Secrets & Surrender 3 by L.G. Castillo Read Free Book Online Page B

things like that. I told pendejo here to keep it locked up.” She whacked the back of Julian’s head again.
    “How does he even know about your gun?” I snapped at Julian. This was the last thing my parents needed. They had enough to worry about.
    “He asked me if I knew anyone who would sell him one. I told him he had to learn to use one first, so I took him to the firing range.”
    “You what? Are you crazy?” I punched his arm.
    “I was trying to do the responsible thing!” He placed his hands up, trying to block my fists as they pummeled into his beefy arms. I might as well have been hitting a wall for all the effect I was having on him.
    “You let him take your gun!”
    “No! And I don’t know for sure if he took it.”
    “It didn’t just magically disappear, Julian!” He was barely old enough to drive and now my little brother was running around somewhere with a gun.
    “Maybe he wanted to go target shooting or something.” He forced a hopeful smile.
    “Yeah, right.” Chela rolled her eyes.
    “You’re not helping, Chela,” he growled.
    “Knock it off, both of you! We need to find Juan.”
    “Hey, Mandi!”
    Kristie bounced over to us with a big smile on her face. “Ooh, the whole gang is here. I’m so glad we’re all back together again. I miss seeing you guys. Let’s go to Gil’s to celebrate. My treat! I knew when I saw Juan that things would be alright. Do you think he’ll want to go with us? Where is he? Is he with Nic?”
    “You saw Juan?” I latched onto her arms. Her blue eyes widened with surprise.
    “Yeah. He was hanging out over there, waiting on a motorcycle.” She nodded to the far corner of the parking lot that was partially hidden by overgrown shrubs. “Didn’t you send him to get Nic?”
    “No,” I breathed.
    “Oh, man,” Chela said, hopping onto the hood of her car. Her eyes bounced from Kristie to me. “This is better than abuela’s novelas.”
    “It’s not funny, Chela,” Julian growled.
    “I don’t understand,” Kristie said.
    I gazed into pools of blue innocence, wishing that I didn’t understand either and dreading the moment that it all came together and registered in my head. My stomach churned as the pieces of the puzzle slowly moved into place: Kristie spotting Juan waiting in the parking lot, Juan’s hatred for Nic, the missing gun.
    Then it hit me.
    “He’s after Nic!”
    I flew to the minivan, ignoring Kristie’s bewildered shouts and questions about what was happening.
    “Where are you going?” Julian followed close behind me.
    “To Koppe. I probably would’ve caught up to them by now if you hadn’t stopped me.”
    “How do you know that’s where they went?”
    “I don’t.” My hands trembled as I struggled to get the keys into the ignition.
    “I’m going with you. Move over.” He opened the car door and took the keys from my hands.
    “Steve said that Nic’s father was here. I think Nic went with his father back to Koppe. And...and,” I swallowed the bile climbing my throat, “Juan went after him.”
    Julian’s dark eyes met mine, and in them I saw a reflection of the terrified expression on my face. Quickly, he schooled his face and turned on the car. “Don’t worry. We’ll catch up to them.”
    “Wait, take the back roads that go through Five Mile Dam.”
    “Are you sure?”
    I closed my eyes, remembering prom night, that perfect night I’d spent in Nic’s arms. It was the first time I’d made love to him and the night I knew Nic truly loved me. I remembered him mentioning how his father had always taken the back roads.
    “Yes.”
    As Julian slammed his foot onto the gas pedal, I pressed my hands against my forehead, pushing against the crazy thoughts that kept going through my head. I knew my little brother. He might be pissed off and blame Nic for what had happened to Mom, but he’d never do something this stupid.
    Would he?

NINE: Nic
    H e wouldn’t even let me say goodbye. I couldn’t even leave her a