Page 7 of Enter if you Dare: Part One

He pulls his visor back down, the bike revs, and he is gone before I can say anything else. I watch until he reaches the end of the street, then turn back to the house.

I lost everything last night—my bag, keys, phone, earphones, all of it gone. I can’t afford to replace any of it. Thankfully, there is a spare key under the flowerpot, due to Rowan constantly losing his keys, and I find it exactly where I left it and let myself in.

The hallway smells like stale takeaway, and the television is on in the front room, the volume almost deafening. He’s either half deaf or inconsiderate, and knowing him, it’s the latter.

My brother is on the sofa with his feet on the coffee table, a plate balanced on his chest. He looks up as I walk in, and I drop the key on the side table. His eyes roam over my injuries, but there is no genuine concern.

“Before you say anything⁠—”

“I thought you were dead,” Rowan interrupts.

I laugh. “Clearly you were so concerned.”

He puts his plate down on the coffee table and sits up.

“Who did you owe money to this time?” I demand.

Rowan glances at the television.

“Rowan,” I snap.

“It’s handled.”

I laugh and shake my head. I’ve heard this so many times before. Even dug him out but stopped when I knew I needed to focus on getting Leni out of here.

“It is not fucking handled, Rowan. I got shoved into some guy’s trunk last night, and had my face used as a punching bag. So whatever you think you handled is very much not handled. Who is it?”

He rubs the back of his neck. “His name is Tommy, and he works for a guy named Steedy. I owe him money.”

“How much?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

I scoff. “How much, Rowan?”

He tells me the figure, and I stare at him in disbelief. I don’t have money, let alone that much. The emergency fund I had saved, I used to get Leni settled into college. I didn’t want her to be the only one without nice things.

“And where is Tommy now?” I ask, mainly because I need to know if he is still after me.

Rowan’s eyes come to mine. “That’s the thing. I was told he came to collect, and he hasn’t been contactable since.”

Shit, shit, double fucking shit. Did Cave kill him? If he did, I’ve dragged him into my mess, and he doesn’t deserve that.

“He needs to show back up, Valli, like ASAP.” Rowan runs his hand through his hair, a sign of his growing worry.

I try to keep my face neutral, or as much as I can, since the whole thing is swollen. “And how would I know where he is?”

“I didn’t say you did. But if he doesn’t turn up, Steedy is going to want answers, and if Tommy went after you last night instead of me . . .”

“Then what?” I snap.

“Then you’re the last person to have seen him.”

I look at my brother, really look at him. He is only five years older than me but looks like he’s nearing forty.

“If Tommy was the asshole who put me in the trunk and did this to my face, then he had it coming. But I don’t know where he is. I escaped and ran for my life.”

Rowan stares at me. There is no concern at all that his sister was hurt; it doesn’t surprise me but still stings a little.