Page 94 of Camera Stays On

Andi relaxed in my arms and soon, she was snoring softly. I closed my eyes, and hoped I’d be able to do the same.

Chapter 41

Asher

SOMEHOW, I’D MANAGED a few hours’ sleep. With no phone or clock down here, I wasn’t sure what time it was, but I felt somewhat refreshed. I climbed out of bed and turned to check on Andi. She was still fast asleep. Pity filled my chest as I watched her. She was just an innocent bystander in all of this. She’d done nothing to warrant my brother doing what he did. Her entire life had been altered by Sawyer and me that night over a decade ago, and we were all still paying for it.

It was the evidence Sawyer claimed to have that got me to the bathroom to urinate and clean up as best I could. There were towels and soaps that, once I brushed off the layer of dust, were still in pristine condition. I closed the door softly and showered, hoping the running water wouldn’t wake Andi. However, I felt absolutely disgusting, and I couldn’t believe we’d slept with Gavin’s brains all over us. We’d been that tired, I supposed.

Stepping out of the shower, I was hit with a feeling of utter blankness. What did we do now? We’d rested, I’d washed, but we were still in hiding. What exactly was my plan now? I dried off and returned to the bedroom to dress. I was reluctant to put on my suit again, but the previous owners of this estate hadn’t had the chance to stock clothes down here. Picking them up off the ground, I redressed and tried to ignore the hardened blood and scent of sweat and dirt and death. Did brain matter have a smell?

As I was standing in front of the mirror on the wall, finishing up, Andi began to stir. She opened her eyes and saw me. She sat up slowly, clutching the blanket to her chest, and yawned.

“Are we leaving already?”

“I am. You’re staying here,” I said flatly. “That’s not a request.”

“What?” She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and put her feet on the ground, wincing as she moved. “I can’t stay here alone.”

“You have to. It’s not safe.”

“What do you mean? It’s just as much a risk for you to go up there as it is me. What if you die and I end up locked in here forever?” The panic in her voice began to rise as she scrambled for her dress.

“Andi.” I reached for her, and she dropped the dress. Carefully bringing her to standing, I pinched her chin and tilted her head up. “I’m not going to let that happen, but I need to get that tape. You will slow me down.”

“What tape?” she asked.

“The tape.” I swallowed a lump in my throat.

Her lips formed an O, and she stepped back. I licked my lips, suddenly ashamed of what I’d done. “Do you remember that night?” I asked.

“Asher, please don’t leave me. That’s all over and done with.”

“You came to the movies, all beaten and bruised. Ray—that bastard—had hurt you. He wasn’t even your father,” I huffed, as if biology made a difference when it came to child abuse. It didn’t. “We asked you who did it, and you didn’t want to tell us.”

“Ash!” She put her hands over her ears, but I needed to get it out. She fell back onto the bed.

“We left when the trailers were still rolling, and you watched the movie all by yourself. And what did we tell you? To keep it a secret.” I knelt at her feet, my hands falling on her kneecaps. “And you did. You did that for us, Andi. You never even asked why—even though you should have.”

“Stop,” she begged.

“They found Ray after the movie. That’s why we kept you out later. I wanted to hide him, but we didn’t have time. You know why we didn’t have time?” I asked.

Her eyes opened and big, fat tears slid down her cheeks. She shook her head slowly as she looked at me, hanging on to my every word.

“Because I was beating Sawyer’s ass for recording it all.”

It wasn’t until after Ray was dead that I’d realized he’d set the camera up on a table and recorded everything.

I stood and spun toward the door, grabbing the handle and opening it wide.

“Andi, if you trust me, you’ll stay here until I get back. I have to find that tape.” I inhaled deeply, knowing that Sawyer had hundreds of videos and recordings. It could take forever to find the one that needed to be destroyed.

She stood, her knees wobbling. “Let me go with you. I can handle it.” Her expression grew defeated as her leg gave out. She caught herself on the bed and sat down. The fact she couldn’t look me in the eyes as I told her about the tape’s existence told me that she wasn’t ready to see it. Hell, I wasn’t either. That tape revealed just how much of a monster I was, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to confront that. I shook my head.

“If you see that tape, you’ll never look at me the same. And if the public gets that tape, I’ll get the electric chair.”

Chapter 42