All the Inside Howling (Hollow Folk #2)(88)

He cut off with a squawk as I grabbed his arm and dragged him outside. The blast of freezing air made me want to reconsider, but I kept moving, hauling Emmett after me.

“Ferocious,” he grumbled, and then a pouty smile crossed his lips. “But I like a guy who knows what he wants. We’ve got time for a—”

“Emmett, if you don’t shut up, I’ll break your jaw.”

He swallowed and, perhaps unconsciously, ran a hand along his chin. The question in his face was obvious as I continued dragging him towards his car, so finally I said, “We’ve got to talk. No jokes. None of your crap. Not today, I’m so fucking sick and tired I can’t stand it.”

When we got to the car, I released him. He rubbed his arm, and with surprise I realized my fingers were aching. I hadn’t meant to hold him that hard or hurt him, but Temple Mae had been such a bitch. Temple Mae. who had never spoken two words to me before the party on Saturday, now thought she had the right to confront me in public about Austin. As though I didn’t already feel shitty enough.

With a low whistle, Emmett caught my jaw with one hand. He ran his thumb over the big bruise that ran from chin to ear, a present from Dad’s belt, and I flinched. “Christ, Vie.”

At least he didn’t ask if I was ok. That was something.

“Where’s Hailey?” I said. I pulled away from his grip, but he caught me again. His grip wasn’t hard. If anything, it was the opposite, like velvet. But it still held me because enough of me didn’t truly want to get away. “What happened Friday night?”

“Hailey and I decided to see other people,” Emmett said. “You look like a ghost.”

“She went with River.”

“Great. So now the whole school knows? I told those morons to keep their mouths shut.”

“Emmett, I need you tell me everything that happened that night.”

“Sure.”

I waited, but he slid his hands into his pockets and smiled and didn’t say a goddamn word.

“So? What happened?”

“Oh?” One perfect eyebrow made an arch. “Did you forget? I’m not telling you anything until you say what’s going on.”

“This isn’t a game, for God’s sake.”

“Then stop acting like it’s one. All you have to do is tell me.”

I wanted to squeeze my eyes shut, slide under the Porsche, and sleep on the oil-stained asphalt for a month. Maybe longer. Maybe until spring. Instead, though, I thought about River, who might be dead, and Hailey, who might be in just as much danger. DeHaven had followed them. Both of them. And River, at least, had never been seen again.

“It’s complicated.”

“I’m pretty bright. I’ll keep up.”

God, he was annoying. Trying to keep the irritation from my voice, I said, “There was someone else behind those killings. Samantha and Makayla, I mean. He was using Tony, but Tony wasn’t the real killer.”

That perfect eyebrow remained arched. Expectant.

“It was Luke,” I said explosively. “And I know what you’re going to say. He’s dead too. But he’s not, at least, not all the way. He’s like a ghost, or maybe more than a ghost, and he’s still manipulating people, still hurting people, and I think he killed River and he might have killed Hailey.”

“There’s an easy way to check.” He swiped a finger across his phone. “I just told Shelby I want to make up with Hailey. Let’s see what happens.”

“That’s it?” I said.

“Well, no promises, but I think Shelby will—”

“No. I just told you that the serial killer everyone thinks I caught wasn’t the real serial killer and that the real serial killer is actually dead but he’s still living as a ghost and he’s still killing.”

“Maybe.”

“What?”

“You said you think he killed River and maybe Hailey. Anyway, you’re a terrible liar, and I’ve known for weeks that you weren’t telling the truth about everything that night. I was wondering what actually happened. Ghosts and stuff, well, after everything else we’ve been through, it actually kind of makes sense.”

We. That was the word he used. It buzzed in my chest like a hornet.

Emmett’s phone buzzed. He swiped at it again, frowned, and said, “Shelby hasn’t seen Hailey since Friday.”

“Why haven’t her parents reported her missing?”

Emmett grimaced and turned the phone towards me. In the small black font, Shelby’s words were easy to read: She told her mom she was staying with me. I’ve been covering for her. E, I’m freaking out!!!!!





The Porsche rumbled beneath us as we drove towards Emmett’s house. It hadn’t been a hard decision, in light of everything.

“My parents are out of town,” Emmett had said matter of factly. “And you don’t have any other friends. So either we skip class and try to figure this out, or you spend the rest of the day stewing about it from inside Vehpese High.”

“Becca—”

“We’ll call her once school’s over.”

And somehow, that had decided the matter. It was easier to sit on that buttery leather, easier to let the heater soak through me and thaw the chill from my fingers, easier to breathe in the citrus and salt of Emmett’s cologne. I needed something easy, for once.