray it helps the pill kick in soon. He said give it fifteen minutes. “I don’t know…”
“You’re here to get fucked up, right? Let’s get fucked up.” Without another word, he pours the white powder onto the counter and then removes a credit card. He hands me a hundred-dollar bill and I start rolling it up while he gets to separating the cocaine into two lines. I guess one can’t hurt.
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
SIN
WE’RE DRIVING BACK from Carnage in silence. I can feel the tension in the car. The Spade brothers are going to give me what I want, but they didn’t tell me what it’ll cost me.
It doesn’t even matter. I know it won’t be money. A soul for a soul comes to mind. And I’d hand mine over without thought. Loving someone is being selfless and Elli is worth that. She deserves nothing less. After everything she’s been through, what I’ve put her through. A part of me hates that she still loves me because I know she deserves better. The other part of me is glad she does because I wouldn’t be able to walk away from her even if she hated me. We’ve gone too far to turn back now.
Reaching into the back pocket of my jeans, I pull out the picture that I still have. I can’t stop thinking about it. The thought of knowing someone else was there unsettles me more and more. The fact that she was in that situation at all makes me want to kill James over and over, but add the fact that now I know more were involved…
It has to be Linc, right? He knew about her and James. But what if it’s not? Who else is alive and knows what James did to her? Did this other guy do it too? She hadn’t told me about Linc until her mother married him, so who else could she be keeping secrets for?
“What’s that?” Tyson finally breaks the silence. His tone tells me he’s still angry with me but curious enough to ask.
“I found this older picture of Elli. James is in it.” Tyson knows her past. I’ve filled him in. He wasn’t going to help me out without knowing everything. I figured it couldn’t hurt to have him on my side. Even if he doesn’t agree with what I’m going to do to end it.
He frowns. “Meaning?”
“Meaning someone else took it.”
He nods to himself. “You think it’s Linc?”