Split(81)

“You were there?”

“No, she called me. I could barely make out what she was saying, so I called nine-one-one and raced to her house.” His eyes fill with tears. “I beat the ambulance. Door was wide open and I could hear her moaning.”

“Someone broke in?”

He shrugs. “Don’t know. By the time I got to her, she took one look at me and passed out. She’d been there for a while; all the blood was old. Must’ve happened in the night.” He leans forward, putting his head in his hands. “She’d been beaten pretty bad. Her face, her body, God . . . Shy, I hardly recognized her.”

My throat swells and a shiver races down my spine. Could the Shadow have moved into Payson? It’s always been a relatively safe town. Besides the bar fights and the occasional domestic disturbances, the crime rate is lower than the bigger cities that surround it.

“What do the cops think happened?”

“They’re investigating. Can’t get a statement out of her until she recovers enough to talk.” He cringes. “If she recovers enough to talk.”

I slump back in my seat and dig the heels of my palms into my eyes. I don’t know enough about the life Sam lives to speculate who would’ve done this to her. As far as I know, she dates freely, has a few friends, but doesn’t seem to have any real enemies. The more my mind attempts to come up with a logical suspect, the more related to the Shadow attacks this seems.

“Thing is, everyone knows everyone in this town and no one seems to have seen shit.” He tilts his head to look up at me. “How is that possible, Shy? Not a single witness?”

There’s so much pain in his eyes that I feel guilty for any anger I had at their being together. He clearly cares for her.

“Dustin, what if her attack is part of the ones happening in Phoenix and Flag?”

“Maybe. Although . . .” He blows out a shaky breath. “Girls at Pete’s said they saw that kid Lucas with her.”

My breath freezes in my lungs.

“That guy’s a loose f*cking cannon. Came by my shop to confront me ’bout you.”

I jerk away from Dustin as if he were on fire. Lord knows he’s hurting for Sam, so I try to soften what I’m about to say. “Lucas isn’t capable of the kind of violence you’re describing.”

He fixes me with a glare. “How can you say that? He started a fight with me.”

“Dustin, you had me locked to your body and wouldn’t let me go.” The high-pitched sound of my voice catches the attention of a man near us and he peeks over his People magazine. I smile at him, then clear my throat and pray to calm down. “You instigated that and you know it. And him going into your feed store to shop is hardly confrontational.”

He sits up to his full height and angles his body to face mine. “That what he told you?”

“Don’t do this, Dustin. I know you’re pissed and you want to blame someone, but I’m telling you, Lucas is not responsible.”

“Yeah? Would you bet Sam’s life on that?” He shakes his head in disbelief. “Can’t believe you’re stickin’ up for him.”

“I know him, and he’s not c-capable of what you’re accusing him of—”

“You know him. You really know him? You blow in town for what? A few weeks and you know this guy? Don’t be so na?ve, Shy. You don’t know shit about him.”

Has it only been a few weeks?

I can hear the logic in Dustin’s words, register them as making complete sense, and can even hear myself giving the same speech to myself in an out-of-body kind of way. Truth is, as much as I think I know Lucas, even claim to understand Gage, he spent time locked up for murder. Of his own family no less.

Is it possible that he’s capable of hurting Sam too?

Every cell in my body revolts against the idea.

Not Lucas. No way.

But Gage . . .

Memories flash behind my eyes. His beautiful face twisted in rage and staring down at me while pushing me underwater. His clenched teeth and sickening smile as he held my throat while his fingers refused to let up despite my begging.

And even less than an hour ago, the way his arms shook with rage while he stalked toward me in the forest.

That is the kind of man who would commit murder.

Beat and maim to prove a point.

But why Sam?

That makes no sense. Gage didn’t want Sam before; he flat out refused and even belittled her. What could she have possibly done to deserve getting beaten? What did I do that deserved coming within a few short breaths of being drowned?

Lucas. We’re all a threat to Lucas.

Women seem to trigger it.

Lucas’s words filter through my head.

I shoot upright and turn to address Dustin. “I’ll be back later.”

He snags me by the hand. “Stay away from him, Shy, at least until they figure out who’s responsible for this.”

“I will. I’ll stay away from Lucas.” I lie without stuttering because Lucas isn’t the one I need to talk to.

The key will be bringing forward the one with the answers. I’ll figure out how to get him to confide in me.

The problem will be staying safe while I do.





GAGE


I’m parked on the front porch of the river house, Buddy’s head in my lap as I run my fingers through his mangy coat. He peers up at me through dark eyes that beg for me to keep scratching. “Get an inch, take a foot, is that it?” His eyelids get heavy when I hit his favorite spot right behind his ear.