Page 70 of Truth or Dare

I swallowed, feeling the sting of his words. “I know. I’d never hurt the girls involved. They need to know the truth, that they’re being used by guys like Evan. They deserve to see who he really is.”

Hudson’s frown deepened as he watched me. “What’s your end game here?”

“To make him and his friends feel what they’ve done to others,” I said, my voice quieter now. “They’ve hurt so many people, Hudson. I was part of it once, until this year. It’s toxic. I didn’t even realize how bad it was until I pulled away.”

He gently cupped my chin, guiding my gaze back to his. “Pres, it’s never too late to make things right.”

His words cut through the layers of guilt, and suddenly, I felt raw, exposed. My voice cracked. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything.”

He leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of my mouth. “You don’t need to apologize to me. Just… do better. Start over. The future’s wide open.”

I nodded, trying to keep my breathing steady as I blinked back tears, shifting the conversation before he could see more than I wanted to show.

“Do you know the way?”

“Yeah, I remember Ray’s place.” He put the truck in gear, the shift in focus just what I needed. I leaned back, resting against the creaky leather seat as the rain began to pour harder, streaking down the windows. Fall had been harsh this year, colder than usual, and the weight of everything made the chill sink deeper.

We pulled up a few houses from Ray’s, close enough to walk but far enough to keep our arrival quiet. Hudson cut the engine and glanced at me, a question in his eyes.

“You ready for this?” he asked.

I felt the small box in my hoodie pocket, fingers curling around it. It was ruthless, maybe even a little reckless. But Evan had hurt my brother. He deserved this.

“Yeah,” I replied, my voice steady. “I’m ready to fuck up his life.”

Hudson unbuckled his seat belt, hand hovering on the door handle. He looked at me, offering one last chance to back out.

“Let’s go,” I said, and we both stepped out into the rain, ready for whatever came next.

I wipedmy feet on the mat just inside the back door, shaking droplets of rain from my hoodie. I tugged on a latex glove, glancing over at Hudson.

“You have more of those?” he asked, eyeing the glove.

I nodded, pulling a couple more from my pocket. “Yeah. My dad keeps a box in the garage for when he works on his Mustang.”

Hudson slid the gloves on as I punched in the door code. The lock clicked open, but an alarm immediately started beeping.

“Shit!” I hissed, darting to the panel to key in the code. The beeping stopped, and I exhaled in relief.

Hudson smirked, nudging me with his elbow. “Lead the way, criminal mastermind.”

I shot him a look as I fingered the small box in my pocket. Evan’s house had been newly renovated, and the dark wood floors gleamed as we made our way down the hall. I hesitated, wondering if we should ditch our shoes, but decided against it. If anyone came home, discarded shoes would give us away instantly.

“Upstairs. His room’s at the end of the hall.”

We crept up the curved staircase, our footsteps muffled on the plush carpet. Evan’s bedroom door was half-open, his bed unmade, a pair of black panties discarded on the floor. I clenched my jaw, ignoring them as I started rifling through his desk.

Hudson hovered nearby, bouncing slightly. “What do you want me to do?”

I pulled the small box from my pocket, handing it to him. “Set these up somewhere out of sight.”

He frowned as he opened it, revealing the tiny cameras. “Why are we putting cameras in here?”

“Because screw him,” I muttered, yanking open another drawer.

Hudson gently grabbed my arm, his expression serious. “Pres, what are you really up to? What did he do?”

I bit my lip, avoiding his eyes. Could I tell him? Would he lose it and go after Evan?

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