Page 50 of The Players

The blond podcaster shook his head sadly. “I’ll tell you how it happens, Ben. Money. The Brights and Hills have more money than God so they might as well act like Gods, am I right? At least the FBI is looking into it. Maybe they’ll find enough dirt to bury her in it. One can only hope.”

When the clip ended, the gym was silent. No one moved. No one spoke.

I blinked several times, trying to process what had happened. How had this video come to be played at our Homecoming dance?

Then I remembered Hector said they’d gotten the brownies andsomething else.

Hector’s father was a district attorney. He had connections. If the Hills had paid to have this story buried there was only one person who could dig it up, someone with connections in law enforcement.

But, oh my God, this was bad. Savannah had killed a little boy?!

I turned to where she’d been standing, and it seemed like I was the last one to do so. Every eye was anchored on the spot where the group had been only moments ago, but now they were gone.

“Holy shit!” Randy spun around, her dress billowing out around her like a bell. “Did you see that? Oh my God! I can’t believe that happened.”

“Keep your voice down,” Hector said, his jaw tight. “We had nothing to do with it.”

“Riiight,” Randy said, pointing finger guns at Hector.

We were standing at the far end of the school’s parking lot. Hector and Lowell’s cars sat parked while we waited for the long lines to disperse and while we figured out what to do next. My eyes kept scanning the dark shadows as if waiting for something to jump out and strike. We were far from the halogens, but the moon was bright enough to see by. Though I was nervous, I liked being in the dark for one reason: far too many people stared at us after the video. Even though Hector and Lowell made sure to set up the video so no one but Julian would know who delivered it, the school still suspected. Who else would benefit from bringing the Hill family down more than us?

I told myself I didn’t care. Savannah had made her bed. She’d been the one to drive drunk and kill that boy. She was the one walking around free while he lay six feet under. It also made sense why she and Spencer had so suddenly transferred. If everyone at her old school knew about the accident, she would have had a hard time showing her face at school. She thought a fresh start here could hide her sin.

She was wrong.

“I bet Easton’s shitting his pants too,” Lowell said before taking a drag on his cigarette. “It’s his family that paid the jury off or whatever they did to keep her out of jail.”

Hector nodded. “That’s why Spencer said the FBI is involved. If the Hills or their company used their money and power to buy a judge or jury, there would be an investigation.”

“Are we ruining all their lives?” My breath puffed out in small crystal clouds that dissipated as soon as they appeared. They were like my thoughts, here and then gone. I just couldn’t make sense of what had happened. The brownies were one thing, but this…

“Who cares?” Lowell said, flicking his cigarette at the pavement. “The Hills are rich dicks who’ve gotten away with murder literally. And don’t forget Easton tried to kill you not more than a month ago. They deserve everything they get.”

Hector crossed his big arms over his chest. “The question is will they come after us? The answer is probably yes unless they don’t want to stir up more trouble. I’ve already warned my father. He was… not too pleased.”

“He didn’t give you this information?” I asked.

Hector raised an eyebrow. “Give? It depends on your definition of ‘give.’ Did I use his computer and login information to dig through some databases I was not supposed to have access to? If that’s your definition of him ‘giving’ it to me, then yes.”

I ran a hand down his arm. “You didn’t have to do that.”

He shot me a serious look, rage hiding beneath his features. I’d grown accustomed to that look. It appeared on their faces any time someone did anything to me they didn’t like. “Yes, I did have to do what I did. They were trying to hurt you. Tokillyou.”

I bit my lip and leaned into him. He put an arm around me, drawing me into his solid body. He wrapped his arms around me, caging me in his warmth, and whispered into my hair, “It’s over.”

Then my phone began vibrating in my bag.

Reluctantly, I withdrew from his embrace, slipped my hand into my bag, and pulled my phone out.

ANONTXT:You’ve done it this time, bitch.

“It’s not over,” I said, blowing out a breath. “With them, it never is.”

Chapter twenty-one

ANONTXT:Come to the store. Come alone. No cops. I’m already inside with the matches. You’ll see how flammable groceries can be.

I stared at the screen, my heartbeat going a mile a minute.

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