Shit. While I'd been making my way here, she'd been going in the opposite direction, probably around that other tour bus.
I was just circling the building when I saw what I'd been expecting for a while now – a tow truck, rumbling into the parking lot. Obviously, it had been called to open the sedan's trunk. I didn't even pause. Screw the truck. Screw everything. Ihadto find her.
There was only one problem. When I reached Chloe's car, she wasn't there. I stood, peering through her car-windows, looking for some sign of where she might be.
I saw nothing.
Cursing, I pushed away from her car and looked around. A few car-lengths away, I spotted movement in the back seat of a Lincoln Town Car. A moment later, a rear-window slid down, and a female voice called out from the shadows, "Hey! Lawton!"
Damn it. I couldn't see the face, but I recognized the voice, and it sure as hell wasn't Chloe's.
Sure enough, when the car door swung open, Brittney stepped out, looking like she'd just returned from clubbing. With a sultry smile, she sauntered over and asked, "So, what areyoudoing here?"
In my whole life, I'd never hit a girl. I'd never even come close, not even with my mom, who some might say sorely deserved it for what she'd done to my little sister.
But so help me, I wanted to grab Brittney by that blonde hair of hers and slam her into the nearest car-window until the glass shattered and she stopped moving.
She'dbeen the one who'd set up that kidnapping.She'dbeen the one who'd given those guys the twisted story that had set me off.She'dbeen the one giving Chloe a hard time from day-one.
If it weren't for Brittney, Chloe would be fine right now. None of this would have happened. And – my heart clenched – Chloe and I would still be together.
Trying to get a grip, I shoved my hands deep into the pockets of my hoodie and tried like hell to keep myself from lunging at her.
The skank was still smiling. "So, did Bishop get ahold of you?"
I gave her a what-the-hell look, but said nothing.
"I mean," she continued, "I talked to him earlier." She gave a small laugh. "He was totally rude, by the way. Like, seriously, the guy has no sense of humor."
I glared down at her. "You're kidding, right?"
She paused. "Hey, are you mad at me or something?"
Through clenched teeth, I said, "You might say that."
"Really?" Her forehead wrinkled. "Why?"
Brittney wasn't dumb. And if she thought that faking it was gonna get her off the hook, she had another thing coming. "Go ahead," I told her. "Play dumb all you want. I don't have time for this shit." I turned to go.
She lunged for my elbow. "Wait! Is this about the prank?"
A prank?That'swhat she was calling it? My muscles were tight, and my breathing was shallow. I shook off her hand and whirled to face her. "You bitch."
She gave a little gasp. "What?"
I leaned closer, and my fingers flexed. "You hurt her."
She drew back. "Who? Chloe? I did not!" She gave a nervous laugh. "I mean, if that's what happened, it wasn'tmyfault. I told those guys to keep it friendly."
An image of that whole kidnapping scene flashed in my brain. Chloe was on the ground, and that guy was on top of her. Any "friendlier," and I would've murdered him with my bare hands.
"Oh come on!" Brittney was saying. "Don't look at me like that. You wanted us to be friends, right?"
Who? Brittney and Chloe? That wasn't gonna happen. For one thing, Chloe had better taste.
Brittney gave me a pleading look. "So I thought I'd include her in one of our sorority things, you know? I mean, we do it all the time." Her voice picked up steam. "We thought she'd like it. Honest."
Earlier tonight, she'd fed Bishop the same line of bull, which he'd passed along to me. I didn’t buy it then, and I wasn't buying it now. For one thing, the whole sorority bit was a crock. Brittney and Amber mightclaimto be sorority sisters, but only one of them went to college – and it sure as hell wasn't Brittney.
