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Back Confess to Me Save as PDF
Chapters (87)
  1. Cover
  2. Also by Sharon Doering
  3. Title Page
  4. Dedication
  5. Prologue
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. 75
  81. 76
  82. 77
  83. 78
  84. 79
  85. Author’s Note
  86. Acknowledgements
  87. About the Author

Under the soft spray of my headlights, his triceps flexed in a short-sleeved T-shirt, and his fingers moved over her breast. Her hand clutched his wrist as if she were trying to loosen his grip.

What’s he thinking? Doesn’t he know there are two of us? If he was after Desiree, how would he know to follow my car?

His body pinned hers against the back of his car. His head blocked out her mouth. Blood lined the edge of her cheek, making her skin glisten. I imagined the look of horror tight on her face.

I fumbled with the glove box. It popped open with such force that Sawyer’s Snickers and Emily’s gummy bears landed on the floor. I grabbed the Maglite.

It was substantial, cold, and slick in my sweaty palm. It wasn’t the long version, the one cops use, it was medium-sized but still hefty. I opened my door and marched toward them, tall grass scratching my ankles and wrists.

She wasn’t screaming. Maybe she was trying to talk her way out of it.

“Quit it,” Desiree said.

Adrenaline lit my nerves cold. Don’t freeze, don’t just stand there. Help her.

My senses hyper-alert, I breathed in the resinous smell of cypress, the mineral scent of river water, and his cologne, sharp and masculine.

Aggression thick on his tongue, he slid his hand down from her breasts to her crotch and said “… what I’m gonna do to—”

I raised the torch—he must have heard me and turned—and I brought the steel down on his head. I held back slightly, but I came down hard enough to throw my balance.

As I fell, I dropped the flashlight. Stiff grass scratched my neck.

He fell back onto Desiree, pivoted, and listed toward the trees. Put his hand out to grab a tree, but missed and lost his footing.

As darkness swallowed him, twigs snapped, first close, then farther. Dirt slipped, giving way, kicking loose and falling. Branches cracked. Then, a small splash.

13

13

“Get in the car.” My voice sounded cold and certain—a different version of myself.

“Which one?” Desiree said, momentarily confused.

Under the spray of my headlights, she looked like she’d stepped out of a horror film. Pretty young girl, black eyeliner smudged down her cheeks, hair wild and wrestled, trail of blood down her nose and smeared on her ear, jacket open, flimsy red nylon accentuating hard nipples. Maybe I’ll just stand here and stare at the trees and wait for something to kill me.

“My car.”

I scanned the tall grass, searching for a spot of shiny blue. I found it quickly and picked up my Maglite, grass itching my wrist, the sticky wetness of his blood against my palm.

I looked down the road, one way, then the other. No headlights.

Crickets chirped rhythmically, the ribbing noise filling the space. I hadn’t noticed them before.