Lost Souls by J. Bishop (the giving tree read aloud txt) 📗

slept with Shay, didn’t he? Not Lydia. They argued over him. And you helped Lydia kill Shay?” Her heart knocked against her ribs, and she prayed she could delay him long enough for Mason to… She fought back panic. Where was Mason?

He grinned. “You’re pretty smart, but that’s why you’re in this mess, isn’t it? Except you missed that Serita was Shay.”

“She disguised her voice, didn’t she? Acted sick?”

“It worked.”

“Was that your idea? It was a good one.” Maybe she could appeal to his ego. “Did you help Lydia drown Shay? Did you plan all of this?”

He straightened as if proud. “I didn’t help Lydia with anything. She made this mess all by herself by stupidly falling for Chad.”

“What happened between them?” asked Mikey, desperate to delay Bradley.

He kept talking. “Shay showed up at Lydia’s while Chad was there, and it didn’t take Shay long to realize that Lydia liked him, and she set out to pursue him. He was dumb enough to fall for it. They’d meet up out here, and when Lydia found out, she was livid. My two sisters hated each other, and that lit the fuse. Shay threatened Lydia. Lydia threatened Shay. Chad finally realized the mess he was in and got out, but Shay didn’t like to be told no. She went to his office, confronted him, and he told her to leave.”

Mikey eyed her surroundings while he spoke, trying to determine where she could run. The woods were thick, and if she could reach them, she could possibly disappear before he could shoot. Her thoughts returned to Mason, and she prayed with everything she had that he wasn’t dead. The fear bubbled up, and she fought back tears.

Bradley’s face hardened. “I’d hoped that would be the end of it, but Lydia taunted Shay when she learned it was over, and Shay lost it. Lydia came home late one night to find Shay waiting for her by the pool. Shay was drunk and told Lydia that she’d thwart Lydia till the day she died.  Said she’d turned Kyle against her, and she’d do it again with the next man. Lydia grabbed a loose brick and slugged Shay. Shay went in the water, and never came out.” He cocked his head. “Just like you will never leave the woods.”

Mikey bit her lip, telling herself she had to survive this. “You’re the one who thought of making it look like Lydia died, instead of Shay.”

“Everybody thinks I’m so stupid. But I’ve always got a few cards up my sleeve. It wasn’t hard. I told Lydia to take Shay’s purse, I identified the body as Lydia, the authorities were satisfied, and Lydia and I laid low at Shay’s, biding our time. It was easy because Shay kept to herself, and no one came looking. We siphoned Shay’s money and were planning to leave. It was all good, but then you called.” He raised the gun and took a step.

“Bradley, this is wrong.” Mikey moved back and away from the car. “Where is Mason? Is he okay?” She braced for the answer. If Mason was dead, she might as well let Bradley shoot her.

He smiled. “I stuffed him in the trunk of his car. Lydia shot him, and hopefully, he’s bled out by now, but if he hasn’t, I’ll take care of it when I get back.”

Mikey’s stomach twisted, and she bit back her anguish. This was her fault. If she’d figured out the clues sooner, maybe she could have saved Mason. Despair overwhelmed her, but anger fueled her. “You won’t get away with any of it. They’ll find you and Lydia. Mason and I aren’t the only ones looking.” She thought of Rem and Daniels and hoped they’d piece together the answers if she wound up dead.

“Let ’em look. By the time they find you and Mason rotting in the weeds, Lydia and I will be someplace with warm sand and strong drinks.” He aimed the gun. “Now move.”

A kernel of courage sparked in her gut. She needed a distraction because there was no way she could let Bradley lead her away. Desperate, she remembered a prank she’d pulled on her older sister Margaret when they were kids and fighting over a toy. Mikey had pointed, Margaret had turned, and Mikey had grabbed the toy.

Praying her idea would work, Mikey widened her gaze, stared off at a distant point, and yelled. “Oh, thank God.”

Bradley turned to look, and Mikey didn’t hesitate. She sprinted across the path and darted into the trees, just as Bradley fired. A bullet slammed into a tree in front of her and bark exploded, sending shards of wood flying and hitting Mikey in the cheek. She yelped, but didn’t break stride and kept running.

**

Trick jumped up as Valerie ran over to Lydia, who’d collapsed to the floor, blood pooling beneath her as it gushed from her abdomen. He grabbed a blanket from the couch and raced to Lydia’s side.

Valerie stared in shock. “I shot her.” Her breathing came in rapid gusts. “God. I shot her.”

“Calm, controlled breaths, Miss Vain.” He pressed the blanket over Lydia’s injury and knocked Lydia’s gun away. “Here.” He grabbed Valerie’s wrist, which shook. “Hold down with pressure. We need to slow the bleeding.” Valerie followed his instructions. She put her gun down and leaned over Lydia, pressing against the wound.

“Is she going to be okay?” asked Valerie.

“Only time will tell,” said Trick. “Where’s Mason? Was he in the barn?”

Shaky, Valerie nodded. “Yes. He’s been shot in the shoulder.”

Trick looked out the window. “Where’d he go?”

“Into the woods. After Bradley. Says he has Mikey.”

“Damn it. Is the fool armed?”

“No.”

Trick made some quick deductions in his head. “You stay with Lydia. The cavalry should be here any minute. You tell them where we went.”

“We? Where are you going?”

“After Mason. He won’t survive long, injured and pissed. Especially if Bradley has a gun.”

Blood soaked the blanket, and Valerie pressed harder. “I should go with you.”

“No. You stay with her. You’re the one