Page 100 of Hate So Deep

So, Dirkdiddo some damage. Will he be arrested?

Dropping my fry, I take a drink of my water and set it down while Tori glares at me.

“What animal?” I finally ask.

“Really?” she hisses, her brows slamming over her eyes. “Your brother.”

Colt? That’s not…

Oh, this bitch is so clueless.

“When did this supposedly happen?” I ask.

“New Year's Eve. What iswrongwith you, Lala?”

Pushing back from the table, I grab my tray and say, “My brother was in Hawaii on New Years.”

Undeterred by my proclamation, she stands with me and says, eyeing the bruise on my cheek. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. You’re just like them.”

I’m assuming she’s referring to the northies. Fine, I’ll take it as a compliment, I decide before throwing out my trash and walking away.

Later, I’m brooding in my room when I receive a text from an unknown number.

Be there in thirty

I can only assume that it’s Dirk. Who else would bother to inform me he’s coming without asking?

Although I have no idea why he plans to make an appearance, I feel the first surge of something in what feels like forever and tap out a reply.

Who’s this?

Ha ha, get your ass ready, baby girl

Smiling even though I have nothing to smile about, I step into the bathroom.

Thirty minutes later, I turn away from the mirror with a sigh. It’s stupid but I fixed my hair before doing my makeup and selecting my favorite cashmere sweater and jeans.

Paired with cute low-heeled boots, which were a bitch to put on with my aching ribs, I roll my eyes as I step down the hall. I just did my hair and shit for god knows what reason with someone who insists we can never be anything.

There must be something seriouslywrongwith me.

Dirk is waiting in the truck when I step out the front door, and I eye him suspiciously as I slide into the passenger seat. His eyes darken when I wince as I get situated in the seat but as soon as my belt is on, I ask, “Where are we going?”

“Search your house,” he says, and I eye his fingers tapping the wheel.

“Why?”

“Because whatever happened, it happened in that house, Lauren.”

My stomach sinks at his words and I rub my aching forehead before mumbling, “This is so fucked up.”

“I know,” he says, his jaw ticking. “Think about it though. It’s impossible that you left that house after I brought you home. So, the source of the blood is there. We just need to find it.”

We drop into silence after that while I circle the drain of possibilities. If the source of blood had been obvious, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.

I’m not sure searching the house is going to change anything but the worst part is knowing that Aimee was at our home before she disappeared.

When it came to his girlfriend’s, Buck wasn’t above hurting them when he didn’t get his way.

---