Page 121 of Hate So Deep

“You never said anything about bruises,” Dirk growls and I shrug because at the time, it was less relevant than being doused in someone else’s blood.

There are so many things I would have done differently that night if I had known what was going to happen, but hindsight is definitely twenty-twenty. There’s not a damn thing I can do about it now.

After Dirk fills in his piece, describing how he brought me home after finding me at Gage’s, we discuss the rug at the house and my missing earring found within the fibers.

The further into the story we go, the blacker Colt’s scowl gets, and I bow my head when Ramie asks, “You don’t remember anything?”

“I think I was drugged,” I mumble, thoroughly humiliated by my own stupidity.

There are so many things I would have done differently that night, but hindsight is definitely twenty-twenty. There’s not a damn thing I can do about it now.

Ugh.

“Who?” Colt growls, interrupting my shame fest and I whip my head up. “Who fucking drugged you?”

“I took care of it,” Dirk interjects before I can respond.

“You did what?” I ask, turning to him. “When?”

Simultaneously, Colt says, “And I’ll do it again.”

When Hayden concurs and Ramie nods, I say, “You can’t just go around beating up everyone.”

This earns me three searing glares, and I raise my hands in defeat.

Crazy fuckers.

“So,” Colt says, turning his black scowl on Dirk, “when Dirk brought you home, there was no blood on you.”

“That’s what he says,” I mumble. Could Dirk be lying to protect me? To what end?

“She was fine. Drunk, but fine,” Dirk says.

“So, whatever happened, it went down in that house,” Ramie says and Hayden nods.

“Unless I left and came back,” I say but Dirk shakes his head.

“You were so out of it, I’m surprised you made it past the door.”

“Okay,” I mutter, once again avoiding eye contact with anyone. “Well, I think the last time anyone saw Buck was at Gage’s.”

From the corner of my eye, I see Dirk scratch his head and ask, “What?”

“Couple hours after I dropped you off, Buck showed up at another party, but Aimee wasn’t with him.”

“Was that the last place he was seen?” I wonder aloud.

“Sounds like it. Then he was attacked at the warehouse,” Colt says matter of factly, and I shiver.

I know none of them like him, but did he deserve to die because of it? I just don’t know.

“Let’s start with you,” Dirk says, and I meet his gaze. “There’s no way you left and came back. You need to talk to your mom.”

Dropping my head to my hands, I close my eyes and mumble, “She doesn’t know anything.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, she said she was at the office.”

---