Kings of Linwood Academy - The Complete Box Set: A Dark High School Romance Series Callie Rose (i read a book TXT) 📖

inside my chest, pressing against my ribs painfully. What the fuck does he mean?

“Well,” I stammer, “no, but—”

“You wouldn’t rather have her found entirely innocent? Get her off scot-free? Prove someone else did it?”

I can’t move. I can’t speak.

We’re far enough away from the dining room here that I can’t hear the thrum of voices, which means no one inside of it can hear us either.

We’re alone.

Hollowell takes another step toward me, his presence invading my space, filling up my senses. Something in his tone shifts as he gazes down at me, his expression blank and unreadable.

“What do you want to talk to Detective Dunagan about, Harlow? Why did you call him?”

14

Oh, fuck.

He knows.

I don’t know how he found out. Maybe Summer ratted on us, or maybe Dunagan mentioned my call to one of the cops Judge Hollowell has in his back pocket.

At the moment though, the how doesn’t matter. All that matters is that he knows.

Hollowell is still standing in front of me, his body too close to mine, his gaze steady. He’s waiting for a response, waiting to see if I’ll try to bluff again or admit the truth.

“I just wanted to ask him some questions about Mom’s case,” I say thickly, my tongue feeling too big for my mouth.

A little smile creeps across the judge’s face, as if he expected me to say that. As if he’s been waiting for it.

“Now, that’s not true, is it? You wanted to tell him a few things about the case.” He pauses for a beat. “About me.”

I don’t answer. I don’t know what to say. There’s nothing I can say, no lie he’ll believe.

Because he knows.

And it turns out I don’t need to say anything. Hollowell takes my silence as the admission it is and nods thoughtfully. He glances over his shoulder to make sure no one is nearby, then reaches for my arm and tugs me around the corner into the foyer, even farther away from the dining room.

I jump at the contact, at the horrible feeling of his long fingers wrapped around my arm. But before I can jerk away, he releases me, holding up his hands as if to assure me he won’t hurt me.

Not that I believe that for one damn second.

“Harlow.” His voice is soft, even, and straightforward. “Your mom is going to be convicted. It’s an unavoidable fact at this point. But not all sentences are created equal. If you stop poking your nose where it doesn’t belong, if you keep your mouth shut and don’t tell Dunagan anything, I can pull some strings and make sure she gets a reduced sentence. Involuntary vehicular manslaughter. She’ll be out in five years, tops—maybe less with good behavior. She’s young. She’ll still have her whole life ahead of her.”

“If I do what you say,” I force out, my voice unrecognizable.

“Yes.”

“And what about you?” A hot wave of anger rises up in me, making me stupid and reckless. My voice is still a quiet whisper, but it’s taking everything in me not to let it become a shout. “You slept with a fucking teenager and then killed her because you got her pregnant, and you just get to keep living your life with no consequences?”

There’s a flicker of… something in Judge Hollowell’s eyes. For a half-second, I think it’s remorse, but it’s not. It’s almost like surprise. Then he clears his features, banishing the micro-expression.

“Yes.”

Dozens of emotions bash around in my chest, colliding with each other and making my pulse race.

Five years. Could I let my mom go to prison for five years? Let a murderer walk free to make sure she gets a light sentence? Do I even dare trust that Hollowell will keep his word? Would he come after us again as soon as she’s out?

I open my mouth, not even sure what I’m going to say, when a voice draws my attention.

“Harlow?”

Dax and Chase round the corner, followed almost immediately by Lincoln and River. They all freeze when they see me and Hollowell standing close together in conversation. Then Dax’s face splits in a shockingly believable smile.

“Oh, hey, Low. We were just about to come upstairs and see how you were doing. Are you feeling better?”

“Yeah,” I force out. “A bit. I just came downstairs to grab a snack.”

I hold up the little sandwiches I’m still clutching in my hands, although I’ve basically wadded them up so tight they’re one regular-sized sandwich by now.

Hollowell’s gaze shifts to the boys, regarding them for a second before he returns his focus to me, his voice still pleasant and even.

“Think about what I said, Harlow. I really would like to help you and your mom.” He tugs his cell phone from his suit pocket. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. I stepped away from dinner to return a phone call, and I really should get to it.”

He gives a polite nod to the guys, then turns and heads toward the door, stepping outside as he taps the screen of his phone and brings it to his ear.

As soon as the door shuts behind him, the four boys’ demeanor changes instantly.

“Jesus. Fuck, Harlow, are you okay?” Chase steps closer to me, his voice low and a wild look in his eyes. “We all saw him get up to make a phone call, but I didn’t know you were down here. When he didn’t come back after a few minutes, we went to make sure, but—fuck, we should’ve followed him from the first second.”

“What did he say?” River’s face is serious and still.

“He knows,” I whisper, my voice shaky. “He figured out I know it’s him.”

“How?”

“I’m not sure.”

I glance toward the front door, wondering if Hollowell is really on the phone at all, or if he’s standing on the other side with his ear pressed to the wood, listening to everything we say.

Dax must have the same thought, because he jerks his chin toward a small anteroom off the foyer. We all pile into it, and as soon as