Page 182 of Soul So Dark
It’s insurance.
It’s the last piece of my plan I was waiting for.
I check my watch and, right on schedule, I see Dallas’s car emerge from the alleyway between the two brick buildings. Then I laugh to myself.Colson’s Civic.She must love that. And I’m sure I’ll hear all about it later.
I pull my Raptor out after her, only for a murdered-out Audi Q8 to cut me off right before I reach the next intersection. She continues on toward campus, past the park, and once she passes the cathedral on the corner across from the coffee shop she usually stops at, I decide that this has turned from a coincidence into a threat. Dallas has taken at least four turns through obscure campus neighborhoods, and the Q8 about three car lengths in front of me has taken every single one.
Hanging back, I watch Dallas turn into the driveway that leads to the gravel spaces behind the house. I come to a halt alongside the curb and flip off my lights before the Q8 stops further ahead and does the same. The street is quiet, dotted with light poles in various stages of demise. The Q8 is just out of the range of the one between us, obscuring the license plate and any chance of seeing much with the exorbitant level of window tint.
After another minute, I watch as a figure in a dark hoodie and jeans slowly exits the vehicle and just stands on the other side of the hood. The edge of his profile is obscured by his sweatshirt and he is otherwise relatively unremarkable. I don’t know why, but I check my GPS app, even though the vehicle is a far cry from Bowen’s F250. The blue dot indicates his vehicle is on the move, but far out of range, which doesn’t do much to explain who this other guy is, standing in the dark, staring at the glow of Dallas’s bedroom window. I may not know exactly who he is, but one thing’s for sure.
This has to be the second man.
I wince as my left pec starts spasming and a sharp, needling sensation radiates down my side. I flex my bicep and squeeze my arm against my ribcage as the adrenaline hits, fighting to maintain focus while I keep reminding myself of where I am. Eventually, it stops and everything returns to normal, with the chirps of crickets and the distant noises of the city.
The second man lingers behind the hood of the SUV, like he’s waiting for something. So, I wait, too. Just like I have countless times before, I watch in silence, from the shadows, and I wait to see whether he’s a threat or not. And that’s what I do for the next 10 minutes, watching to see if he’ll get back inside and drive away, or if he’ll take one step off that curb and right into the blade of my knife.
Because, just like I told Dallas long ago, I'll eliminate any other admirer she has, whether she knows about them or not.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Dallas
“So, he’s coming? He’sactuallycoming?” Shelby asks as she spreads her Ghost Spider costume across her yellow comforter.
Shelby’s skepticism is warranted, but as excited as I am, I’d be lying if I said I’m not tempering my own expectations and preparing for disappointment.
“That’s what he said. You know, when I threatened never to speak to him again,” I smirk.
“Well,” she lowers her voice, “I don’t think AJ would’ve agreed to that if he’s actually Bowen. Plus, it’s a public place, there’s going to be, like, a million people there.”
She’s right, and after Aiden did me a solid and planted that GPS tracker on Bowen’s truck, I’ll know if he’s anywhere nearby. Not that he doesn’t have friends that are probably just as fucked up as he is, but I have to work with what I have.
Suddenly, a figure in a metallic, emerald green leotard, spiked wrist and arm cuffs, and turtle shell strapped to their back leaps through the doorway.
“TA-DAAA!” Maddie crows, planting her hands on her hips.
“That issick!” I gasp, admiring her Bowser costume.
She’s been going on and on about it for months, but refused to show any of us until now. Carter shuffles in behind Maddie and crouches down at her waist dramatically, peeking out from behind her back.
Shelby and I shriek with excitement at the sight of her Kamek costume. Carter straightens up, letting us admire her shiny robin’s egg blue robe, pointy hat, magic wand, and giant round glasses.
I reach out to feel the satin draped over her shoulders. “You allhaveto win something this year.”
“Forget Mario and Luigi, we’re going full-on villain from now on,” Maddie declares.
The front door slams and a muffled voice drifts up the stairs.
“We’re up here!” Carter calls out the bedroom door.
A few seconds later, Austin appears behind her, his bright eyes darting between all the characters in various state of costume.
“Daaamn…” he drawls, admiring Maddie’s shell. “That turned out clutch.”
“I know, right?Omigod—” She grabs the sides of her head. “I got this killer red wig, I can’t believe I forgot!”
She spins around and darts past Austin into the hallway.
