Page 85 of Fallen Legacy

“Yes,” I say. “They know you’re coming and are fine with it.”

Damon chuckles and his right brow lifts. “I think ‘fine’ might be a generous description of how they feel about it.”

As we pull out onto the road I frown. The car makes a funny noise at the front. “Do you hear that?” I ask Damon who is busy fiddling with the radio station again.

“What?” he shouts as he turns up the music and starts singing.

“Nothing,” I say shaking my head. I pick up speed. The roads are quiet around here so you can generally drive at fifty without worry. I hear it again, that clunking noise from the front of the car. “I think there’s something wrong with the car.”

Damon pauses and listens, and I hear the noise again. “Tell me you heard that?”

He nods his head frowning. “I heard something, yeah. Might be worth getting this car into a garage tomorrow princess. It doesn’t sound healthy.”

We climb the winding road that climbs the cliff front and I hear a loud clunk. “Damon!”

“I think we should pull…”

There’s another loud clunk and the right front wheel bounces off in front of us causing the car to veer and lose control.

“Shit!” Damon exclaims. “Let me take the wheel, princess. We’re going to crash. Hold on tight and I’ll try to veer us into the trees.”

The wheel chooses to come off just as we hit dangerous corner, a sharp bend in the road that is notorious around here. I’ve only been here nine months and even I’ve heard about it. As we round the corner at speed, Damon steers the car and hit the brakes and we slide sideways towards the embankment.

It’s like I am back there again—with my parents. You feel like everything happens so quickly but in slow motion at the same time. I scream, my eyes wide with fear as we hit a large tree with a bang.

ARCHER

The party is in full swing. Seb has been missing for the last half an hour, no doubt off somewhere with a girl. I can’t believe I let him talk us into another party, buts it’s his eighteenth birthday and I love my brother. My phone chimes and I pull it out of my jeans pocket. It’s Scar, letting me know she is setting off now and bringing Damon with her. I hate she is off spending time with him and his family. I wonder if the reason she is because she can’t get that with me – a normal family, who look out for each other and love each other. It’s hard to trust anyone when you have grown up in the world I have, with a father that has taught you to trust no one. Scar does trust me though, despite the fact that I lied to her when we first met and kept things from her, including my plan of revenge. None of that matters now, though. I’m free of the past, much to my father’s abhorrence. Scar has made me want a different future. One that I’m finding I want more and more as each day passes and I wake to her in my arms. I look over at Rafe, who is sitting in the armchair beside me, a bourbon in one hand and his phone in the other. He’s about as interested in tonight’s party as I am.

“Scar’s on her way. She’s going to pick up Vee en-route.”

Rafe nods his head. “Archer, I’ve just had an interesting email from our private investigator we hired to look into the stalker. He says he may have a lead. He’s going to look further into it and get back to us.”

I nod my head. It’s about time someone gave us something to go off. This sick fucker has been toying with us and it’s driving me insane not knowing who he is and why he wants Eliza gone.

“Uh-oh, eleven o’clock,” Rafe says, looking across the room. I follow his line of sight and groan when I see Georgie heading our way. And what is she wearing? She’s in some ratty old hoody that’s too big for her and leggings. Her make-up is smeared with panda eyes from where her mascara has run. “Look what the cat dragged in.” Rafe snickers, looking as puzzled by Georgie’s appearance as I am.

Georgie spots me over the heads of the crowd, and she makes a beeline our way. I groan internally. When will she get the message that I’m not interested?

“Archer, we need to talk. Now!” she demands as she comes to a stop in front of me, panting for breath and looking slightly more manic than usual.

“Not now Georgie. I’m trying to relax. Go find Chester, get him to give you a good time,” I suggest to her, but she shakes her head.

“It’s important. There isn’t much time. We need to talk,” she insists, and she looks around the room as if she’s checking if there’s anyone listening. “It concerns Eliza.”

Okay, now she has my attention. “What about Eliza?”

“We need to have this conversation somewhere private,” she insists. “And hurry.”

Frowning at her, I look at Rafe and he bobs his shoulders, looking as perplexed as I feel. Sighing, I stand to my feet and gesture to the door behind me that leads through to the library. I glance Rafe’s way and gesture with my head for him to come with us. I don’t trust that Georgie won’t do something drastic to pull Scar and me apart.

We all exit through the door into the library. I shut us inside and I turn to find Georgie pacing up and down the room. She winds her hair tightly around her fist and she twists it until it almost looks painful.

“They’ve been planning this all along, for years Archer,” she mumbles as she paces, not looking at me. It’s like she’s lost in her own head.

“Georgie, let’s cut to the chase. You said something involving Eliza.”

Georgie’s eyes snap to mine at the mention of Scar’s name. “Is she here? She’s in danger Archer. They want her out of the way. The threats haven’t worked, so they mean to take her out permanently.”

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