Page 105 of Finish Line

Dom runs his hand down his face before he looks down at me. “The thought of him getting you again keeps me up at night. I want a group text when you leave the house, arrive at work, then leave to go home.”

“Deal.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

The next big bomb drops when police discover Evan’s body in the basement of an abandoned house, lying in a pool of his own blood.

I freak out when I read the story, afraid of the DNA I left behind. The guys assure me that Frank covered it up, though, and I don’t ask how.

Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.

The police determine that Evan died in a drug deal gone wrong. The prime suspect is a six-foot-tall male with brown hair that matches Roger’s description. When the media asks Evan’s father why he didn’t report his son missing, all he says is ‘no comment’.

Several weeks pass, and with no new leads, the case goes cold. But deep down in my gut, I know that the Evan thing is far from over. Roger is just biding his time, and we keep our guard up.

Mid-May arrives, and our days settle into a pattern.

I’m almost at the end of my work shift, and the day has dragged on, so I’m looking forward to leaving.

The guys have less than a month left of school, so tonight, we plan to discuss our plans for after graduation.

“Excuse me,” Carrie says from behind me.

“Shouldn’t you be in school?” I rearrange a few cans on the shelf, then turn to glare at her.

“I skipped.” She tips her nose in the air. “Is this how you treat a paying customer? I need a box from the top shelf.”

I set down my last can. “Fine, I’ll grab the ladder.”

“How dare you say that to me?” She gasps. “What have I ever done to you?”

Bewildered, I turn back to see tears pouring down Carrie’s cheeks. What is she up to?

“All I wanted was some cereal.” Her voice rises in volume with each word. “You didn’t have to be so mean!”

Like a fool, I stare at her with my mouth open.

“What is going on here?” Mr. Silva, the owner, comes around the corner.

Carrie turns to the owner, and her wailing cuts off, but tears show on her cheeks. “Mr. Silva, I wanted a box of cereal, and this person told me to get it myself because she doesn’t help rich people like me.” She puts a hand on her chest and gasps. “Then she called me names I can’t repeat. I want her fired.”

I snap out of my fog. “Mr. Silva, I did no such thing. I was on my way to grab the ladder. She’s making it up.”

Screwing up her face, she pours on the tears. “Who will you believe, Mr. Silva? A paying customer or her?” She points a finger at me.

Damn her. I’m about to defend myself again when he says, “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing, missy.”

My mouth pops open in surprise, but Carrie’s too busy fake crying to notice Mr. Silva glaring at her.

When she realizes he’s not talking to me, she glances around the store before dropping the act. “Daddy is looking for a new project. I should tell him to buy this rundown store.”

She strides away.

Mr. Silva watches Carrie’s retreating figure. “Shelby, please follow me to my office.”

“Sure.” I bite my cheek to hide how I feel inside.

That bitch just got me fired. How did she know I was working here?

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