Jaded (Jaded #1)(50)

I looked inside the bushes and it was Leisha.

My hand froze as I lifted one of the branches out of the way, but I saw myself bend down and pick something up.

It was an envelope.

I held it in my hands.

Bryce was talking to me again, he was right beside me. He stopped talking when he saw the envelope, when he saw what was written on it.

I didn’t move again for a very long time.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Bryce and I sat at the end of the ambulance. The police had called the paramedics because I started to shiver uncontrollably. Bryce had hugged me to him, but it hadn’t helped. I just kept shivering. One of the paramedics said it was shock and he had checked to make sure Bryce was alright too.

The flashing lights highlighted the terrain. It was ugly and pretty at the same time.

We weren’t allowed to call anyone so it was another hour before the guys parked beside the police cars and ambulances.

Corrigan gestured for everyone to stay in the cars while he walked over to us.

“Hey,” he murmured, hands stuffed in his front pockets. His eyes skimmed over me and Bryce. He swore and slumped beside me while Bryce stayed on my other side.

“So, who was it?”

I turned mute again.

Bryce answered, hoarsely, “Leisha.”

Corrigan swore again. “Is she…? I mean…”

“Dead,” Bryce said flatly.

Corrigan whipped back to us, but didn’t say anything. I didn’t think he could say anything.

“I wanna go…somewhere,” I mumbled. We’d already given our statements and had been ordered to give official statements the next day at the station. I was really getting tired of going to that same place.

Bryce and Corrigan shared a look before Bryce asked, “Where?”

I shrugged. “Not here.”

Corrigan jumped up and said abruptly, “I’ll cut the guys loose. We can crash at my place.”

I thanked him with my eyes and Bryce nodded.

Corrigan left and returned a second later with keys to Chet’s car. “Let’s go.” He dangled the keys in the air and Bryce placed his hand at the small of my back. Corrigan got behind the wheel with Bryce in the shotgun seat. I huddled in the back in a fetal position.

Bryce had stuffed the envelope in his pocket. We hadn’t discussed it, but Bryce snapped it out of my hands and shoved it inside before he called the cops. I heard the crinkle of the paper and knew he showed Corrigan.

The envelope was addressed to me. We hadn’t opened it yet.

Suddenly, I bolted upright and grabbed the envelope.

“Sheldon!” Bryce cried out, startled.

I ripped it open and found one piece of paper inside. It was a small note and it read, Queen of Geneva disregarded her lowly subjects. To the grave they went and more to come.

I dry-heaved as Corrigan veered the car to the side. Bryce ripped the letter out of my hands and read it. He swore underneath his breath and Corrigan took it from him. He reacted the same.

I opened the door and took deep breaths from the air.

No one said anything. We sat there until Corrigan asked quietly, “Are you okay to go? Can you shut the door?”

Bryce rested his forehead against his window and didn’t say anything.

When I shut the door, Bryce lifted his head up and glanced back at me.

I huddled back down and hugged my knees to my chest.

Corrigan pulled back onto the road and the rest of the drive was passed in silence.

The radio had been left off.

The letter was left untouched between the two guys.

I don’t think anyone wanted to touch it.

At Corrigan’s we walked down to the basement and sat on the couches.

Corrigan’s family had placed three couches around a large screen that fitted against an entire wall. It was their own theater room. The couches matched the grandiose media center. They were plush and large enough to fit two full-length people.

I stretched out on one. Bryce took another and Corrigan dropped onto the third after he’d left for a bottle of bourbon.

He passed it around and all three of us took two shots in a row.

This time, Bryce didn’t hiss from the burn.

We kept passing the bottle until it was empty.

Corrigan sighed and flung the bottle at the bar. It ricocheted off the corner and bounced into the recycling bin.

No one commented on the shot.

“The cops should have that note,” Corrigan started.

“No,” I said sharply.

“Sheldon…”

“I said no. It had my name on it. It’s not going. We need to destroy it.”

“They could check it for prints. We should’ve given it to them right away,” Corrigan argued. “Why’d you guys even have it in the first place?”

“Sheldon grabbed it off the body.”

I flinched at those words. Leisha was cold now.

Bryce added, “I didn’t really think about it.”

“I don’t want the cops to know. I don’t want to be…connected to whoever could do something like that,” I spat out, feeling my insides gutted out.

“You should tell them,” Corrigan said.

“Shut up.”

Corrigan didn’t say anything.

Bryce rubbed a hand over his jaw and sat up. He stood and paced. “This is…we should do something. I don’t want to sit anymore.”