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“We arrived before the paramedics,” Chance said, his voice haunted. “I had a flashlight in my truck, and we were able to spot Emerson down below us. It was too dark to see if she was breathing or not. When Holden spotted Steven …”
“His neck was twisted in the wrong direction. He was dead,” Holden said quietly.
“I killed him,” Brynn admitted through clenched teeth. “And I would do it again if a motherfucker was trying to rape someone.”
An emotionally charged silence filled the room, then Jace spoke up. “Emerson is in a wing in the hospital for long term patients. She’s alive, but has been in a coma for years.”
I gasped, then slapped my hand over my mouth. “That’s horrible. Will she ever wake up?”
“We don’t know,” Chance added. “It’s been a hot minute already.”
Jace drummed his fingers on the arm of the couch. “I still have hope. Every once in a while, you hear of a patient waking up years after being in a coma. I would think it would be disconcerting as hell, though.”
“What happened afterward?” I asked.
Chance leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees. “I told Brynn to get out of there. Jace and Holden climbed into the car with her. Brynn was hysterical, so Holden drove while I stayed behind and talked to the EMTs and cops. I told them I saw Steven push Emerson off the edge, then when I yelled at him, it must have startled him because he stumbled and fell, too. In a nutshell, I lied to protect Brynn. Otherwise, she could have been charged with murder.”
My eyes widened as it all sank in. They were all in this together. Brynn killed a guy, and they helped her cover it up. Holy fucking shit.
“I’m still confused with how the club started, though.” I focused on my boyfriend, a new respect for him bubbling to life inside me. If I’d ever doubted how far he would go for the people he loved, I didn’t anymore.
“Steven tried to rape Emerson,” Holden began. “After that, with our small group, we didn’t even date. We hung out and fucked each other. It was a safe place to experiment and have fun. The girls were protected, and it worked really well. We all tested for STDs once a month, but we were always clean since we didn’t have sex outside of the club. It was peace of mind. That’s why I started it, River. To protect Brynn and the others.”
“Wow. Did the police ever ask questions or anything? Was Brynn ever a suspect? They had to have seen the text to Brynn from Emerson’s phone records.” I tucked my hair behind my ear, thinking this through.
“Emerson and Brynn were on the phone or texting all the time. They never questioned her, or any of us. Chance drove over Brynn’s car tracks where she’d pulled over. People went there often, so chasing down a tire track by the next day was useless,” Holden explained.
“I covered any evidence of her being there before the police arrived.” Chance stared at Brynn. “And I would protect you again if I had to.”
Brynn blew him a kiss. “I know. You’ve proven over the years how loyal you are. I love you for it.”
“I don’t think Reid really needs to know any of this. What if he went to the cops or slipped up?” I asked.
“It’s a big burden to carry when you’ve barely met someone,” Jace said. “I think it would skew how he saw us—saw Holden. It might put a wedge between them,” Jace said.
“So, are we in agreement that we don’t tell Reid?” Chance’s gaze narrowed on Brynn. “I know you’ve had a gummy and probably said some things tonight that you didn’t mean. But I need your word, Brynn. We all do.”
Brynn’s edible must have started to wear off since she finally seemed like she was taking this seriously. “I should have kept my fucking mouth shut.” She rubbed her face and stifled a yawn. “I’m not sure that particular edible is good for me. Holden, I kissed your girlfriend … twice. I wouldn’t have done that normally.”
Holden and Chance gaped at her.
“Oh, boy,” Jace muttered. “I’ll see what you bought. It’s definitely a no-go moving forward.”
My lips pursed. I glared at her in warning, and I shook my head. “Apparently, you’re still stoned, so why don’t you go eat some food before you get into more trouble?” I asked, scolding her.
“We need to talk,” Holden said, patting my hip.
I rose from his lap and frowned. Why did I feel like a little kid heading to the principal’s office?
Holden took my hand and led me to our room, closed the door, then whirled me around, pressing my back against the wall. His palm moved over my shoulder, and his eyes searched me with a fierce intensity.
I swallowed excessively, attempting to clear the lump in my throat. He had to be upset about the kiss. My nostrils flared, ready to defend myself since Brynn had also kissed him.
“I know that you’ve been drinking, but do I have your attention?” he asked.
Delicious shivers wracked my body at the huskiness in his voice and the conviction in his tone.
“Yeah, but what is this about?” I attempted to fold my arms across my chest, but Holden was standing too close to me.
