CRUSH (28 page)

“I’m doing fine, and yes. I called to tell you
Russ finally woke up. He didn’t talk much, but he recognized us, and he asked
about you.”

Relief washed through me, and I felt tears
begin to well up in my eyes. I blinked them away rapidly.

“I’m so glad to hear that.”

“He went right back to sleep again, but doctors
anticipate a full recovery. Now maybe we can get some answers from him.”

“I hope you will. Thanks for letting me know.”

“Thank you for helping him, Hunter.” Her voice
choked up. “The doctors said if it hadn’t been for your quick response, we
probably would’ve lost him.”

“Please don’t cry, Mrs. Weston. I was happy to
help. Keep in touch, and let me know how it goes. I’ll see if I can get over
there to see him soon.” She thanked me again and we hung up. I looked up to see
Cami and Clay waiting expectantly.

“Russ woke up,” I said with a relieved sigh.
“He knew who his parents were and asked about me. They think he’ll make a full
recovery. He’s sleeping again now, but they’re going to question him when he
wakes up again to see if they can figure out what happened.”

“Hunter, that’s wonderful news,” Cami said,
throwing her arms around me in a giant bear hug.

I slipped my arms about her waist and placed a
kiss against the side of her head, basking in the moment of relief in her
embrace. Clay stared at us with a distasteful expression. He didn’t appear the
least bit happy.

“Maybe you and I can drive to Albuquerque this
weekend to see him, if it’s all right with your parents,” I said.

“I’d love to. I’m sure they’d let me go. We
have the dance tonight, but we could go tomorrow. My aunt lives there too. I
bet she’d let us spend the night at her place, and we could come back on Sunday
since it’s such a long trip.”

I released her. “I think that would be great.
I’d enjoy spending the extra time with you.”

Clay didn’t speak a word, but he looked
positively enraged. I was sure he’d do everything he could to dissuade Cami from
going the minute my back was turned.

“Let me call my mom and tell her what’s going
on,” Cami said, pulling out her phone.

I nodded and continued eating my lunch,
pretending not to notice Clay staring at me as if he’d like to strangle me
right there.

“She says I can go, and she’ll call my aunt to
set things up for us.” Cami was beaming as she hung up, seeming happier than
I’d seen her in days.

“Sounds good,” I replied. “Thank you.”

“I can’t wait. It’ll be great to see Russ
again, and it will be fun traveling with you.” She leaned over and pecked me on
the cheek. “I love being with you.”

I couldn’t help my grin and chuckle. “I feel
the same. It’ll be nice to be alone together. We haven’t had much of that
lately.”

“No, we haven’t.”

I wondered if Clay realized she’d practically
forgotten he was still sitting with us. Cami had made no secret over how she
felt about me, but he continued to hang around and act like he had a chance
with her. It made me feel uncomfortable. He didn’t seem able to get the message.

Tomorrow . . . maybe tomorrow I
could finally tell her about Clay.

The bell rang, signaling it was time to get
back to class, and the three of us gathered our things. I listened to Cami
chatter happily about her aunt as we walked down the hallway to class, and it
was great hearing her sound like her old self again.

The music was pulsating loudly in the
transformed gymnasium, complete with a false fabric ceiling and giant,
glittering, decorated masks strategically placed around the room. A huge silver
disco ball hung in the center, casting its fractured light about the space. It
made all the shiny surfaces reflect and glow as if tiny jewels were implanted
in their surface.

Masked teenagers danced about the room in
rhythm with the pounding beat, dressed in various styles of costumes—from
the crazy to the elegant variety.

I hadn’t dressed up, only wearing a black
t-shirt, jeans, and shoes. I had worn a black half mask, simply to blend into
the crowd a little easier. I wasn’t here to participate. I was here to observe.

I managed to easily spot Cami and Clay from
where I hid—leaning against the corner wall in the shadows. Cami was simply
the most beautiful girl in the room, her gold dress set off her red hair
perfectly and made her skin look like peaches and cream. Her mask was attached
to a long, slender stick, so she could lift it to her face or pull it away
while she was talking to people. I was glad she didn’t hold it up a lot. I
liked seeing her eyes flash and shine in the light as she danced and laughed. She
was clearly having a good time
 . . .
with Clay.

It was plain to see she only thought of him
platonically. There was never anything romantic in her gestures, purely those
of a girl enjoying some fun with her good friend.

Clay on the other hand looked like the cat
who
’d swallowed the canary. His eyes never left her, and
anyone who looked at him for more than two seconds could clearly see he was
head over heels crazy about her. It was all I could do to stay here instead of
marching over to whisk her away from him. He was constantly caressing her in
some manner—whether he was softly running his hands down her bare
shoulders and arms, or lowering his head to speak closely into her
ear—his body was always touching hers.

I peered at my watch. Two hours down. If I
could hang in there for another hour, the dance would be over, and I could make
sure he took her safely home. Then tomorrow she’d be mine again for the
weekend.

“I knew you’d be lurking around here
somewhere,” Gabrielle’s voice interrupted my thoughts as she approached. “There
was no way you’d let your precious Cami out of your sight for so long,
especially when she’s with another guy.”

I didn’t bother to answer her.

She stroked her fingers over my bare arm as she
walked up beside me. “They make a gorgeous couple, don’t you think?
Especially since Clay decided to ditch the nerd look.
They
belong together—can’t you see it? It’s the way it’s always been.”

“And what make you such an expert on their
relationship?” I asked glancing at her. She was dressed up like a cat burglar
in a form-fitting spandex suit, which tightly hugged every one of her generous
curves. Her heavily made up eyes glistened as she stared at me through her
sleek, black mask.

“Clay and I are . . . close.”

I snorted. “If you mean to say you’re banging
him, I already figured that out.”

She looked surprised.

“The only thing I don’t know is how long it’s
been going on,” I added. “Or why.”

She gave a sly smile and brushed closer against
me. “I could tell you the answers . . . if you really want to
know.”

“By all means, go ahead.” She had my full
attention.

“It’ll cost you.” She walked her fingers up my
arm toward my shoulder.

“Really? What?” I asked, ready to play her
game.

“You know what I want.” Her gaze flitted over
me.

I paused, mulling over what she was
insinuating. “All I can promise is to give you the ride of your life
 . . .
once . . . that’s it. You won’t
get anything else from me.”

She smiled victoriously. “Once will be enough.
Then you’ll be hooked like every other guy in this school.”

“You can’t be
that
good. Now spill your secrets or no deal.”

She sighed, brushing her hand down past my
shoulder, pausing to squeeze my bicep. “Clay has wanted Cami for a long time,
and what he wants, he gets. You shouldn’t mess with him. He’s dangerous. Jordan
Henley found that out the hard way.”

My eyes narrowed, and I grabbed her by the arm.
“What do you mean?”

“Ouch!” she said, pulling back. “You don’t want
to bruise the merchandise, sweetie.”

I relaxed my hold. “My mistake. I thought you’d
like it rough for some reason.” She smiled, rubbing her hand over mine, and I
let her. “What were you saying about Jordan?”

She frowned a little, and I could see her
hesitation. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”

I tightened my grip and dragged her behind one
of the decorative walls. “Tell me what you know or the deal is off.” I forced
myself to reach out and stroke the side of her face, trying to pretend I was
into her. She leaned into it and closed her eyes.

“That feels nice.”

“Tell me what you know,” I pressured her again.

She rested against the wall and beckoned me
seductively with her long nailed finger. “Come here first.”

I moved, pinning her body with mine.

“Kiss me,” she said, licking her lips.

I lowered my head. “Not until you tell me what
you know, Gabby. That’s the deal.” I was so close to her it almost made me
nauseated.

“Clay poisoned Jordan. He’s a chemical genius,
you realize. He knows how to cook his own stuff. Jordan said he was going to
get Cami one way or another the night of the Winter Formal. Clay slipped some
meth into Jordan’s drink, hoping to incapacitate him, but he accidentally gave
him too much, and it killed him instead. He didn’t know I’d seen him do it
until I threatened to expose him. He told me he’d give me the drugs to sell,
and I could keep half the profit if I wouldn’t tell anyone. So that good party
you’ve been looking for? I’m the one who’s able to give it to you. You
should’ve been hooking up with me this whole time.”

I was going to be sick. The pieces of the
puzzle were suddenly falling into place. In the theater, Clay must’ve spiked
the drink he thought was mine, but when Cami moved them they got mixed up.

“Russ’s drink . . . it was meant
for me.” I’d been the target. Russ’s illness was my fault. He had come after
me. And now my girlfriend was dancing in the arms of a killer. I had to get her
out of here.

Gabby laughed. “I told you not to mess with
him. He’s sadistic.”

“Kind of like you, huh?” I replied, feeling
nothing but complete scorn for this stupid, stupid, girl.

“I can be, but the important thing is I kept my
end of the bargain. Now it’s time for you to keep yours.”

“Oh, trust me, Gabrielle. I always keep my
word. You will most definitely get the ride of your life,” I leaned in closer
so my lips were nearly brushing her ear, “in the back of a police car.”

She looked confused and then a little scared. “
Wha
 . . . what do you mean?”

“I mean, dear Gabby, my real name is Dylan
Wilcock, and I’m a twenty-one year old undercover police officer who was sent
here to investigate the suspicious activity surrounding Jordan Henley’s death.”
I couldn’t help a sly grin as I cocked an eyebrow at her. “You just
propositioned a cop, admitted you were selling illegal drugs, covered up a
homicide, and had knowledge of an attempted homicide. I think you’ve—how
do they say it—cooked your own goose? You’re under arrest.”

She shoved me and attempted to run, but I
grabbed her and quickly pinned her to the wall.

“Let me go!” she shouted, struggling.

“Not a chance. You’re gonna go out there with
me right now and confront Clay, and I’m going to call for a squad car to take
us all down to the station.”

She looked at me, horrified. “I can’t. It’s too
late.”

“What’s too late?”

“I was the diversion. He knew he could never
leave here with her while you were watching so closely. He has other plans for
her tonight. They left as soon as you quit watching.”

“What?” I bellowed, my rage boiling straight to
the surface. “Why? Why would you put her in the hands of someone who could hurt
her? Do you really hate her that badly?”

“I’m tired of competing,” she whined like a
spoiled child. “All the guys want her, and she doesn’t even know it! I’m the
one who’s always there for them, and all they can talk about is how gorgeous
she is and how they’d totally do her. I thought if I helped Clay, it would take
care of my problem. He loves her. He wouldn’t hurt her.”

“The guy is psychotic! How can you know what
he’ll do? Tell me where they’re going!” I pulled her after me, heading toward
the door.

“I don’t know. He didn’t tell me.” She was
crying in earnest as we entered the hallway together.

I ripped my mask off and started running toward
the exit, practically dragging her along. I stepped outside in time to see
Clay’s ugly little car leave the parking lot. I hurried over to my Camaro and
stopped. The tires had been slashed.

I turned to Gabby. “Give me the keys to your
car.”

“I don’t have them. They’re in my purse in the
gym.”

“Listen to me carefully. I’m letting you go,
and you’re going to get them for me. If anyone asks you what’s wrong you’ll
tell
them
you don’t feel well, and you’re heading
home. If you help me out now, I’ll put it in my report and testify to it.
Hopefully that will shine a good light on you. But so help me, if you run, I’ll
catch you and make sure they throw the book at you. So what’s it going to be?”