Forever Golden: Dark High School Bully Romance (Kings of Cypress Prep Book 3) by Rachel Jonas (books like beach read txt) 📗

“Hang on just a sec,” he cuts in before the line goes quiet. Then, maybe half a minute later, he’s back. “I needed to get someplace with a bit more privacy,” he explains. “Now, mind telling me who it was that threatened you? I can swing by his place, maybe bring him down to the station for questioning, but you’d need to file a report before I can take action.”

“I can’t do that.”

The words leave my mouth with force, but I have good reason. Like, keeping a low profile so Vin doesn’t see cause to retaliate.

“For now, I’d just like to tell you what I know, so you can see if any of it fits with what you know, and maybe it’ll help you, and… maybe you can help me.”

“Do you feel safe?” he asks.

I’m grateful for not being face-to-face with him, because he’d know what I’m about to say is a complete lie.

“Yes.”

“Then why’d you mention needing help?” he wants to know.

“I guess that came out wrong. Mostly, I’m only calling because it felt wrong not sharing what I know if it could make a difference in your case.”

He breathes into the phone, probably not buying any of that. “Ok, tell me. Who threatened you?”

“My boyfriend’s father,” I confess, building up the nerve to add, “Vin Golden.”

A cynical laugh leaves Roby. “Of course it is.”

My brow tenses, hearing his reaction. “Is something wrong?”

He sighs into the phone. “Vin Golden’s what we refer to as an ‘untouchable’. One of those who has his hands in so many facets of the city, owns so much of the city, the guy’s basically insulated by his power.”

He stops there and I’m not sure if this changes things. Maybe it means he doesn’t believe me, or that he’s no longer interested in pursuing this thing if Vin’s who he’ll be up against.

“Tell me exactly what he said to you,” Roby suggests.

I breathe deep, hoping to God I didn’t make a mistake here. “Well, he came to my house, asked me to get into his SUV to talk—which I’m sure you saw when Pandora shared. But before the conversation ended, he said that if I didn’t distance myself from his son within the next two months, he’d get Scar taken away from me. Then, he’d make me disappear, too.”

“He specifically said two months?”

“Yes,” I answer.

“And Pandora posted about this incident?”

“She did,” I confirm, nodding as though we’re sitting in the same room together.

“I’ve got a member of our task force assigned to monitoring Pandora, but only for specific activity. He never mentioned this, which means he likely assumed your situation was more of the usual, useless drivel she posts. I suppose we should be looking a bit more closely,” he concludes, which I don’t disagree with. Especially seeing as how Pandora seems to be engaged in an intense war with whoever’s trying to out her.

“Probably a good idea. I resisted downloading the app for years, but at the very least, it helps to give a heads up when everything’s going to shit,” I say with a humorless laugh.

“I bet. But getting back to your encounter with Vin, is this all that was said?”

I retreat a bit when it sounds like he’s making light of this.

“I mean, he mentioned having people interested in me already. That has to mean something, doesn’t it?”

I hear a pen scratching across a notepad in the background. “Anything else?”

There are a million things, but I’m admittedly not sure which details to share because I still have no clue if Roby’s completely on the level. So, just shy of telling him about the phones, the pic, Vin’s connection to Paul, and West overhearing the conversation about the ledger, I hold back.

“That’s all.”

More of that pen scratching across the notepad.

“While I think we’ll both agree it was highly inappropriate for a man his age to approach a girl your age in this manner, there’s nothing criminal here, Blue. I’m sorry. If I’m being honest with you, I see this sort of thing all the time. Parents from the north side get all up in arms when their kids intermingle with kids from the southside. This is probably that same thing. Especially seeing as how Vin’s notoriously obsessed with his and his family’s image.”

Those words leave his mouth and, instantly, I’m certain this was a mistake.

“But I don’t want you to think I’m being dismissive,” he adds, right when I was thinking it. “You were heard today, okay? And if there’s anything else you need to tell me, or if things get weird, don’t hesitate to call. Understood?”

Deep breath. You tried.

“Understood.”

“All right. Try to enjoy your weekend. I’ll let Dez know you asked about her.”

“Sure. Thanks.”

The call ends and that got me absolutely nowhere. Roby probably thinks I’m a paranoid nutcase now, but I couldn’t show all my cards. Not when I’m still so uncertain who can be trusted. If he’s not as clean as I think he is, anything I say could get back to Vin and we’d be screwed. For now, I have to be content knowing that at the very least, someone else in this town is at least questioning Vin’s involvement where the missing girls are concerned.

It isn’t much, but it’s all I’ve got for now.

Chapter 18

BLUE

“I’m so sorry,” I say to the patron whose lap I just dropped a full basket of bread into. Could’ve been worse. Could’ve been soup or coffee.

The guy isn’t pissed, but I’m embarrassed, nonetheless. All morning, and now the better part of the afternoon, I’ve been distracted by the instant replay of my earlier conversation with Roby. I can’t believe I actually thought that would work. Maybe if I’d been at liberty to share all the details I have, things might’ve been different, but as it stands, that call was completely pointless.

Uncle Dusty gives me ‘the look’ when I toss what otherwise appears to be perfectly good bread