Page 52 of The Players

“No.” I was in a blind panic now. “Give me the keys. Now.” I held out my trembling hand. I was going to throw up or pass out, but before that, I was going to go save my grandmother.

Hector gave me a sympathetic look.

Randy grabbed my arm to get my attention. “We’ll figure something out to save your grandmother, Viv. We won’t let her die, but let's at least think for a second.”

“Did you see her face?!” I said, my voice cracking. “They did something to her. Theyhurther!” The tears were starting now, hot and wet at the corners of my eyes, but I didn’t care. I needed to get to the store, and I needed to go. Now.

When Hector wouldn’t hand me the keys, I started jogging toward the road. I’d hitchhike there, or call an Uber. I pulled out my phone, then remembered I’d dropped it on the pavement.

An engine started behind me. Hector pulled up beside me with his window rolled down. Lowell and Randy were in the backseat. They’d saved shotgun for me.

“Get in,” Hector said. “We can plan on the way.”

“They said ‘Come alone.’” I muttered.

He gave me a look that seemed to suggest that I was out of my mind if I thought I would be allowed to go to the store alone.

I got in the car and shut the door. Lowell handed me my cell phone. Then Hector pulled out of the school parking lot and raced toward the other side of town toward the store as fast as the car would take him.

“She’s going to try to kill you,” Randy said, gripping the back of my seat and leaning forward so she could be near me. “She already assaulted you. She’ll want more.”

“Let her try,” Lowell growled from behind me. He was bordering on drunk, and that meant he was dangerous. Bringing him along felt like arriving with a temperamental hand grenade in my pocket.

“Lowell, I need you to let me handle this.” I glanced behind me, trying to meet his gaze, but what I saw just made me more nervous. His eyes were glazed and distant. If he got his hands on anyone tonight, he was likely to kill them.

He wouldn’t meet my eyes. Instead, he took another drink from his flask, sloshed it around as if he was disappointed it was empty, and then tucked it in his jacket pocket.

At least there was no more alcohol that I knew of. I turned around and clasped my hands together as if that could keep me from falling apart. This was all going to hell in a handbasket so fast.

Hector took a corner at top speed. I grabbed the “oh-shit” handle and hung on.

“She won’t kill my grandmother, not if I show up,” I said more to myself than to anyone. “She might want to kill me, but I’m harder to kill than a lot of people think. Easton found that out. She will too.”

“I’d like to avoid getting that far if we can. I can call my dad.” Hector’s knuckles were white on the steering wheel.

“No.” I emphatically shook my head. “I don’t want him involved.”

I thought back to the way Hector’s father botched my parents' murder investigation. He was the last person I wanted to ride in to save the day. If anything, he might side with Savannah and lock me up, especially if bribes were involved.

“He’s not as bad as you think,” Hector said quietly, but I didn’t respond.

We were here.

Slowly, Hector pulled into the grocery store parking lot and turned his headlights off. We were instantly plunged into near darkness. The parking lot lights had all been turned off, as had the lights inside the store, leaving the lot dark and the store pitch black.

“My parents always leave the lights on at night,” Randy said quietly.

Hector crept forward as we scanned in every direction, looking for threats.

There were no cars. No noises. Nothing to note that something sinister was about to go down here.

The moon hung in the sky, white like a bloated fish belly. I swallowed hard and stared at the dark windows wishing I could see inside.

My phone buzzed. I pulled my phone out and unlocked it.

ANONTXT:I thought I said to come alone.

Me:I needed a ride.

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