The twenty-minute drive to my house took an enraged nine. I pulled the Beamer up alongside the curb, using my sleeves to wipe off anywhere I’d touch just in case they’d dust the car for fingerprints later. I had enough enemies as it was; I didn’t need the Fuzz coming down on me as well.
I rang the doorbell, and in an instant, it swung open.
“Oh my god, Kat!” squealed Mom, yanking me inside as she ensnared me in a hug. “Where on earth did you go? What were you thinking?” More questions ensued, but she didn’t give me time to answer any. “We were scared to death!”
“I’m okay,” I assured, managing to weasel out of her hold. “But we need to leave.”
“What?” She got a better look at me, taking in the muck and grime and God only knows what else. “Kat, what the hell happened to you?”
“I’ll explain later,” I said, grabbing her and pulling her toward the stairs, “but you and Dad need to grab whatever you can. We need to leave. Right now.”
Dad came out from the kitchen with a bottle of beer in his hands and immediately sighed at the sight of me. “Jesus, Kat, you’re okay.”
“Yeah, well, I won’t be. And neither will you two if we don’t leave!” I bellowed again, finally letting Adam’s jacket fall open.
Mom yelped and fell back against the wall as Dad sprang forward, both seeing the bottom half of my white Sex Pistols tee now soaked red.
“Did that Blackburn kid do this to you?” Dad started grabbing at every part of me, examining every inch for injury. He didn’t find anything.
That bottomless pit feeling wouldn’t leave my stomach. Adam didn’t help Blaine escape. Deep down, I knew it. He was willing to take the chance that I’d die. I wanted nothing more at that moment than to rip his jacket off my body.
“Please,” I whimpered, tears shedding down my dirt-ridden cheek. “We have to leave.”
The front door pounded, rattling the Halloween wreathe hanging on the back.
“Don’t,” I whispered, prying both my parents away from the foyer.
Neither had the chance to challenge me when a familiar voice called out from the other side. “Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery? It’s Officers Blake and Stevens. We need to talk with you.”
My father pushed past me and hurried to answer the door.
“Dad, no-”
It was too late. He flung the door open, and they immediately stepped inside as I pulled Adam’s jacket closed again.
“We have news concerning Mr. Blackburn, but we still haven’t heard word about your daughter yet,” said Blake. Both he and his partner froze, taking in the sight of me. “But it seems you already figured out the latter...”
I stepped forward. “What about Reese?”
“There was an incident at the school. Mr. Blackburn was admitted into the hospital for examination,” confirmed Stevens.
Mom heaved an exhausted, grateful sigh. “So he’s in custody-”
“Not exactly,” winced Blake. “He disappeared from his room.”
“How the hell could you have let this happen?” roared my father.
“The room was guarded by two of our men. We honestly don’t know what happened…”
I did everything to repress a smile. Reese had gotten away. He was okay. Free.
“In light of the situation, and the fact that your daughter’s apparently returned home, we think it would be best to finish this discussion at the police station,” said Stevens.
“Why? Are you charging her with something?” Mom shrieked, pointing to me. “She doesn’t know anything.”
He held up his hand. “Calm down. We’re not implicating your daughter in any of this. But from what we can gather, she’s better acquainted with him than anyone else in town. Kat might be able to point us in the right direction.”
“Would you mind horribly coming with us? It shouldn’t take too long,” added his partner.
“Of course.” Mom didn’t wait for my reply, grabbing her jacket slung over the coat rack. Dad was only a step behind her.
Crap.
We didn’t have time for this. Despite probably sounding like an escaped mental patient, I had to tell them the truth in the car, before we got to the station. If there was still a miniscule chance I’d be able to convince them to leave town, I had to take it.
“Just let me change first,” I finally mumbled. The officers remained in the foyer, talking with my parents. I hurried upstairs and yanked off Adam’s jacket, throwing it to the floor. I couldn’t even stand the thought of it being on my body. I quickly changed my shirt, catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I looked like Death eating a cracker. My face was as white as a sheet. Even my lips were drained of color.