Lib Novel Page 101
I squinted at the bright screen—Lily’s name flashed urgently. An icy trickle of dread slid down my spine.
It was too early for good news.
“Lily?” I croaked, trying to shake the fog of sleep from my voice.
“Nathan, oh my god,” Lily’s voice was a frantic whisper, “there was this woman here, just now. Said she was FBI.”
“Slow down,” I said, my heart starting to race. “What did she want?”
“Questions about you, about Abby, and someone named Tyler Matthews.” The fear in her voice was a living thing, and it fed my own. “Nathan, are we in trouble? Are we going to prison?”
My mind reeled, piecing together the nightmare that was our life. This had to be Ba’s doing, another move in his twisted game. But I couldn’t think about that now—not with Lily sounding like she was one breath away from losing it.
“Hey, listen to me,” I said, my voice firm despite the tremor I felt inside. “Just stay put and lock your doors, okay? I’ll figure this out.”
“Okay,” she breathed, but the word trembled like a leaf in a storm.
“Stay safe,” I added before hanging up, the weight of our family’s sins heavy on my shoulders. Abby watched me, her eyes wide and searching, a silent question etched on her face.
“Something’s wrong,” I said, already dialing Justin’s number to make sure he hadn’t been contacted as well.
“Wrong? What do you mean?” Abby’s voice was thick with sleep and concern, her brow furrowed as she propped herself up.
“Someone from the FBI just showed up at Lily’s place,” I explained, my fingers fumbling to call Justin. “Asking about us…and Tyler Matthews.”
Abby went pale, eyes wide. We didn’t need to discuss it any further—we both knew whose body was slowly decomposing in the basement.
The phone rang in my ear, a shrill sound in the too-quiet room. I tried to steady my breathing, to prepare for anything Justin might say—or not say if he didn’t pick up. Abby reached out, her hand finding mine.
“Come on, pick up,” I muttered under my breath, the incessant ringing feeling like a countdown to something terrible. But there was no answer, only the indifferent beep of voicemail greeting me with its mechanical tone. “Damn it.”
“Is he not answering?” Abby scooted closer, her warmth a stark contrast to the chill of dread that had settled in my bones.
“No, nothing.” I hit the end call button, a knot of worry forming tight in my gut. Justin was always glued to his phone, always reachable. This silence wasn’t like him, and every second that ticked by increased the sense of impending doom that clouded the air.
Suddenly, I wondered if Ba had already sent people after Justin…if his men were closing in, slaughtering him in his sleep.
And I guessed Abby could see the worry threatening to overwhelm me.
“Let’s just go to his place,” Abby suggested, reading the panic in my eyes. She was calm, collected, where I was a storm of nerves.
“I don’t know where he lives,” I admitted, hating the helplessness that crept into my tone.
Abby grinned, a slice of normalcy in the midst of chaos. “I do. He and Derek wanted a wedding invitation so he put his address in my phone—you’re welcome.”
“Right…the wedding.” I silently thanked whatever god there was for how she’d connected with my siblings; if she hadn’t, I wouldn’t be able to find my own brother.
“Get dressed,” she said with a confidence that made me believe we might actually make it through this. “We’re going now.”
“Okay.” I took a deep breath, trying to push back the fear.
We were doing this.
Minutes later, we were in the car and getting Justin’s address plugged into navigation, Abby giving me directions from the passenger seat.
“Justin’s place is close,” Abby said, glancing at the GPS on her phone as I revved the engine and peeled out of our driveway.
My heart hammered against my ribcage, each thud echoing the fear that gnawed at my insides. I should’ve been there for them, should’ve seen this coming. But all I could do now was try to fix things before it was too late.