The Promise (Wolfe Creek Duet #2)

44

THEA

“Just like that. Hold that pose,” I tell my client as I move around, taking pictures from various angles. I try my hardest to infuse my tone with the confidence and enthusiasm I used to have. It seems my passion for this has been snuffed out. I wonder if I’ll find it again.

From my studio, I hear the door open and Cassie greet someone. A moment later, she discreetly pops her head around the corner. “Thea,” she hisses.

Looking over, I see her concerned face and dread fills me. She never interrupts me like this. What is it now? I groan inwardly.

“Can you give me a moment? I’m so sorry.” My client nods, relaxing her body.

Hurrying over to Cass, I raise my brows expectantly.

“It’s the detective. He needs your fingerprints.” Her words make my heart stop. I’m in the middle of a shoot, what is he thinking? Not a second later, I answer my own question. He’s doing this on purpose. He’s slowly making sure that I can’t hide that I’m being investigated. First with the search warrant at home and now my place of business.

I don’t want to do this, but I don’t have another option and my client’s probably going to hate me. “Can you take over the shoot while I deal with this?” I extend my camera out to her. “She only has one more outfit change. I’m sorry, I know this isn’t your thing. I’ve got a lot of photos already, so just do the best you can.”

Cass smiles weakly and takes my camera. “Of course. Let me know if you need anything.”

I look back at my client. “I’m so sorry, Macie, I have an emergency I need to take care of. Cassie is absolutely amazing and very talented. She’s going to finish up your shoot. And your photo book is on me.” There’s hesitation in her eyes, but when Cass gives her a warm smile, it eases. “Thank you,” I mutter before leaving the room.

Walking into the waiting area, I see the detective casually sitting in one of the seats. My eyes flick up to the security camera. I don’t know how I’m going to explain this to Damian if he sees the footage. All I can hope for is that he’s too busy to notice.

“Ms. Griffin,” Williams says as he stands. It’s not him that has my attention, not this time. In his hand there’s a small black carrying case. It reminds me of the one Damian uses for his gun. I swallow against the lump in my throat. That confidence from the other night at the station is gone. This is getting too real. “Do you have somewhere private we can do this?”

“Yes,” I answer curtly. It’s becoming clearer that I need to be very careful about what I say to this man. “This way.”

I lead him down the hallway to Cassie’s studio. Once inside, he walks past me and heads toward her desk. Setting his black case down, he opens it and pulls out a pair of gloves. “This won’t take long.”

“Wait.” My feet stop. “Do you have a warrant or something for this? You can’t just come in here and take samples without some kind of paperwork.” I say it as if I know what I’m talking about.

Williams smiles brightly. “Of course I have paperwork, Thea.” He reaches into the case and pulls out an envelope, extending it to me.

Walking to him, I take it and open the flap. Sure enough, inside I find the warrant for my fingerprints. I keep reading. And a hair sample. Something about him collecting my hair makes my stomach turn to lead. I give the envelope back.

I watch him slip the gloves on and unpack the case. He carefully places a sterile rectangular sheet on the desk, then places a white card on top of it. Williams spreads ink on a glass plate, then he motions for me to come over.

He doesn’t say anything, only takes my hand and places each finger in the ink before placing my prints in the boxes on the white card. Then he does the other hand. I stare at the black thin swirling lines that make up my unique identity. I stare until they blur and blend together. I’m only pulled from my trance when I feel a pinch at my scalp and then a release as the detective plucks a hair from my head.

“Hey,” I yelp. “A little warning wouldn’t hurt.”

Williams shrugs. “Just need a couple more.” My irritation grows with each hair he pulls from various spots on my head. I watch as he adds the last dark hair into a clear bag and seals it. He packs the case back up. “Thank you for your time, Ms. Griffin. I’ll be in contact.”

And just like that, he walks out with everything he needs to prove that I’ve done something wrong.

I wait in Cassie’s studio until she finishes up with my client, knowing that I’m too shaken to return to the shoot. She’s rushing in not long after the detective leaves.

“Hey.” She puts her arm around me. “It’s going to be okay. I’ll make sure of it.” I know she’s trying to be helpful, but I don’t think there’s anything anyone can say or do at this point to make me feel better. “C’mon, get your stuff. We’re going to my place.”

I don’t ask why or argue. I grab my satchel and camera. Once I’m in my car, I text the guys.

Me: Going to Cassie’s for a bit.

Damian: Let me know when you’re on your way home, princess.

Wes: Have fun!

Sutton: Love you, baby.

I follow Cassie’s car, parking behind her when we get to her house. Before heading inside, I throw my bag in the trunk, just in case. I can’t be too careful these days, someone could be listening in.

“Anthony has something he wants to show you. It could be nothing, but… you’ll see.” We head inside and find him at the dining room table, laptop open.

Glancing up, he smiles briefly. “Hey, Thea.” The tightness of his face tells me that Cassie’s probably filled him in on the detective’s visit to the studio. She circles him, leans down and kisses his cheek. That draws out a loving grin.

“Hey. You have something for me to look at?”

He nods and motions for me to come over. The screen is a familiar one. GPS coordinates are listed and I know these are all the places that Cole’s been to.

“I’ve been keeping an eye on his whereabouts. He sticks to the same places usually. The gas station, his apartment, your house, Olive Way,” he pauses and looks up at me. I shouldn’t be surprised, but somehow it strikes some fear into me. “He’s gone out of state a few times, but it’s this location that seems strange.” Anthony points to a couple of entries. I don’t see what he sees.

“Why?” I ask.

He pulls up a map. “It’s in the middle of the woods. There’s nothing out there. And he’ll go out there for hours at a time. It just doesn’t sit right with me.”

I look closer at the screen. “Can you zoom in?” Slowly, the broad view of the map disappears and details emerge. Street names, businesses, rivers. “Wait. Stop!” My heart thuds and a chill grips my spine. “That’s Wolf Creek.” That won’t mean anything to them, but it means everything to the Wolfe brothers.

Why would Cole be out there? Why would he risk it? My mind searches for something… anything. Hours spent at their special place. It doesn’t make sense.

“Is there something out there?” Cass inquires. I meet her puzzled gaze.

I shake my head. “I don’t know. I’ve never been. The guys grew up there. They spent so much of their childhood there.”

Her brows knit and I see the wheels in her head turning just as furiously as mine are.

“There aren’t any structures that I can see. I followed him the last time he went out there. He goes almost every Saturday.” Cass and I give him horrified looks.

“Anthony,” Cass seethes. “That’s dangerous. And you didn’t tell me you were going. What if something happened to you?”

He takes her hand, pulling her down into his lap. “Nothing happened. I was careful.” He gently grasps her chin, guiding her to his lips. “I watched the direction he walked in, then went back later after he left when his footprints were still visible. I marked coordinates. But it’s just woods and water out there.”

Cass says absentmindedly, “If he’s going back to the same spot… it’s like he’s stuck in the past or something. Like something’s haunting him.”

My breath whooshes out of me and I have the sudden realization that I know exactly what could be haunting him. Or rather, who. Damian told me that Wolf Creek was the foundation for everything, but what if it’s more than just the foundation? What if it’s a house built on the kinds of secrets that bond brothers for life?

“Thea, are you okay?” Anthony asks. “You’re pale.”

Cass stands, placing her hands on my shoulders. “What is it?”

“I think I know where to find the pill bottle.”

She doesn’t need any other clarification. Cass nods. “Then we’ll go out and look. If it’s out there, we’ll find it and we’ll be one step closer to getting Cole out of your life.” Her words should be reassuring, yet my entire body won’t stop shaking. This was the part I was dreading.

Not only does the thought of digging up the bodies make my stomach knot and my throat lump up, but knowing the detective is looking for them too and could catch me in the act makes me feel faint. This isn’t what I imagined my life would be like and it’s all thanks to Cole.

The thought of him putting me in this position rouses my anger. It pushes up against that fear and anxiety. That might be the only thing that gets me through. Pure, undiluted hatred for him. I let it wash over me, unashamed and unapologetic.

“When do we go?” I ask, looking from Cassie to Anthony.

His face hardens. “I need to get some tools. Give me two days.”

If we find what I’m looking for out there, taking down Cole has to happen right away. But it all feels like it’s happening so fast. I don’t have a solid plan yet. All I know is that this is the last time I can ask my best friend to help me. She can’t get caught up in the rest of this. I need to bear the consequences of what happens myself. It’s the least I can do.

Two days… I can come up with something in two days.

SUTTON

I’m pacing the kitchen. I know I need to do it, but it’s so damn hard. I’m not a confrontational person, I’m a peacemaker. However, I can’t keep quiet about this anymore.

On my phone, I find my dad’s name and hit the call button. It rings three times before he picks up.

“Hey son.”

“Hold on,” I tell him.

I hit the button that lets me add another line to the call. I find my mom’s number and merge the calls.

“What’s going on, Sutton?” My dad asks, confused.

I don’t want to explain all of this twice, so I wait for my mom to answer.

“Sutton?” Her voice is cautious and a little surprised.

“Mom. Dad.” They both answer “Yes,” in unison. “I have some things to say. This isn’t a discussion and I don’t want your opinions. I’m going to tell you my thoughts and how I feel. You two are going to listen.”

There’s silence on the other end—acceptance of my terms.

I’ve spent the last couple of weeks working on myself, working through my shit and not escaping through destructive means. Not surprisingly, riding again has helped a lot. But it’s the writing that shocked me the most.

When I started, I didn’t know what exactly to write about. I started with some ideas, letting them snowball to see if they’d turn into anything, but nothing sparked my inspiration. Then it came to me and I couldn’t stop writing once it did. It terrified me how easily the words came out at first, like the story’s always been in me. It feels so natural. And I can’t wait to show Thea once it’s done. She’s the one who set me on this path, after all, in more ways than one.

She’s my muse, my reason, my everything. She’s my forever. I just hope she likes it.

I pull myself back to the two people on the phone waiting for me to speak.

“I want to start by saying that objectively, I can understand why you did what you did. I can see in some twisted, warped way why you thought you were protecting me. But it was selfish. Both of you were selfish, no matter how much you think you were doing for me back then. You had to have known that this would come out, that the lies would hurt me. Still, you kept up the facade for almost three decades.” I pause to calm my rising emotions. I may have done a lot of work on myself, however, this is all very raw still. “You both have asked for my forgiveness, but I can’t give it to you. Not yet. You’ve betrayed me. You’ve made a mockery of my childhood and my memories. I’m questioning everything. Do you know how shitty that feels? This call isn’t to make amends. I’m calling you both to tell you that this is going to take a long time for me to get over… Maybe I won’t ever be able to forgive you two. I’m calling to tell you that you’re both going to have to put a lot of work in if you want the possibility of rebuilding our relationship and gaining my trust back. And that’s up to each of you, if you want to do that. I’ll accept it if you don’t, however if you want to be in my life, there are going to be boundaries and I can’t budge on that.”

By the time I’m done speaking, I’m both shocked and proud of myself. I didn’t break down. I didn’t back down. I said everything I needed to and it’s up to them to accept those terms or to walk away for good. Either is fine by me. I can’t fight for people who haven’t had my best interests at heart and I won’t beg for their love—the love I don’t truly know because it’s clouded in lies.

My dad is the first to speak. “Sutton, I’m so sorry. You’re right. I’ll do whatever’s needed to be in your life. I don’t care how long it takes, son.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Adrian emerging from Damian’s room. He tips his chin up at me in silent acknowledgement before hitting his vape, then opening the fridge.

“I will do my best to make this better, honey. But I don’t want it to take years to get back what we had—”

I cut my mom off. “We won’t ever get back what we had. That was fake. It wasn’t genuine in any way because of what you did. We can try to get to a good place, but I can’t guarantee it and you can’t push my boundaries. I won’t allow it.”

My mom’s silent for a while. “Okay. I understand.” The way she says it makes me nervous that she won’t fully respect my wishes. If she can’t, she can’t be in my life. That’s a problem for another day, though.

“Thank you both for listening. I have to go, but we’ll talk soon.”

Hanging up without telling them I love them feels odd. Although, saying it and not fully meaning it, as shitty as that sounds, would have felt stranger. I do still love them, but it’s not the same anymore. It’s painful to express those sentimental words at this moment.

As I set my phone on the counter, I feel dark eyes penetrating me. I look up to find Adrian staring beneath the black locks of hair in front of his face. “What was that about?”

We’re close, but never that close. Not like he and Cole were. So I’m unsure if I should be vulnerable with him. He isn’t really the type, especially after prison. Although, if I never give him the chance to be, how can I really know? He’s my brother after all and right now I’m down a couple family members. I need to lean on the people around me right now or I could fall back into bad habits.

The words are easier to think than to put into practice.

“It was my parents.” I offer a little information even though it’s uncomfortable.

He nods. “It’s a crappy situation you’re in. I’m sorry, bro. But I’m proud of you.”

His words strike me unexpectedly. Empathy, compassion, and encouragement… It’s not what I anticipated. I’m not sure what to say to him, except, “Thank you.”

Adrian takes a sip of water. “You know, we have a lot more in common than I think we realize. Neither of us started out with bad families. My mom was my everything and when she died, my life was completely turned upside down. She thought she was doing what was best for me. She thought she knew her brother and that I only had a few more years before I was eighteen. What was the worst that could happen?”

I never thought about it like that. He’s right. Our families were great… until they weren’t. His circumstances were much worse—that puts things into perspective for me. He was a kid dealing with the death of his mom and suffering at the hands of his uncle. I’m an adult. My situation is manageable, even if it fucking sucks.

Holding my boundaries, it’s the least I can do for myself. And just like that, I’m proud of myself too. Rather than viewing this need to protect my peace as a chore, I suddenly see it as an opportunity to grow and become a better version of myself.

“Adrian, I’m proud of you for everything you’ve done. And I mean everything.” I stare hard, refusing to break eye contact. We both know what I’m talking about. He still hasn’t accepted that he was the victim. He still hasn’t forgiven himself for that night. But maybe someday he will. Maybe someday he’ll see that it was a way to protect himself and that he’s made it out on the other side a better person for it. No matter what society or a jury says. “Neither of us needs to carry the weight of the burdens placed upon us. They may have determined our past, but they won’t dictate our future.”

For the first time, I see something in my brother’s eyes. Maybe it’s hope or the realization that I’m right. It doesn’t flicker and disappear, it stays there. Could this be his turning point? I hope so. He deserves happiness more than any of us. I think I’d do just about anything to give that to him.

He doesn’t respond, but doesn’t fight against my words like he usually might. Adrian finishes his water, squeezes my shoulder, then goes back to his room.

Maybe this is when things change for him. I don’t want to latch onto the hope, but I’d be lying if somewhere deep inside of me the seed’s been planted.