Page 65 of Whispers of the Lake

“No. Just that it was red and lookedreallyexpensive.”

“Did you happen to see the person driving it?”

“Not really. I saw, like, a silhouette when I walked back to the main path. It was definitely a guy. I heard him knocking on the door as he called for her. I think she let him in because it got all quiet.” Rory’s face became pale, and her eyes bounced around, rehashing the details. “But then I heard screaming.Evewas screaming. I went there so I could get a closer look and see what was going on. I saw her run out the back door to the top of the hill. The guy caught her, threw her over his shoulder, and carried her back into the house. She was beating on his back and screaming for him to put her down. I—I couldn’t really see his features. But he was, like, average height maybe.” Rory’s throat bobbed as she shook her head.

“My phone rang, and Damian asked where I was. I went home after that, but I didn’t hear screaming anymore. I figured they’d worked out whatever the problem was. But the next day, Alex was supposed to clear up the house after Eve checked out and . . . he found her body right there. Right in the living room. I heard him rush back to the house and tell Damian and they both panicked.”

“Shit,” I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut. “So—w-what did he do? Where is her body now?”

“She’s—”

Rory’s bedroom door swung open. Alex appeared behind her just as she sucked in a sharp breath and twisted around.

“Alex,” she called.

Alex grimaced as he looked past her and right at me. “What the fuck are you doing here?” he barked.

“No! Alex, wait!” I heard Rory scream, but I was already running away.

I ran into the depths of the woods, trying to find the way back to my car but it was so dark, and it only got darker the deeper I went in.

“Rose! Get back here!” Alex hollered.

I veered to the right, refusing to stop until I made it to the safety of my vehicle. Instead, I was near Twilight Oaks. Way off track. The cottage was pitch black in the night, none of the lights were on inside or out.

“Damn it,” I hissed, just as I heard heavy footsteps closing in behind me.

I had two choices. One was to take the main path back and search for my car, but Alex would see me out in the open. He could catch me. I had no doubt he was much faster than me.

The other option was to keep running ahead. Make it to the other side of the lake and ask for help. There was Eddie and the Abbots. They could help me.

I booked it, launching myself forward, past Twilight Oaks. I ran so hard my lungs began to ache. I could hear Alex grunting behind me, shouting for me to stop.

I refused.

For all I knew, Rory had made that story up and her brothers had killed Eve. She could’ve lied about seeing Eve and some man afterward. But the red car . . . she’d seen the red car too, just like Lincoln had. That car had likely come by more than once.

Being so lost in thought caused me to trip up. My foot snagged on a root, and I shrieked as I tumbled forward and slammed down on my knees. My palms sank into the damp ground and leaves clung to my hands. I shook them off and stood up, ready to run again. Before I could, something clutched my hood and stopped me.

“Come here!” Alex yanked on my hood and hauled me backwards.

He pulled so hard I collapsed on my ass. Then he stood above me, nostrils flaring. Streaks of moonlight streamed through the towering trees and the shadows made his face look like a demon’s. The sharpness of his cheekbones, the dark furrow beneath his blond brows making it hard to see his eyes—it was terrifying.

My heart slammed in my chest as I slid back on one hand. With my other, I snatched my gun out of the holster and pointed it at him. I could see his eyes now, big, blue, and round.

“If you don’t get away from me, I’ll shoot you!” I yelled.

“You wouldn’t shoot,” he said. He hadn’t backed up, but he hadn’t moved forward either.

I pressed down on the safety. “I swear to God I will.”

He breathed raggedly through flared nostrils, throwing his hands up. I used that moment to push myself to a stand but kept the gun pointed at him.

“I don’t know what you did to Eve, but you’re not getting away with it.”

“I didn’t do shit to her!” he bit back.

“That’s a lie. You slept with her!”

---