Page 182 of Dare To Fall

“I’m not a puzzle you need to solve.”

“No, you’re the bane of my existence. A cancer that needs to be removed.”

“So come and do it. Or are you a coward?”

He throws back his head and laughs. “Oh, you’d like that, wouldn’t you? Kellan tried that trick. He thought he could fool me into thinking he wanted to talk, and then he tried to kill me.”

“I doubt that. You killed him.” My voice shows no sign of the pain saying those words sends through me.

“You killed him. You’re to blame for everything. They would all be alive if you had just fucking died with your mother.”

Cold fingers trace up my spine. “What did you say?”

But he’s not listening.

“All you had to do was fucking die, then everything would have been perfect. Jace would be mine, Kellan would be mine. Zoey would love me, and that little bitch in heat who you’ve been panting over for the last few months would be kneeling at my feet.” His lips tilt up. “She offered to suck my dick, you know. You’re not that special, after all.”

I take a step closer. “Who did?”

“Your little bitch. Your kitten.” His voice rises. “I’ll suck your dick, Evan.”

“Why would she offer to do that?”

“Because she wants to please me.” He rolls his eyes. “Get with the program, Eli.”

His mood swings, from angry to humorous, are giving me whiplash.

“Why did you kill her, Evan?” I slide another step closer.

He throws out a hand. “Stay over there, Eli. I know what you’re doing.”

“I’m not doing anything. I’m just trying to understand.” … And trying to stall until Garrett shows up.

But what if he isn’t going to show up? What if he’s working with Evan? What if no one else is here to help?

“Where’s Arabella?”

He laughs. “You’ll never find her. She’s gone for good. All your friends are gone, Eli. You have no one left.” He smirks. “How does it feel?”

I squash down the panic at his words. She’s not gone. He’s got her hidden somewhere. I have to believe that.

“I’m not alone. I have my dad, my stepmom. I have Miles and Garrett. I have Arabella. I’m surrounded by people who love me for who I am. What do you have, Evan?” One more step and I should be within arm’s reach of him.

“Lies! No one likes you. I’ve made sure of that.”

“No. You failed.” I choose my next words carefully, watching him intently for signs of a reaction. “For all the shit you’ve done, you failed, Evan. I have everything. You have nothing.”

He launches himself at me, hands clamping around my throat and squeezing. “You’re wrong! I’ve won. You won’t take her away from me.”

“I already did. I took them all. They’re all with me, Evan. Not you.”

His nails dig into my skin, and he screams, spit flying from his mouth. “No! No! No!”

Lights are dancing in front of my eyes, but I don’t try to fight him off. I let him rant and scream, listening as he pours out all the hate. Admits to all the terror he caused. Just as my vision begins to dim, my lungs burning with the need for oxygen, he releases me.

I stagger backward, sucking in breath after breath, then lift my head up.

Evan is pinned between two security guards. Garrett stands beside them, pale and wide-eyed. And just beyond them, three police officers are moving toward us.

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