Forgiving Lies
Page 77
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“These are for you, sweetheart, as soon as I finish putting my claim on you and then making you mine. I’ve never forgotten the day you showed up at my door with these.”
My head shook back and forth as I searched every memory I had regarding carnations, but nothing stood out, and Blake roared in frustration as he pulled one flower out and threw the rest of the bouquet against the far wall. The sound of the glass vase shattering filled the open space and he flung the lone flower at my face.
“My Rachel wouldn’t forget that she brought my family a bouquet of carnations this exact color.”
Oh God, I did remember. That had been right after I’d thought I’d fallen in love with him and his grandma had passed. My mom had bought them, but I’d wanted to give them to Mrs. West. I’d completely forgotten about that and that’d been about a dozen years ago. How did he remember that?
Blake laughed sadly and grabbed the carnation that was lying haphazardly on my cheek before trailing it along my face and up my arms. “See, my Rachel wouldn’t have forgotten, but something happened and you changed. You’re no longer my Rachel. And like the other Rachel imposters, you don’t deserve the whole bouquet. You’ll only be needing one, sweetheart.”
What in the actual f**k is wrong with this man?
Kash
I HIT MASON’S name again on my screen and prayed he’d answer the phone this time. “C’mon, c’mon, c’mon.”
Ever since I’d heard Rachel scream, and her phone had gone straight to voice mail when I called back, I’d been calling Mason over and over again. But he hadn’t once answered. I knew I shouldn’t have freaked out in the meeting room. But when you realize the serial killer you’ve been after has your girl with him, all rational thought goes out the window. But I still couldn’t believe Mason of all people had asked them to keep me at the damn station!
“What, Kash?”
“Why the hell haven’t you been answering your phone?”
“We were getting ready for the takedown.” He sounded defeated and after a few seconds he sighed into the phone. “She’s not here, man.”
My blood ran cold. “Yes she is, she has to be. I was just talking to her. Are we sure that’s the correct address?”
“Positive, this is definitely West’s place. But he isn’t here either; we checked all the rooms and there isn’t a sign of him. His Lexus is out front, so he must have another car we don’t know about, or that Explorer that man who was stalking Rachel for him drove is actually Blake’s. But it’s not here.”
“I don’t think it’s Blake’s, Rachel said he has men tailing all of us.”
“You serious?”
“Yeah, man. Even Candice’s family.”
He growled, “That sick f**k. Look, I know we were already pretty sure this would be the Carnation killer, but even if it’s not . . . he needs to go. Every room is full of pictures of Rachel, her schedule, and just random things about her.”
I flipped on my blinker and swerved across a couple lanes to take the exit I was about to miss, earning me a few horns. “You keep talking about multiple rooms. Rachel said where she’s at is practically one big room. Is there a shed or a guesthouse, anything?”
Mason started calling for Ryder away from the phone and after another few seconds, I heard him asking Ryder about other possibilities when something else he’d said occurred to me.
“Mase! Mase, can you hear me?”
“Yeah?”
“You said Blake’s Lexus is there, right?”
A pause and some shuffling. “Positive that’s his, there’s no way I’d forget that car. And it’s parked right out front.”
“Where’s Rachel’s Jeep?”
“I don’t know, man, why?”
“When he came by to get her today, they both took their cars. Find her Jeep, you find Rach.” I looked down at my GPS and let out a deep breath. “I’m not far out, I’ll be there soon.”
“No, Kash. You go back. You’re too close to this case.”
“And you’re not? She’s like your sister!”
“She’s your goddamn fiancée! Turn the f**k around!”
The tires of my truck squealed as I took a corner too quickly. I hoped like hell there were no cops running radar on this road right now—not like I’d stop for them anyway—because I was still ten minutes away if I went the speed limit. But no way was I gonna have the patience to go thirty-five miles per hour when my reason for breathing could have been taking her last. Once my truck straightened out again, I gunned it until I was going eighty-five down the narrow neighborhood roads. “If she dies, and I did nothing, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself, Mason. I’ll be there soon. Look for her Jeep or a guesthouse and call me back if you find them.” Before he could protest further, I hung up and looked wildly around at the thinning houses.
Just as I was coming up on the different squad cars and vans they’d all taken to get there, I caught a glimpse of white to my left and it took everything in me not to slam on my brakes in the middle of the road or turn and drive my truck into the small guesthouse. I’d never been so happy in my life to see a damn Jeep Liberty. I pulled up behind the end of the line of cars and started back down the long dirt driveway on foot as I called Mason again.
“We don’t have anything yet, Kash, we’re working on it.”
My head shook back and forth as I searched every memory I had regarding carnations, but nothing stood out, and Blake roared in frustration as he pulled one flower out and threw the rest of the bouquet against the far wall. The sound of the glass vase shattering filled the open space and he flung the lone flower at my face.
“My Rachel wouldn’t forget that she brought my family a bouquet of carnations this exact color.”
Oh God, I did remember. That had been right after I’d thought I’d fallen in love with him and his grandma had passed. My mom had bought them, but I’d wanted to give them to Mrs. West. I’d completely forgotten about that and that’d been about a dozen years ago. How did he remember that?
Blake laughed sadly and grabbed the carnation that was lying haphazardly on my cheek before trailing it along my face and up my arms. “See, my Rachel wouldn’t have forgotten, but something happened and you changed. You’re no longer my Rachel. And like the other Rachel imposters, you don’t deserve the whole bouquet. You’ll only be needing one, sweetheart.”
What in the actual f**k is wrong with this man?
Kash
I HIT MASON’S name again on my screen and prayed he’d answer the phone this time. “C’mon, c’mon, c’mon.”
Ever since I’d heard Rachel scream, and her phone had gone straight to voice mail when I called back, I’d been calling Mason over and over again. But he hadn’t once answered. I knew I shouldn’t have freaked out in the meeting room. But when you realize the serial killer you’ve been after has your girl with him, all rational thought goes out the window. But I still couldn’t believe Mason of all people had asked them to keep me at the damn station!
“What, Kash?”
“Why the hell haven’t you been answering your phone?”
“We were getting ready for the takedown.” He sounded defeated and after a few seconds he sighed into the phone. “She’s not here, man.”
My blood ran cold. “Yes she is, she has to be. I was just talking to her. Are we sure that’s the correct address?”
“Positive, this is definitely West’s place. But he isn’t here either; we checked all the rooms and there isn’t a sign of him. His Lexus is out front, so he must have another car we don’t know about, or that Explorer that man who was stalking Rachel for him drove is actually Blake’s. But it’s not here.”
“I don’t think it’s Blake’s, Rachel said he has men tailing all of us.”
“You serious?”
“Yeah, man. Even Candice’s family.”
He growled, “That sick f**k. Look, I know we were already pretty sure this would be the Carnation killer, but even if it’s not . . . he needs to go. Every room is full of pictures of Rachel, her schedule, and just random things about her.”
I flipped on my blinker and swerved across a couple lanes to take the exit I was about to miss, earning me a few horns. “You keep talking about multiple rooms. Rachel said where she’s at is practically one big room. Is there a shed or a guesthouse, anything?”
Mason started calling for Ryder away from the phone and after another few seconds, I heard him asking Ryder about other possibilities when something else he’d said occurred to me.
“Mase! Mase, can you hear me?”
“Yeah?”
“You said Blake’s Lexus is there, right?”
A pause and some shuffling. “Positive that’s his, there’s no way I’d forget that car. And it’s parked right out front.”
“Where’s Rachel’s Jeep?”
“I don’t know, man, why?”
“When he came by to get her today, they both took their cars. Find her Jeep, you find Rach.” I looked down at my GPS and let out a deep breath. “I’m not far out, I’ll be there soon.”
“No, Kash. You go back. You’re too close to this case.”
“And you’re not? She’s like your sister!”
“She’s your goddamn fiancée! Turn the f**k around!”
The tires of my truck squealed as I took a corner too quickly. I hoped like hell there were no cops running radar on this road right now—not like I’d stop for them anyway—because I was still ten minutes away if I went the speed limit. But no way was I gonna have the patience to go thirty-five miles per hour when my reason for breathing could have been taking her last. Once my truck straightened out again, I gunned it until I was going eighty-five down the narrow neighborhood roads. “If she dies, and I did nothing, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself, Mason. I’ll be there soon. Look for her Jeep or a guesthouse and call me back if you find them.” Before he could protest further, I hung up and looked wildly around at the thinning houses.
Just as I was coming up on the different squad cars and vans they’d all taken to get there, I caught a glimpse of white to my left and it took everything in me not to slam on my brakes in the middle of the road or turn and drive my truck into the small guesthouse. I’d never been so happy in my life to see a damn Jeep Liberty. I pulled up behind the end of the line of cars and started back down the long dirt driveway on foot as I called Mason again.
“We don’t have anything yet, Kash, we’re working on it.”
