Page 39 of The Players

“And no guns.”

He gave me a look that indicated he had no intention of going out unarmed.

I opened my mouth to protest when Randy spoke up. “What about me?”

“You and I need to figure out a way to stop Savannah, either get her expelled, or convince her to head back to the rock she crawled out of.”

“Easier said than done,” Hector interjected. “If she’s got you in her sights, she won’t want to leave. And she’s related to the Hills. They won’t expel her.”

“Not unless it was something really bad,” I said, the gears turning.

“So you’re going to frame her?” Randy asked, her brown eyes growing large. “Devious.”

“I don’t know,” I said, “but we can’t let her have her way with this town.”

“What about the information on your parents?” Hector asked. He was always the one to keep track of small details, to be thoughtful when others were ready to barrel ahead. “We haven’t made any progress on that.”

I rubbed my fingers along my chin. “Maybe we can kill two birds with one stone.”

Hector sat back, throwing his arms over the gazebo railing. “I can tell you one thing. It’ll take a lot more than a stone to kill the Hills, so you better be prepared. We all should be.”

Chapter seventeen

“Idon’tknow,Vivi.I don’t think this is a good idea.” Randy leaned forward and stared out the window of my car at the Hill Estate, her breath fogging up the windshield.

I took my sweater sleeve and wiped the perspiration away so I could continue to start at the palatial mansion. “Easton knows something, both about Savannah’s motives and my parents' murder. I can feel it.”

It was Halloween night, a time for celebration, but here I was on a reconnaissance mission in a dark part of town that saw no trick-or-treaters. The Hill Mansion had its gates closed. No king-sized candy bars for the kiddos out here.

“But tell me why Easton will talk to you again?” Randy asked. “Because both of the people you just mentioned are his family. His flesh and blood. And you’re… what? A hot piece of ass?”

“Thank you,” I said, glancing at her. “But no. I’m more than that. I’m the girl who destroyed his crew. That’s what you said before.”

“I still don’t see why that would make him narc on his own family.” Randy threw her head back against the headrest. She wasn’t munching on anything, a sure sign that she was nervous. I was nervous too. That’s why I’d come up with a backup plan.

“Listen, I’ll keep my phone on and you do, too. If something goes wrong, I’ll text you 9-1-1, and you’ll create a distraction. I’ll slip out the back, and you can come to pick me up. Simple.”

“Simple?” Randy said, her voice so high dogs were probably barking in another county. “Okay, Double-O-7.”

“Look, we know that Spencer and Savannah aren’t here. They went to a Halloween party downtown, and Lowell has eyes on them. We also know that Mr. Hill is at some rich bitch gala function that normally goes well past midnight. That leaves Easton and whatever staff is in the house. It’s my chance to talk to him alone. I have to take it.”

Randy rocked her jaw back and forth as if chewing on my words. “I still don’t like it.”

“Neither do I.” I opened my car door and stepped out. “But I seriously love you, Randy. And if anything happens to me, take care of Gram.”

“Don’t even joke about that,” she said, peering at me from the driver’s side.

I blew her a kiss and carefully shut the car door, making sure not to make too much noise. Then I walked over to the big iron gate that led to the Hill Estate and thumbed the intercom button.

The camera mounted on the gate zeroed in on me as a voice crackled through the speaker.

“Who is it?” a man’s voice asked.

“Hi. I’m here to see Easton. Can you tell him his lab partner is here to work on the science homework?”

“Just a moment,” the voice said.

Time ticked past. Each second felt like an eternity. I was certain they were going to tell me to F-off, but then the gate buzzed and began to open inward.

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