Page 11

“Sean told me he would set up the cameras, and he’d let me know if he found anything.” Robert shakes his head and looks down at the floor. “He never should have been out there. That was never part of the plan. I would have told him not to go. I would have gone with him if I’d known that was the deal.”

He looks at my mom, pleading with her to understand.

“Why didn’t you go get the cameras?” Jack cocks his head to the side. “You knew he had them set up. You knew he never came back.”

“I didn’t know what to think when I found out he wasn’t around. We didn’t have a scheduled meet-up or anything for him to miss. Cathy told me a few days later that Sean skipped town. I don’t know what I thought. I figured whatever he found was so bad, he just left to protect you and Harper. I never thought⁠—”

His voice cuts off, and he puts his fingers over his lips.

“You never thought something might have happened to him?” Mom’s voice is quiet. “You thought he’d leave us that way? In this town? With William still here?”

“Everything we’ve done has always been clean,” Robert says. “Yes, we illegally sold the drugs. Yes, William entered into the trafficking trade. But no one died.”

Mom’s laugh is abrupt and pained. “People went missing all the fucking time in this town. They just disappeared and usually because they questioned William Foster. You don’t think that’s a coincidence, do you?”

Robert’s gaze falls to the floor. He knew, but he didn’t want to know.

“What happened to Sean?” Mom asks with a tone that brooks no argument.

“I don’t know.” Robert lifts his gaze again and holds my mom’s. “That’s the truth. Yes, maybe I buried my head in the sand. Maybe I didn’t want to know more and be in on whatever William did. William didn’t bother me after that night. I gladly continued to let Jack be friends with the boys, but I kept in contact with Cam and Bruce because they were actual friends.”

He glances at Nico and shrugs. “Your dad was always a fair-weather friend. He either loved you or didn’t bother with you. Once I was out of the business, he had no use for me.”

Nico nods but doesn’t say anything.

“What does this have to do with all of you?” Robert looks around at each of us. His gaze stops on me. “Is this why you’re in trouble?”

“School stuff.” Jack reclaims his father’s attention. “People we’ve managed to piss off. It’s not Harper’s fault.”

“We just want out of this town.” Luke rubs his hand down my back. “We need a way out from under my father’s thumb. Jennifer and Harper deserve to know the truth about what happened to Sean. The things my father runs need to grind to a halt. No more drugs. No more trafficking.”

Robert nods and drags in a breath. “I don’t want you boys tangled up in this either. Whatever I can do to help. I don’t know much. I’ve been cut out of the company for years now, but if I can help, I will.”

“Thank you,” I say quietly. Robert glances at me and gives me a small nod. These are our lives we’re bargaining for. All of us.

CHAPTER 5

The Poisoned Pen

Eli

I check my phone for where my parents are from the driveway at my house. My mom isn’t home but my father is. I take a deep breath. He’s been trying to talk to me for a while. I’m not sure what about. Now it might be why I asked him to do me a favor for someone else, no questions asked.

Because he’s my father, there will be questions.

Especially when it’s about two guys from the basketball team who targeted my girl in the locker room. I run a hand through my hair. Too much shit is going down. I’m not ready to face the inquisition.

Unfortunately, I have time to deal with him and explain myself. I just need to shower and get changed for the dance, but otherwise, there’s time. The guys and I plan on taking Harper out to dinner, but she doesn’t know about that part of the night. Only that we want to do pictures with all of us at five.

We want to make up for the years we forced her into hiding. Protecting her from Zach is our highest priority but giving her these new experiences is priceless. She’s given us so much of herself, and we want to give her everything in return.

After last night and this morning, there’s a lot going through my head. We still don’t have a smoking gun that will definitely shut down William Foster, but we might be able to neutralize him. Make him step back from Luke’s life. Really, that’s all we can hope for.

William isn’t the type to make a mistake that would cost him everything. Though there is still the footage from the tree cam, which may prove useful.

I head inside my house, stopping inside the door to take off my shoes. It figures my mom wouldn’t be home while my dad is, but he usually stays at the office on the weekends because she’s around more.

“Eli?” My dad steps into the kitchen. Our eyes meet. His shoulders relax and he stops in the doorway. “Hey, I’ve been trying to get ahold of you.”