Page 38 of We're All Liars

She points to Shelby on her own stretcher with an oxygen mask over her face. “She’s okay. Everyone is accounted for except the driver. They’re still looking for him.”

If everyone is accounted for then why don’t I see her? “No, where’s Morgan?”

The medic gives me a confused look just as an officer approaches. “Who?”

“Morgan King. Where is she?”

The officer stoops down. “Son, there was only one female in the car.” He glances at his notes. “Shelby King. I believe you’re mistaken. You had a hard hit to the head and an extremely traumatic experience.”

No fucking shit. But I know one thing. “She was there. She was in the car.”

He gives me a once-over like he thinks I’m insane and I feel fucking crazy.

“The driver who hit you all took off. But there were witnesses who jumped in to help. They said there were only three passengers plus the driver. Though he was able to make it out under his own power, there was a man who waiting down there and forced Mr. King on an airboat with him. We can’t be sure, but it seemed planned. The vehicle that hit y’all was a blue pickup with a brush guard. Can you tell me anything about the vehicle or driver who hit you all?”

I shake my head. But not because I can’t answer but because I don’t want to believe the answer. “My father. He drives a truck like that.”

The officer glances back to his notes. “What’s his name?”

“Randall Crawford.” And I pray to God he didn’t do this or get to her. He knows how important she is to me.

“Can you describe him?” the officer calmly asks.

I mechanically rattle off his description. “About six foot, stocky build, brown hair, brown eyes.” Like me.

He gives me a strained look before admitting, “That matches the eyewitness description.”

Motioning for his partner to come over, he asks, “Is there any reason why your father would do this or want to harm any of you?”

The only thing that makes sense is the game. “Football maybe. He’s had some shady dealing with placing bets on Saint Juliet in the past. And I know Coach was involved with them too.” But I can’t bring myself to say he hired them to kill his family because I don’t know who to trust right now except Ryder.

Irate, Ryder yells, “It was your father?” He huffs at the paramedic who is trying to give him oxygen and tells him to calm down. “Y’all really need to get some new ‘calming’ tactics. If anything happens to her—”

I don’t blame him for being scared, but he has to know there’s no way I would ever allow anything to happen to her. Even though I feel like I’ve already failed her, and it’s entirely my fault. How could I let her get in the car to begin with, thinking I had any control over the chaos?

35

MORGAN

I hear him groan and look over to see him open his eyes. Finally.

“Hi, Dad.” I stare at him as he groggily shakes his head and glances around. “Where are we?”

“The old hospital in New Orleans,” I answer. I really wanted to take him to the same one Lenny took me to, but I knew Cade and Ryder would look for us there. They’ll never think to check here. “It should be familiar, but that damn chloroform makes your head all hazy for a while. It’ll wear off.”

There’s panic on his face as he tries to get free. His movements jerk the chair that he’s tied to, causing it to scrape across the floor. “What the fuck is going on?” He’s panicking already. “This is not right. Can you get loose?”

Ha. He’s so far off base.“What isn’t right? That I’m alive? Or that you’re not dead yet?”

His eyes snap to mine. In a slow, obvious motion, I fold my legs under me and cross my arms over my chest, then lean back and let him comprehend the fact that I’m not restrained. Only he is.

I’m in control.

“What did you do?”

The triumphant smile I feel spread across my face radiates through me. “Nothing that you weren’t planning to do.” The rage inside me stiffens when I think of my brother. “How about you convince me that you weren’t going to really kill me, my brother, oh, and our mother. Then maybe I’ll have a little mercy on you.”

“You fucking cunt. I will kill you.” He attempts to jump off the chair but fails since the restraints won’t allow him much movement.

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