Page 15 of His Pretty Little Lies
"Fucking hell, Damon, you didn't tell me Jax had lost it. This shit better not be in the blood." It is. All our parents are examples of it.
"How about you stop speaking?" I order Cooper; he's only going to freak her out more, and I'm trying to think here. "Everyone to the farm and get the system back online."
Damon had come earlier to open the gate and the warehouse, along with shutting down the camera feeds. The plan was to lure Kinsley here with a tip for a story. I'd debated staging something or letting her overhear Damon and me making shit up to get her curious. Then I'd be so lucky that she'd stalk me for once.
But after how today went, I chucked that plan. I wanted to kill it altogether, but the note had already put everything inmotion, and my new plan was to tell Kinsley to be more safe and let her know it was a setup. I was going to admit to what I'd done. That I was trying to get her attention. Then kiss the fuck out of her.
Now I'm an asshole and a dumbass because here I was wanting to teach her a lesson about sneaking off into places alone, and now I really have gone and pulled her into a fucked-up situation.
On top of that, I'm not sure I can let her go. She could run to the police or write up a story. Right now, the only safe place is back on the farm, where I can get her calmed down and my head on straight.
"Well, you all enjoy that farm," Kinsley says, tugging my hand to get free. Yeah, not happening. It's not only about her going to the police. What if whoever killed the girl saw us? If they did, they sure as fuck saw Kinsley in the Golden Prep uniform, and they clearly know it. It won't be hard to trace back to her. Kinsley is unforgettable. "I'm going to head home." She tries again.
Both Damon and Cooper's brows rise. "The farm," I order both of them and start leading Kinsley back to my Charger. I open the passenger side door.
"In," I order her.
"Jax, I?—"
"In," I clip out harder than I mean to. I’m trying to be the good guy, but it’s not working. There is no room for discussion on this right now.
When she slips inside, I shut the door behind her, resting my hands on the top of my car to get my shit together. Damon and I lock eyes, and I know that he is willing to support whatever I decide to do.
That’s the fucking thing. I’m not sure what I’m going to do. Right now, and who the fuck am I kidding, always, Kinsley is atthe forefront of what needs to be taken care of. I need to calm her down and make sure she’s not going to run from me. Then I’ll worry about the dead girl.
When I slide into the driver's seat, Kinsley is sitting up straight, her brows furrowed together. I reach over and grab her seat belt, clicking it on for her.
“You with me?”
“I don’t really have a choice now, do I?”
“I’m sorry, Kinsley. I didn’t mean to pull you into this mess.”
“You put that note in my locker?” She is piecing things together now that her adrenaline is coming back down. I can see the hurt in her eyes. Any trust I earned today is gone. It cuts deep, but I did it to myself. Now, I have to clean this mess up and manage not to lose the girl.
That last one isn’t an option. I won’t lose her.
"I had Damon put the note in your locker," I confirm.
"Can you take me home?" I hate how disappointed and hurt she sounds. It pierces me to my core.
"No, I'm sorry."
"Stop saying you're sorry," she snaps at me. Good, get pissed, Kinsley. I want that fire back in her, the determination that is always there. "If you were sorry, then you'd take me home."
"You're right," I agree. "I'm notthatsorry." She scowls at me. I throw my car into drive, taking off up the hill and through the open gate, where my cousin and Damon are waiting to close and secure it behind me.
There is only one place where the dead body went, and it's into the river. With us turning off the security, we have zero feed at this point. I'll have to see what my cousin Mac can do about pulling feed from other locations around here.
This part of the city is dead. It's full of old warehouses and buildings. Half of them aren't used, and the other half are only occupied during the day. Everything clears out down here whenthe sun starts to set. I had Damon follow Kinsley here to ensure her safety. I wanted to make sure she got into the building safely, where I'd be waiting.
I should have made sure the place was clear when I got there, but I was short on time, and I sure as fuck didn't think anyone would slip in there in that short window of time. It was just a handful of hours. It makes me wonder if this person has been there before. We need to go back through any old footage. That's going to take time.
“Tell me something,” Kinsley finally speaks.
“I’m going to tell you everything.”
“Really?” I glance over at her, taking my eyes off the road for only a brief second. She eyes me curiously.
