Darken (Siege #1) Read online

  Their parents lived in Thompson Creek until Cora finished school, but shortly after she moved to Denver, they bought a new place in the mountains. She’d gone for a visit once, and her car had barely made the trip—no way she would risk it again. It was a convenient excuse that she was more than ready to use.

  “So? What’s up?” her brother asked.

  “I’m heading into Billings and hoped we might be able to meet up for lunch.”

  “I’d love to, but I’ve already got plans. How about next week?”

  “I’m working,” she said. “I could maybe do Thursday?”

  “Yeah, sure. Give me a call on Wednesday to remind me, K?”

  They chatted for a few more minutes before hanging up. Cora finished tying her shoes then grabbed her keys and purse. It wasn’t until she got into her car that she began debating whether it was even worth the drive.

  She could probably find a set of pencils online and save the gas money. Not that Billings was far away, but it was a trip she didn’t like to make. Going to Billings meant going past the Thompson Creek Bridge unless she took the longer route, but the idea of sitting in her apartment all day reliving her conversation with Gavin was just too much. She needed to clear her head and she couldn’t do that in her apartment.

  What she didn’t expect was to find Gavin’s car at the entrance to the bridge. She pulled up behind and parked, scanning the bridge. For a moment, panic set in when she didn’t see him, and she wondered if she should be searching the water, but as Cora got out of her car, she saw him sitting on the hood of his Jeep.

  “Gavin?” She walked quickly around to the front of the car. “Are you okay?”

  He didn’t say anything simply sitting there staring straight ahead. He wore the same clothes he’d been wearing the night before. The stubble along his jaw and his red-rimmed eyes confirmed he hadn’t even been home. Had he been here all night?

  “Gavin?” She laid her hand on his arm, and he jerked in response as if just noticing her presence.

  “Hey. What are you doing out here?”

  “I’m going into Billings for the day. Have you been here all night?”

  He glanced around possibly realizing night had long since passed. “Yeah, I guess. I just … I needed to think, and this place …”

  “Come on,” she said, taking his hand in hers. “I’ll drive you home.”

  “No, no. I’m okay.”

  “Gavin, there’s no way you’re okay to drive. You haven’t slept all night.”

  “I’m not ready to go yet,” he said. “I’ll call one of my brothers to come pick me up in a while.”

  He looked so lost. She wanted to say something—anything—to comfort him, but there wasn’t anything to make it right. If she hadn’t—Cora pressed her lips together. She couldn’t think like that, not anymore. Gavin deserved the truth, and telling him what actually happened was something she should have done a long time ago. But she wasn’t alone; his family had known what happened and they made the choice not to tell his as well.

  “All right,” she said. “But you need to promise you’ll call someone.”

  “I promise.”

  She gave his arm a gentle squeeze then went back to the car. She sat there a moment before eventually driving off. A few miles down the road, she pulled over and took out her cell phone.

  “Hello?” Noah answered.

  “Hey, it’s Cora.”

  “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah. Well, not really. Gavin …”

  “Yeah, I talked to him last night. Did he go back to your place?”

  “No.” Cora sighed. “He’s at the bridge. I think he’s been there all night. I offered him a ride but he won’t go.”

  “I’ll come and get him.”

  After hanging up, Cora turned the vehicle around and drove to the top of a small hill that crested before the bridge. She could make out Gavin still perched atop his Jeep. She waited until she saw Noah’s car drive up, and then satisfied Gavin was safe, she made her way to Billings.

  The entire drive, she kept thinking about Gavin struggling to make sense of what he’d learned. She fought against the urge to go back and see him. There was nothing she could do now. If anything, she’d done too much already.

  She reached the edge of Billings and tried to get her bearings. She’d only been into the city once since moving back. It wasn’t difficult to do. Compared to Denver, Billings was a small town. When she first returned to Thompson Creek, she’d anticipated missing the bustle of the big city. She’d grown accustomed to all the conveniences that came along with the metropolitan area. Now, after a few months in Thompson Creek, Billings was more than big enough.

  Using an app on her phone, she found the new art supply store nestled in-between two jewelry shops downtown. A string of bells hanging from the door jingled lightly as she entered. She inhaled deeply, loving the odor of paint and other raw materials. Some people might have found it overwhelming, but for Cora, she loved the flood of memories it brought back.

  She took her time wandering around, her mind racing as she visualized all the pieces she could work on. The temptation to grab a basket and completely fill it with paints, brushes, and charcoal and graphite pencils was almost too strong to resist.

  As much as she wanted to dive back into her art, she knew her wallet couldn’t afford it. Rather than torturing herself anymore, she went over to the graphite pencils and looked for her favorite brand.

  After a brief chat with the store clerk about the benefits of various sketchbook paper, she made her purchase and headed to the mall for lunch.

  An hour later, she sat in the food court eating her lunch. The greasy cheese pizza wasn’t the best thing for her diet, but with such limited choices she figured she may as well enjoy what she was going to eat.

  Her eyes flitted around the tables as she sipped at her drink then choked when she spotted Hailey. She groaned as the other woman noticed her and moved toward her.

  For the past few months, she and Hailey had obeyed an unspoken agreement not to interact with each other at all costs. Unspoken because they didn’t speak to each other. Cora considered her options; she could bail on her lunch but then she be hungry on the drive home, or she could wait and see how bitchy Hailey wanted to be.

  “Mind if I sit?” Hailey placed her tray on the table and pulled out the chair across from Cora. “Thanks.”

  Cora arched a brow and continued eating. Maybe if she ignored her, the other woman would simply disappear. That, however, would require luck, and lately it didn’t seem like Cora had any of that.

  “This place is so sad,” Hailey said as she unwrapped her soft taco and proceeded to pour hot sauce on it before rolling it back up. “Every time I come here, it reminds me why I do most of my shopping online.”

  “Mmhmm.” Cora ripped off a piece of her crust and dipped it into the small container of jalapeno ranch sauce.

  “You don’t like me, do you?”

  Cora looked at the other woman. “I don’t know you enough to not like you.”

  Hailey made a disbelieving noise. “God, don’t you ever get tired of being so prissy?”

  “Any reason in particular that you’re sitting here?” Cora glared at Hailey.

  “I thought we should talk,” Hailey said. “I mean, we both got the hots for the same guy. Maybe we need to decide who gets him when.”

  “What are you talking about?” Cora’s cheeks flooded with heat. It was a stupid question to ask. She knew what Haley was talking about, or rather who she was talking about.

  “Please.” Hailey rolled her eyes and not for the first time. Cora wondered how she could see through so much mascara. “I’ve seen you watching him. He may not have noticed yet but trust me everyone else has.”

  “Gavin and I …”

  “Are friends?” She leaned over the table. “Yeah, I think we both know that friendship isn’t what you and Gavin have. Try again.”

  Cora pursed her lips and let her eyes wander t
he food court. This was not the conversation she wanted to have with Hailey. And definitely not right then. With all the crap that went down the night before with Gavin …

  “He’s a good guy,” Hailey said. “But he’s got some serious issues. If you let him, he’ll hurt you.”

  “I’ve known him for a long time,” Cora said.

  “That has nothing to do with it. We both know that he’s still dealing with what happened to Lela.”

  Cora snorted. “So what? You’re warning me away from him because you think I might get hurt? Or because you want him for yourself?”

  “See? That’s the difference between you and me. I know exactly where I stand with Gavin. We have a good time, we hook up, and that’s it. You want something more.”

  “And you don’t?”

  Hailey laughed. “If he was offering, yeah sure, I’d take more, but that’s not what he’s offering. To either of us.”

  The pity reflected in Hailey’s eyes had Cora squirming in her chair. She did want more, and if she was honest, she was jealous of what little Hailey had with him.

  “I’m giving you fair warning that as long as he’s offering something, I’m willing to take it,” Hailey said. “Now, if the two of you start hooking up, I’m out.”

  Cora studied Hailey. She’d always taken her at face value, never thinking about the person underneath the heavy makeup and bleached hair.

  “Do you love him?” Cora asked.

  “No, but that doesn’t matter. He’s sexy as hell and a good guy.” One side of her mouth tipped up into a smile. “Don’t tell me, you’re one of those girls who thinks you only sleep with someone when you’re in love? Oh my God. Are you a virgin?”

  “No!”

  “You are in love with him, though.”

  Hailey waited for her answer, but Cora wasn’t prepared to admit or deny it.

  “Fine, enjoy living in denial,” Hailey said. “But be careful. He could hurt you, but I think you could hurt him just as badly, and if that happens, I won’t play so nice.”

  With that, Hailey gathered her food back on her tray, picked it up, and found a new seat on the other side of the food court.

  Cora finished the last few bites of her pizza and then tossed the garbage on her tray and dumped it into a nearby bin. She browsed at a few stores, picking up a couple new tops for work, and then headed back to her car.

  On the way back home, Cora replayed the conversation she’d had with Hailey. She’d always considered Hailey to be a bitch, and then … Well, maybe she still was, but somewhere in that conversation, Hailey had shown she wasn’t the horrible person Cora expected.

  As she turned off the highway to the rural road leading to Thompson Creek, she noticed the car behind her followed. In the rear-view mirror, she tried to see if she recognized the vehicle. Thompson Creek was well over six thousand, and if you included people in the unincorporated areas, it was closer to twenty so she couldn’t claim to know everyone, but some cars stuck out in a rural area.

  The car was generic enough, but something about it left her feeling uneasy. Something about it felt off.

  The closer she got to home, the more frequent she checked her mirror. The car was still there, closer and her sense that something was off grew. She considered pulling over, but if the person in the car intended to hurt her, that would only make her a sitting duck.

  Behind her, the car closed the distance between them. She sped up, and so did the other vehicle. She went over the hill and the bridge came into view. Her hands clenched the steering wheel as her stomach churned. Her foot pressed down on the gas, accelerating her toward the bridge.

  She glanced again into the mirror. The driver behind her was so close she could make out his features. He was young, possibly in his mid-twenties, with dark hair and sunglasses. She’d never seen him before.

  As she crossed over onto the bridge, it happened. He rammed into the back of her car. She lurched forward, jerking the steering wheel in response. Instinctively, her foot pressed down the accelerator and she flew across the bridge, fear tearing through her.

  He hit her again as she crossed the end of the bridge and the impact sent her careening into the ditch. The front of the car slammed into a tree, crumpling the hood. A loud bang filled the air and something exploded, hitting her in the face.

  Dazed, she straightened in her seat, coughing as some kind of dust or powder floated around her. Her door opened, and she tried to see who was there, but the dust and something dripping in her eyes blurred her vision. Whoever it was grabbed her arm in a painful grasp. She tried pulling away, but her seat belt kept her from moving. There was a sharp prick on her upper arm and then the hold was gone.

  She turned off the car and then fumbled with the buckle until her seat belt popped free. She wiped her eyes and her hand came away covered with blood. Gingerly scooting out of the car, she glanced around for the other vehicle, but whoever hit her was long gone.

  Turning her attention to her car, a groan escaped her as she took in the crumpled hood. It was totaled and she was a good ten miles from town. She was going to need a tow, and more than likely a ride to the hospital.

  Chapter Eight

  ADRENALINE IS A FUNNY thing. When the accident happened, it pumped through Cora’s veins giving her the strength to get out of the car, to call 911, and to make it to the bridge where she sat on beside the railing. But as it faded, she’d been left utterly drained, unable to even lift her arm and flag down the ambulance as it approached. Three hours later, adrenaline had been replaced by the constant ache in her head.

  “Did you manage to find anyone to come pick you up?” the nurse inquired.

  Cora started to shake her head then thought better of it. “No, not yet.”

  She’d been trying her brother for the past thirty minutes, but it repeatedly went to voicemail. She left one message, keeping it light so he didn’t freak out. He might not come across as the most caring brother in the world, but he’d picked up Mom’s habit of panicking at the first hint of even a cold. The thought of calling her parents was even less appealing than having her brother come and hover over her.

  “I’m going to a try friend,” she said and smiled at the nurse.

  Giving up on her brother, she dialed Keeley’s number. It rang twice before Keeley picked up.

  “Hey! Where are you?” Keeley yelled to be heard over the music playing in the bar. “I thought you were coming for drinks this afternoon?”

  “I’m in Billings, at the hospital.”

  “What? Let me go in the back so I can hear you.” The music faded as Keeley left the main floor of the bar. “What happened?”

  “I was in an accident on my way home. I’m a bit banged up, but mainly bumps and bruises. My car’s totaled, though. I was hoping Darren would be able to give me a ride home, but he’s not answering. Would you be able to pick me up?”

  Keeley cussed under her breath. “I can’t. I’ve already had a couple beers. Let me check around and see if maybe Noah or Logan could come.”

  “Thanks.”

  In the background, Cora heard Keeley talking to someone. Whoever it was must’ve agreed to come get her because when Keeley came back on the line, she told Cora they’d be there in half an hour and take her to Keeley’s apartment for the night.

  When the nurse eventually came by again, Cora told her someone was on the way. A wheelchair was brought into the exam room, and despite her assurances that she was fine to walk, the nurse forced her into the chair, wheeling her down to the pick-up door.

  Covering her eyes against the harsh glare of the overhead lights, Cora waited inside the automatic door. Twenty minutes later, a vehicle pulled to a stop in front of the doors and she lowered her hand. Her stomach took a flying leap upward before plunging down as she recognized Gavin’s Jeep. She was going to kill Keeley for not telling her he was the one coming.

  He climbed out of the Jeep and came around as she leveraged herself out of the wheelchair and through the door.

>   “Are you okay?” He leaned down to inspect her face. “Keeley said it was a car accident. What happened?”

  “I ran off the road and hit a tree. I’m okay, just a little sore.”

  “Then why were you in a wheelchair?”

  “Hospital policy. They wheel you in, they wheel you out.” She moved toward the vehicle, and he pulled open the door for her, placing his hand on her elbow to help her up.

  He climbed back in behind the wheel and turned to look at her. His eyes studied her, and she shifted self-consciously. She was a mess. Thanks to the bump her head took against the window, her entire face had been covered with blood when she got to the hospital. Even though she’d managed to wash most of it away, she was pretty sure it was still caked into her hair. It was definitely all over her shirt.

  “So, what’s with the bandage?” he gestured to her forehead.

  Her hand lifted to trace her fingers over the edge of the large white bandage along her hairline. “Eight stitches and a headache.”

  “Is that the official diagnosis or your attempt to downplay it?”

  “Yes, a headache. Happy?”

  “Hardly. You could have a concussion. Didn’t they want to keep you overnight?”

  She carefully shook her head. “Nope. I need to keep an eye out for any kind of signs of a concussion, but otherwise, I’m good.”

  He looked skeptical and took the pamphlet she held up with the list of symptoms to watch out for. He scanned the list. “Half these things you can’t even monitor yourself.”

  “Which is why you’re dropping me off at Keeley’s,” she replied. “I’m spending the night there.”

  Looking partially pacified, he pulled away from the hospital and drove toward Thompson Creek. As the city streetlights disappeared into the distance, Cora sighed and leaned her still aching head against the headrest. Luckily, the pain meds the doctor had prescribed were kicking in and the pounding wasn’t so bad.

  “You going to tell me what happened?” he asked.

  Cora hesitated. She didn’t want to hide the truth from him again, but what happened that afternoon … It was so similar to what happened with Lela, she just didn’t know if it would even be believable. The cop who took her statement hadn’t believed her. She wasn’t even sure she believed it herself.