Page 65 of The Sweetest Revenge

My gaze shifted, catching Ariella's and holding for a long minute. Ariella didn't know Kevin like I did. She had no idea he was a car expert. While everyone was getting ready for college, he was working in his dad's shop. When we all left for college, he was taking tech classes to learn everything he could about the ins and outs of a car, and if he was willing to bet the brakes were tampered with, then they definitely were.

"I took a few pictures and sent them to your phone, showing you exactly what I saw so you'd have them if you needed them."

I shoved my hand into my pocket, grabbing a wad of money. "Thanks." Pulling my hand out, I shoved the money toward him.

He shook his head. "Nah, this one was on the house. Your sister deserved better than this. I hope you figure out who did it and give them exactly what they deserve." Shoving the money back in my pocket, I nodded. When I found out who did this, I was going to bury them. "I parked at the back gate." He threw a thumb over his shoulder. "Let me know if you need anything else."

We stood silently for a long minute, watching until Kevin disappeared into the darkness.

"So she was murdered."

"Looks that way." The truth about Kacie's death had been here all along, rusting away in my father's junkyard while I'd spent a year plotting and planning how I was going to destroy the wrong person. "Listen carefully. We can't tell anyone about this."

"Journey and Mila—" She moved to reach for her phone in her back pocket.

I caught her wrist before she could reach it. The touch sent electricity through both of us, and she jerked away like she'd been burned. "We can let them know tomorrow when we meet up." My voice dropped to barely above a whisper, paranoia creeping in with the shadows. "But no text. No phone calls, and we don't bring anyone in that we don't trust."

Ariella's eyes widened as understanding dawned. She gave a sharp nod.

My fingers drummed against my thigh as pieces started clicking into place. "If someone was after my mom, then it probably had something to do with my dad, and he's been in bed with some bad people."

Ariella stepped closer, her eyes scanning the darkness beyond the car. "So you think they were for sure after your mom?" The question came out soft as if she was afraid the wrong ears might hear it.

I raised my shoulders. "No one knew that my mom and Kacie switched cars that night except me, Kacie, my mom, and my dad."

"True," she said. "I didn't even know."

A roll of thunder echoed through the silence. "We should get out of here before it rains."

A branch snapped somewhere in the darkness. Ariella's whole body jerked, her shoulder ramming into mine. "What was that?"

The rustling grew louder, dry leaves skittering across the pavement. Before I could open my mouth, she launched herself at me, fingers clawing into my shirt. "What the fuck is that?"

Her body molded against mine, every curve finding its familiar place. My arms locked around her automatically as she buried her face in my chest, her racing heart echoing through both our bodies.

"It's probably a raccoon." A laugh bubbled up before I could stop it. It was not because of her fear—it was because of how perfectly she still fit against me, how her body remembered what her mind wanted to forget. The familiar scent of her shampoo, vanilla, and something floral filled my lungs. Every tremor that ran through her body echoed in mine.

"It's not funny." The words vibrated against my collarbone, her lips brushing my skin through my shirt.

"No, it's not." My hands found their way to her hips. One smooth motion, and she was up, legs wrapping around my waist like they belonged there.

Ariella's breath hitched. Her fingers clutched my shoulders, caught between pushing away and pulling closer. "What are you doing?"

"Protecting you from the big, bad animals running around out here."

She opened her mouth like she wanted to argue, but she must have been scared enough to decide against it. Instead, she wrapped her arms around my neck and hooked her legs around my back. "Let's get out of here, please," she hummed against my neck, and my dick twitched against the denim of my jeans, reminding me how badly I wanted her, and I knew she wanted me too, even if she wasn't willing to admit it yet.

CHAPTER32

ARIELLA

One a.m. The red numbers on my alarm clock pulsed like a warning. Sleep should have come easily after everything that happened, but every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was Kacie's car, and all I could feel was Zaiden's warm arms wrapped around me. I hated that the grief of losing my best friend kept tangling up with memories of him, the one person I'd sworn to never trust again, but I couldn't stop thinking about Zaiden and the way my body reacted to him even after everything he'd done to me.

Shoving a hand through my hair, pushing it out of my face, I squeezed my eyes closed. This room felt like the walls were closing in, and it was suffocating. My eyes flashed open, staring into the darkness beyond my bedroom window. I needed fresh air, but it was so dark outside.

I stepped up to my bedroom window and stared down at the empty driveway. I hated being in this house without Kacie, but even more, I hated being alone. Zaiden had come back with me, but he must have left afterward because his bike wasn't where we'd left it. I should have felt relieved that he was gone, but I wasn't.

My chest tightened to a suffocating level. "Fuck it," I groaned, spinning and storming out of the room. If I didn't get some air, I was going to die. I pounded down the stairs through the kitchen and burst through the back door leading to the patio. Closing my eyes, I sucked in a deep breath of the humid air. My shoulders relaxed. This was exactly what I needed.

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