See No Evil

“Such a clever girl.” She smiles broadly. “The minute I met you, I knew you’d be good for him. Fi

I give her a curt nod, thinking if we find out the ‘who,’ then the ‘why’ will reveal itself sure enough.

“What do you need me to do?”

“Honestly, I just want to make sure Fi

“What do you mean? Aren’t you looking out for him?”

“My quick-tempered husband kicked Fi

“Let me guess? Because of football,” I quip, my nose flaring in disgust.

“Yes.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, Charlene, but your husband is an asshole.”

“None taken, dear,” she says with a light chuckle. “I know exactly the kind of man I married. But I also know, despite his faults, Hank loves his boys, even if he has a fu

“Fi

“Not if someone is toying with his life. I’d rather have him under my roof than at the Hamilton Estate,” she adds, sounding distressed at the idea of her son being at the deceased governor’s home.

“He’s with Lincoln Hamilton?”

“He is. Lincoln has always been like a brother to my Fi

“Why? If they’re friends, close to brothers as you say, then Fi

“No one’s safe in that house.”

I swallow dryly, my skin begi

“What do you mean by that?” I question, but she still seems locked away in the thought that is troubling her. “Charlene?” I probe further, but when she looks up, her bright mask is suddenly in place once again as she orders fresh fruit and a quiche for us.

“So, can I count on you to have a word with my son? To bring him home?” she asks, completely disregarding my previous question.

I give her a tight nod, my apprehension still heavy on my shoulders.

There’s more to this story than she’s willing to tell me. I just know it. If I want answers or any kind of enlightenment, I guess there is only one place where I can get them—the Hamilton Estate. The very place Charlene Walker is so adamant in keeping Fi

The minute I leave Magnolia, I drive through town with Fi

Fi

So, could his mother be right in all her conclusions?

If someone fabricated his guilt just to ruin his chances of going pro, could that same person try to sabotage his love life, too? I’ve been so focused on blaming Fi

His football career.

His home and family.

And me—the girl he was falling in love with.

Some things are still not adding up, though. If someone is making Fi

I quickly go to my dorm room and pick up all the things necessary for my interrogation. After I have everything in my book bag, I haul ass out of there, pushing my truck to the limit, to get me to Linc’s mansion, which is now known in most of Asheville as ‘The House of Horrors’ after all the deaths that occurred there.

When I enter the grounds of the lush estate, the facade doesn’t honor the macabre history behind it. I guess you can’t judge a book by its cover. With my bag in hand, I walk up to the door and ring the bell. My heart starts beating profusely in my chest, my hands clammy and trembling with anticipation of seeing the boy who stole my heart, praying he won’t stomp on it further by lying to me.

When the door opens, though, it’s not Fi

There is one thing that I notice right away—Lincoln’s eyes. He might have the same light-blue tone as Fi

However, that is just one of the many differences between the two men. Fi

“Stone,” he greets me, before I’m able to remind him of who I am.

His memory is impressive since he only saw me briefly at Fi

“Hi, Lincoln. Is Fi

“He is. I’ll go and get him. He’ll be very happy to see you.”

His smile is genuine, at least.

“We’ll see,” I mumble beneath my breath. I then re-think my ma