Page 31 of Wicked Sins

My heart’s in my throat as I ram open the door and race around the house to my SUV. I don’t care if I wake the whole neighborhood—I slam the car door and twist the key in the ignition. Gravel sprays from under the tires as I peel out of the driveway. I’m staring behind me, one hand gripping the passenger side headrest as I hold down the gate’s key fob.

“Open, open, open!” I mutter through my teeth.

The one side of the gate scrapes against my fender as I back the SUV out faster than the gates can open. As soon as I’m on the road, I throw the gear shift into drive and slam down my foot on the gas. My tires screech, and there’s a moment of frozen time where they can’t adhere to the surface of the road.

Then they grip.

The SUV lurches forward.

I leave my stomach behind as my car rockets down the road to Sean’s house.

* * *

The party’sstill in full swing when I arrive. Someone, I’m guessing Alex, left the gates open. I jump out the SUV, not bothering to close the door behind me or take the key out of the ignition.

Barefoot, dressed only in a hoody and sweats, I run over the lawn and weave between the parked cars. The front door opens but immediately crashes into some random guy standing nearby. I couldn’t care less if I’ve just broken his nose—ignoring his yell of pain, I push through the kids littering the living room.

“Alex!” My voice booms out, but it’s barely able to compete with the blaring hip hop music thumping through the speakers. “Alex!”

“He’s upstairs,” someone says.

I turn and race for the stairs, shoving the kids who are too drunk or fucked to move out of the way.

“Fuck you!” someone yells after me, but it’s all just white noise by now.

They drugged her.

I shove open every door on the second floor. I hammer on the first locked one I get to for a few seconds before moving on.

My brain is screaming for me to slow down, to take stock, but there’s no time.

They drugged her.

Why? Because then she wouldn’t fight back.

I’m snarling, my hands in white-knuckled fists.

“Jo. Jo!”

Alex. I skid to a halt, carpet fibers scorching my naked soles. “Where?” is all I can manage through my tight throat.

He points to a door.

It’s standing ajar.

My heart’s in my fucking throat, throttling me, suffocating me.

I throw it open.

Everything’s red.

The walls, the floor, the bed.

Candy.

She’s red too.

Someone covered her with a sheet. She could have been sleeping, but she’s naked beneath that silk.

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