His quick turn causes the bike to tilt at a ninety-degree angle. I squeeze my eyes shut, convinced this is the end.
Aiden’s laughter lets me know I’m still alive when we finally come to a screeching halt beside the waiting car.
We dismount. I stagger and clutch my stomach, unsure whether I want to throw up or hoot with exhilaration because of the adrenaline surging through me.
A man gets out of the car to greet us. Even without his usual uniform, there’s no mistaking him.
“What is she doing here?” Officer Blackwell asks, gaping at me like I’m an alien when I remove my helmet. “I swear to God, if she tells anyone, my career will be over. Brady will?—”
“She won’t say a word,” Eli interrupts. He plucks a strand of my hair off my shoulder and rubs it between two fingers. “Will you, Little Ghost?”
I shake my head. Officer Blackwell glares at me, weighing up his options. He must realize that mutual silence is in both of our best interests. We all have our secrets.
“Do you have it?” Aiden snaps impatiently.
“Yes,” Officer Blackwell replies. “But it wasn’t easy.”
He removes an evidence bag from his inner coat pocket. In the darkness, I can’t see what’s inside it. Aiden goes to grab it, but Officer Blackwell holds back.
“This is the last thing I’ll do for you, understand?” Officer Blackwell says. “After this, we’re even.”
“It’s a pleasure doing business with you,” Aiden says, snatching the bag from him and stowing it in the under-seat storage before I get a proper look.
Blackwell gets back into his car without saying another word.
“Why did he owe you a favor?” I ask, unable to curb my curiosity.
“We know all about this town and its secrets,” Aiden says mysteriously.
“What do you know about Blackwell?” I press.
“He helped conceal evidence,” he says, patting the seat. “Evidence we now have in our possession.”
“What kind of evidence?”
“You’ll see,” he says. “Now get back on the bike.”
Eli must see the look of dread on my face and murmurs, “We don’t have far to go.”
I hope not. Grimacing, I climb on, and we hit the road again. Instead of continuing down the mountain into town, we take a right, hurtling down a short dirt path leading into the woods. It’s a route only used by hunters, and even they are too superstitious to spend a long time in this section of the forest. This is the type of place where a serial killer would bury bodies and go undetected for years.
Mud kicks up the backs of my bare legs as we bounce off every stone, protruding root, and bump. The bike lights guide our way through the blackness, and the rustling trees cast strange shadows over the tightly clustered trunks.
We ride for what feels like forever. The guys expertly navigate the uneven terrain until, up ahead, a small wooden cabin comes into view.
A chill runs down my spine. Yep, this is definitely somewhere you’d chop up bodies and never find the pieces.
Light shines through the small cabin window, and Lex’s face peers through it, watching. His face morphs into a psychotic grin when he sees me. Maybe a night in the asylum wouldn’t be so bad after all.
“Home sweet home,” Eli says, stopping.
When Aiden brakes, I practically leap off the bike. My feet land with a squelch in a muddy puddle, soaking my socks.
“So, this is where you’ve been hiding,” I say, more to myself than to them.
“What’s wrong, Little Ghost?” Aiden asks, tilting his head to study my reaction. “Not the luxury you’re used to?”
“N-no, it’s not that,” I stammer. Obviously, they think I’m a spoiled brat because of my upbringing, but I’ve never cared about materialistic bullshit before. “You’re just… closer than I thought.”
