live outside the gates—a job,” Adam answered. “I’ll show you the way. You can follow me.”
“If I can keep up with your superfly Vespa,” Jason said, glad to hear Adam sounding more Adam-like. It was the first time all day that he’d made a rich kid–poor kid joke.
Less than ten minutes later, Jason found himself in front of Under G’s, a lingerie store.
“We’re going in there?” he asked.
“Just remember they only carry European labels,” Adam advised.
“I don’t really need a new bra anyway,” Jason said as he opened the door and stepped inside, to be greeted with an astounding array of bras and panties and other items he didn’t want.
“Can I help you?” asked a frighteningly thin woman with slicked-back hair. She looked the boys up and down and wrinkled her tiny nose as if she smelled something bad.
“Is Lauren around?” Jason asked.
The woman frowned. “She’s not allowed visitors at work.”
Adam slapped Jason on the shoulder. “This is her cousin from Michigan,” he said firmly. The thin woman looked dubious, but before she could say anything, Lauren bustled over.
“Cousin Jason,” she said, putting on a big fake smile for her boss. “I thought we were going to meet up after I got off work.”
“Change of plan,” Jason said. His eyes immediately went to Lauren’s throat, but a necklace with large painted beads blocked his view.
The boss woman gave the three of them a warning look and moved away.
“You guys are going to get me in trouble,” Lauren whispered. “What are you even doing here?”
Jason said the first thing that sprang into his mind. “I just wanted to apologize for being such a idiot at Belle’s party this weekend.”
“Oh, okay.” Lauren frowned. “Honestly, I don’t even remember talking to you that night.”
“You didn’t. I meant that scene while you were in the hot tub with Brad,” Jason explained.
Lauren smiled. “That explains it. You don’t really expect me to remember anything that happened while I was in the hot tub with him, do you?”
“You don’t remember when Jason—,” Adam began.
“She said she doesn’t remember,” Jason interrupted. He really didn’t want to hear a replay of his bad behavior, especially since Lauren didn’t even recall it. Maybe she’d had too much to drink. Jason knew he had. He’d had to practically squeeze his memories of the party out of his brain. Even Dani had been fuzzy, and she was still sticking to the not-drinking story.
“So I accept your apology. And don’t do it again, whatever it was. Now please get out of here,” Lauren said in a rush.
Jason shot a look at Adam. How were they going to—
Adam took action before Jason could finish the thought. “We’re gone. But you gotta tell me where you got that necklace. My mom’s birthday is coming up, and she loves stuff with beads.”
Lauren didn’t have a chance to answer. Adam slid one finger under the necklace and, a half a second later, beads were bouncing all over the floor. Lauren dropped to the ground and frantically began trying to gather them up. Jason knelt down next to her as if to help, but he ignored the beads. His attention was firmly focused on Lauren’s neck….
And there, without a doubt, were two tiny red marks. Marks identical to the ones on Carrie Smith’s arm.
Jason scrambled backward and felt something crack under his foot: a bead. “Sor—”
“I don’t need any more help. Or apologies. Just leave,” Lauren hissed. Jason and Adam bolted out of the door and practically ran over to their vehicles.
“See. You saw them, right? The same marks. The bite,” Adam said.
“I saw the marks,” Jason confirmed. “I’m not sure what made them. But I saw them.” And he knew that meant that there was a connection between Brad and Carrie.
Jason felt like his head might explode. Brad had always seemed like such a decent guy. But it seemed he was sick enough to want to get girls drunk and then bite
“If I can keep up with your superfly Vespa,” Jason said, glad to hear Adam sounding more Adam-like. It was the first time all day that he’d made a rich kid–poor kid joke.
Less than ten minutes later, Jason found himself in front of Under G’s, a lingerie store.
“We’re going in there?” he asked.
“Just remember they only carry European labels,” Adam advised.
“I don’t really need a new bra anyway,” Jason said as he opened the door and stepped inside, to be greeted with an astounding array of bras and panties and other items he didn’t want.
“Can I help you?” asked a frighteningly thin woman with slicked-back hair. She looked the boys up and down and wrinkled her tiny nose as if she smelled something bad.
“Is Lauren around?” Jason asked.
The woman frowned. “She’s not allowed visitors at work.”
Adam slapped Jason on the shoulder. “This is her cousin from Michigan,” he said firmly. The thin woman looked dubious, but before she could say anything, Lauren bustled over.
“Cousin Jason,” she said, putting on a big fake smile for her boss. “I thought we were going to meet up after I got off work.”
“Change of plan,” Jason said. His eyes immediately went to Lauren’s throat, but a necklace with large painted beads blocked his view.
The boss woman gave the three of them a warning look and moved away.
“You guys are going to get me in trouble,” Lauren whispered. “What are you even doing here?”
Jason said the first thing that sprang into his mind. “I just wanted to apologize for being such a idiot at Belle’s party this weekend.”
“Oh, okay.” Lauren frowned. “Honestly, I don’t even remember talking to you that night.”
“You didn’t. I meant that scene while you were in the hot tub with Brad,” Jason explained.
Lauren smiled. “That explains it. You don’t really expect me to remember anything that happened while I was in the hot tub with him, do you?”
“You don’t remember when Jason—,” Adam began.
“She said she doesn’t remember,” Jason interrupted. He really didn’t want to hear a replay of his bad behavior, especially since Lauren didn’t even recall it. Maybe she’d had too much to drink. Jason knew he had. He’d had to practically squeeze his memories of the party out of his brain. Even Dani had been fuzzy, and she was still sticking to the not-drinking story.
“So I accept your apology. And don’t do it again, whatever it was. Now please get out of here,” Lauren said in a rush.
Jason shot a look at Adam. How were they going to—
Adam took action before Jason could finish the thought. “We’re gone. But you gotta tell me where you got that necklace. My mom’s birthday is coming up, and she loves stuff with beads.”
Lauren didn’t have a chance to answer. Adam slid one finger under the necklace and, a half a second later, beads were bouncing all over the floor. Lauren dropped to the ground and frantically began trying to gather them up. Jason knelt down next to her as if to help, but he ignored the beads. His attention was firmly focused on Lauren’s neck….
And there, without a doubt, were two tiny red marks. Marks identical to the ones on Carrie Smith’s arm.
Jason scrambled backward and felt something crack under his foot: a bead. “Sor—”
“I don’t need any more help. Or apologies. Just leave,” Lauren hissed. Jason and Adam bolted out of the door and practically ran over to their vehicles.
“See. You saw them, right? The same marks. The bite,” Adam said.
“I saw the marks,” Jason confirmed. “I’m not sure what made them. But I saw them.” And he knew that meant that there was a connection between Brad and Carrie.
Jason felt like his head might explode. Brad had always seemed like such a decent guy. But it seemed he was sick enough to want to get girls drunk and then bite
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