Page 32 of Lies Beneath Secrets

“How embarrassing,” I groan when I’m done and drop back to the floor. I slide across the tile and lean my back up against the wall.

“Do you know where you are?” The question rumbles from his chest like I’m a child.

“What?” I look up at the man, narrowing my eyes. My head may be foggy, but his tone clears it up a bit, replacing it with heat and annoyance.

“I asked, do you know. Where. You. Are?” He slows down each word, not making them any less hard than they were the first time he asked me.

“Of course, I do,” I snap and push myself up from the floor. I stumble a little bit but when I get to my feet, I brace myself on the small sink. Jerking my purse up from the floor, I dig out the bottle of water and do a couple of rinses of my mouth before taking a few gulps down. “What business is it of yours where I am anyway?” I snap between drinks.

“It isn’t, but when a young girl wanders off in a place like this, they tend to not wander back,” he says to my back. “You heard about that missing girl.”

“What are you doing here then? Are you the guy who makes sure Idon’tordowander back?” I turn to face him, hoping he’s the latter.

“Neither.”

“And some nerve you have, scolding me like that. A guy who just straight-up ghosts someone without a second thought,” I scoff at him. Giving me the third degree when the prick just up and moves out of his apartment.

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“Doesn’t matter. Just move, I need to find Piper.” I do my best to step around him but stumble more than I did before. “What’s going on?” I say as my vision grows hazy, and my legs get heavy.

“Did you take anything?” he asks as we step outside the room.

“No.” It’s more of a whisper. With each step, I try to take my eyes drift shut, then I’m suddenly lifted in the air. I’m too tired to panic. Too heavy to try to move.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-ONE

Con

After I get Lauren tucked away in my truck, I look through her purse and find the water bottle she drank from. It’s labeled with the club’s logo. I open the cap and smell it. There isn’t any odor to it, but the way she passed out wasn’t from alcohol. She had to have been drugged.

I remember her saying her friend was inside, and goddamn it, I’m not an asshole. I know I can’t just leave her here, especially since Lauren just got roofied from the water the club is passing out.

I do my best to cover her up and lock the doors to my truck and walk back inside. The music hits me again, and I look through the throngs of people to find Piper. It doesn’t take me long at least. At the bar, I find her talking to none other than Eli. “Off duty tonight?” I ask when I step up to the pair.

“Well now, I should ask you the same thing,” Eli says with a grin. I pay him no mind and turn to Lauren’s friend.

“I have Lauren in my truck. She isn’t feeling good. Sent me in to get you.” At first, she seems confused until recognition falls on her face.

“You’re the neighbor guy,” she says and laughs.

“That would be me. Ready?” I ask, extending my hand for her to take. She doesn’t get that far before Eli interferes.

“What do you mean in your truck? She’s here with me.” The little prick gets closer to me and does his best to seem tall.

“I doubt that.” I put my arm around Piper’s shoulders and guide her toward the door. But Eli comes around to get in my way. “You really don’t want to today, man,” I warn and try to sidestep, him but the little bastard doesn’t listen. Instead, he tries to shove my arm from Piper, but it only makes her stumble. “Should have listened,” I sigh before pulling back and smashing his face with my fist. He sails backward through the crowd and lands on his ass, bumping everyone in his path. “Let’s fucking go,” I tell Piper and step past Eli. I don’t give him another look or thought as we walk out to the truck. When Piper opens the back door and sees Lauren passed out, she panics.

“What did you do to her!”

“I didn’t do shit.” I push Piper into the backseat with Lauren and pull out the bottle of water I spot in her back pocket.

“What the hell?”

“Calm down,” I mutter as I inspect the cap. Finding it still sealed, I squeeze the bottle. A very small stream of water squirts out from the top.

“What the hell?” she repeats, this time directed at the bottle.

“Yeah exactly. Lauren drank hers. That’s why she passed out. Someone tried to drug the two of you.” I shut the back door, then uncap the bottle and dump it out onto the ground.

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