Lisa Jackson - Wicked Game

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her nose red. “The baby died in a horrible car crash. An attack, really. I miscarried.” She cleared her throat and blinked back tears. “I should have told you,” she said in a whispered rush. “Before. Afterward…there didn’t really seem any reason to.”

“Didn’t you think I’d want to know?”

“I wasn’t sure what you wanted, Hudson,” she admitted, looking toward the ceiling and blinking rapidly. “You were just so…distant. I thought you didn’t want me and I was pretty sure you wouldn’t want a baby.”

Hudson closed his eyes. The roller-coaster ride of the past few months had just taken another dip. He’d thought Jessie had been pregnant with his child, and then that had proved untrue. But now to learn that Becca had been…and she hadn’t trusted him enough to tell him?

You weren’t exactly reliable in those days, Walker.

But his child-his kid-would be sixteen years old now, nearly graduated from high school, and he and Becca…who knew? It was true that he hadn’t known what he’d wanted at that time in his life; that he was still messed up over Jessie. Still guilt-riddled for wanting Becca when Jessie had seemed to fall off the face of the earth.

“You were forced off the road, just like we were last night?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“You think it’s no coincidence.”

“No.” She was tense, her jaw tight. “He won’t stop, Hudson. I’m sorry. I should have told you, but he’s-”

Rap! Rap! Rap!

Becca turned toward the door just as it swung open and Hudson’s gaze followed. He was frustrated. He needed to talk to her, and his frustration increased when he saw his friends Jarrett and The Third swing into the room.

“I thought since Scott was in jail all this life-threatening crap would quit,” The Third said. “What the hell happened?”

“Trying to figure it out,” Hudson said, looking at Becca.

She knew he needed to talk more to her, but then Zeke entered the room, looking as if he’d lost ten pounds and aged as many years, and the conversation took off.

Becca took the opportunity to extricate herself from Hudson. She’d given him a hell of a lot to think about, and she wanted to make up her own mind about what to do next without his cynosure. “I’ll be back later,” she said.

“When?” he demanded.

“Soon.”

“And you’re letting McNally handle things, right?”

“Right.”

She slipped out of the room before he could protest, leaving him with his friends and a thundercloud of frustration darkening his expression.

Becca jogged across the parking lot to her beater of a rental car while a million questions chased after her. Jessie’s family had lived here. Jessie had known she was adopted. Jessie’s adoptive parents had owned a second place in Deception Bay. The people at Siren Song resembled her and were secretive. Renee had been killed for what she learned.

Becca climbed into the rental, jabbed her keys into the ignition, and took off through the puddles of the parking lot. The rain had stopped but clouds covered the sky, melding to the ocean and obscuring the horizon. She drove toward Deception Bay. That’s where all the lies, deceit, and murder began. In a sleepy little coastal village shrouded in secrets and lies.

She turned off 101 and drove down the desolate main street of town. Could she really have been born here? Even lived here in this tiny fishing village? A part of Siren Song. She’d known it felt familiar.

She parked not far from the Sands of Thyme bakery, which, like so many of the businesses, was closed. Climbing from the rental, she noticed that for once not a breath of breeze stirred through the streets, and the fog bank sitting out to sea seemed to ride slowly inland on the back of the swells.

Shivering inside, she pulled her sweatshirt more tightly around her. The calm before the storm.

Cold dread climbed up her spine and she wondered if she really wanted to uncover the truth, to pick apart its onion-skin thin layers of lies. How many people had tried to keep her from knowing the circumstances of her birth, and why had it inflamed one maniac enough that he would kill and kill again?

Was she related to him? Was he after both her and Jessie? Were they both the spawn of Satan?

She walked toward the ocean and felt the oozing sensation of déjà vu slither through her mind. Could she really have lived here?

That’s where the answers lay: Siren Song.

That’s where she needed to go for answers.

She felt a sudden breath of icy air upon the back of her neck and turned to look over her shoulder.

He was there.

Dark, hidden in shadows, he stood with feet wide spread and looked into her mind.

“Hey!” a man’s voice yelled and she turned. “Watch out!” A pickup was stopped at an intersection, ready to move forward, except that she was standing in the middle of the street, blocking the road. “Lady, are you okay?”

Her head cleared. “Sorry.”

“Friggin’ locals. All a bunch of whack jobs,” the guy in the pickup said under his breath as he drove past.

If you only knew, Becca thought, still quaking inside as she looked toward the corner and the spruce tree where she’d seen the man she was certain had tried to take her life. “Brother,” she said, and the word tasted foul.

Had she seen him? Had she? She’d certainly sensed his presence, but did that mean he was actually here?

Drawing a long breath, Becca shook it off. There was no time to waste. She needed to get to Siren Song and find the answers. Now.

The doctor wasn’t going to release him, but Hudson couldn’t stay cooped up another minute. He decided that he’d sign whatever releases he needed to, absolve the hospital, doctor, and any damned hospital worker who had stuck his or her head into the room of any liability, and walk out on his own two legs.

He’d already convinced Zeke to loan him his wheels.

Zeke had been reluctant, and though Hudson couldn’t blame him, he was on a mission. And yes, he’d played on Zeke’s guilt, so that his one-time friend had handed over the keys to his vintage Mustang to a man with one arm who was sporting a bad attitude and was loaded up on pain meds. The Third had told Zeke he was crazy, but Zeke had snapped back, “Just gimme a ride back, okay?”

“Vangie waiting for you at home?” Jarrett asked meanly.

“No.”

Hudson hadn’t wanted them to disintegrate into high school one-upmanship, so he’d stated firmly, “Zeke and Vangie are through. Nothing more to say about it.”

And then he’d taken his request one step further, asking for Zeke’s cell phone. “Mine was lost in the accident,” Hudson explained, and Zeke slapped it into his hand, holding his gaze.

“We square, then?” Zeke asked.

There were a lot of things Hudson could have said, a lot more recriminations. But like Zeke and Vangie, it was time to simply move on. “We’re good.”

As soon as they were gone, he climbed from the bed. Pain shot up his arm and his head ached like a hammer was striking an anvil somewhere behind his eyes. Bad idea. And yet, the only idea. He didn’t care how much it cost him, he needed to leave. He needed to find out if Becca was really depending on McNally, or if she’d taken matters into her own hands.

He was betting on the latter.

Filthy bitch!

I see her. Standing in the road. Now she turns away but rage boils my blood!

She must die. Now! I had planned to wait but that stupid old woman sped up the time line.

I cannot wait any longer.

Rebecca…

My head throbs like a heartbeat from the blow you gave me.

You will pay for that as well.

Bitch. Evil mother. I will kill you and your devil spawn.