Page 111 of Dream a Little Dream

“You need to come here.”

“Aaron? What the fuck? Where are you? You okay?”

“No, Kenny. No, I’m not.”

“Sorry, Aaron, I can’t deal with this right—”

“You need to come to the place where they found your sister.” God, he hated saying those words. Giving Kenny that pain.

There was a pause. “What the fuck is going on?”

“Please, Kenny.Please.” Aaron hadn’t ever begged in his life, but he did then. Begged for this all to end. However it was destined to.

Drew marched over, took the phone from Aaron, and closed the call. “Well done.” He grinned. “I knew you had this in you. Imagine it, Aaron. Imagine Dr Lyons finding his girlfriend’s daughter in the exact same way they found his twin sister? Imagine how that willdestroyhim. You feelthat, right?”

Through sheer will and bloody-mindedness, Aaron glared at him.

“Don’t worry, I know this is your first time. First times are always messy. It’s whyI’mhere. To ensure it goes to satisfactory standards. If there’s one thing Roisin doesn’t stand for, it’s sloppiness. It is a real shame she isn’t here to see this herself, but we’ll add the roses so she’ll know it’s you. She’ll like that.”

“But you already have this all pointing to me. How is thatnotsloppy? How am I meant to get away with this? Isn’t that what she would want?” Aaron had no idea what she would want, but he hoped notthis.

But he didn’t know her. Not really. He’d known a version of her. One who’d cherished him. Given him a childhood so wonderful that his existence since his departure from her life held nothing but misery and pain. And how he was so damn mixed up about that.

“I have it all worked out. As I always do. When the police are hellbent on pinning this on someone else, it’s easy to fly under the radar and hone your craft. It’s when people go rogue that things stop working.” Drew pointed the tip of the knife at the girl. “Bring her, will you?”

Aaron glanced back at the girl. “I’m not doing this.”

Drew took a step over to where a rifle leaned up against the wall, and he picked it up to point the barrel at Aaron’s face. “Ifyou don’t, Dr Lyons will findtwobodies. And that just doesn’t work. We want him tosuffer!Tounderstand.”

“Understand what?”

“What it is to love apsychopath!” Drew threw his head back with a sadistic laugh. “She is quite the genius.”

“Who is?”

“Your mother.” Drew unlocked the safety on the rifle. “I’ve been watching out for you for her. Making sure you chose the right path. That you ended up right where you belong. We’ve been waiting for you to find your way back home.” He gestured the rifle to the girl. “Now chop, chop.” He clucked his tongue. “You’re the man of the house now. You bring home themeat.” He waved the tip of his knife at the girl.

Aaron was waiting for him to falter. To misstep. But this bloke must have had extensive experience in handling and using multiple weapons. Just like all those other victims—of his, of Aaron’s parents—Aaron didn’t stand a chance.

“If you don’t,” Drew continued. “What use does your mother have for you? You are the hunter. She is the gatherer.”

Out of options, Aaron went to the girl, looking right at her, hoping to convey with his eyes he was on her side. She just stared back, trembling, desperately asking him to save her. He wasn’t sure he could. He wasn’t any of those heroes he’d once dreamed of. But he found a part of himself he didn’t know he had because he knew, right then, he’d rather die than be a part of this. So he untied the knot binding her legs to the chair and slid his arm through hers, hoisting her up. She flopped against him as if she couldn’t stand. Merely a rag doll in his arms.

“She’s also had a bit too much to drink.” Drew rolled his eyes. “Parents these days. You’ll have to do most of the moving.” He angled his head impatiently, pointing the rifle at them both, knife tucked into his belt. “We’re on a schedule now.”

He then marched them through the house, to a back door leading out onto a derelict lawn and chillingly to another part of the winding river protected by woodland and dense forestry. Drew stayed behind them both, rifle pointing at the back of their heads. He looked more like a park ranger than someone leading two people to their deaths. Because Aaron knew that if she went, he did too. He wasn’t selfish. Wasn’t saving his own skin to ruin hers. She had more going for herself than he did. And there was a small part of him that knew if he sacrificed her for his own life, Kenny wouldn’t forgive him. Wouldn’t kiss him again. That alone fuelled his need to get through this unscathed, and he kept his arm clutched in hers, holding her close as she stumbled through the sodden mud and wondered where these hidden depths in his psyche had come from.

If he got the chance, he’d ask Kenny.

“It’s okay,” Aaron said, unsure why because nothing about this was okay and she likely couldn’t even hear him anymore. He doubted it was only drink in her system. “I’m getting us out of this.”

They reached an enclosed part of the river, and Drew stopped, glancing around, then regarded him and Alice as if they were pawns on a chessboard. “Now, how was she found,exactly?” He looked up at the stars as if recalling a memory. “Ah yes.” He then perched the rifle against the tree and pulled the knife from his belt, eyes rabid, a sick satisfaction radiating off him. “She was such a trusting little thing. All I had to do was tell her my puppy was caught in the brambles and with me she came.” He chuckled, recalling the grim memory churning in Aaron’s gut.

That was Kenny’s sister he was laughing about. He was going to regret that. He’d just fuelled Aaron’s desire to put an end to this man. Drew thought he was untouchable.

Aaron was going to enjoy proving he wasn’t.

“Face down, drifting along this very spot.” Drew raised the knife, running the blade through his fingers as he looked between Alice and Aaron, savouring each terrified glance. “So simple. And so effective. Tonight, you’ll give Kenny the same gift. One last cruel twist.”

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