Cliffhanger (The Belinda & Bennett Mysteries, Book One)

Chapter 22

Jonas flew into Belinda's and Kyle's driveway on his bike, his hair streaked back by the wind. He jumped off, laying his bike on the grass and ran up to the door, trying to catch his breath as he waited. Kyle looked a little surprised to see him, but no matter. He wasn't there for that.

"I need to see Belinda," Jonas huffed. "We know who hired Byrne and what Trebor probably found at Lily's, and she needs protection, right now."

Kyle's eyes, neutral up to that point, flew open and he ran up the stairs, slamming the door in Jonas' face in the process. Jonas rolled his eyes and muttered something about manners. Seconds later, he reappeared, plowing past Jonas into the yard.

"She's gone!" Kyle threw his arms in the air, heading straight for his Jeep.

"To go shopping?"

Kyle looked at him hard. "To go to Stellan's warehouse. She thinks Sea Stud is there."

Jonas ran to get in Kyle's Jeep before he took off. Kyle backed up in an L over the grass to turn. Jonas' heart sank as the Jeep bounced up and down, metal crunching under the tires. He glanced sadly behind him as they raced to the end of the driveway.

"Sorry," Kyle murmured and stepped on the gas.

Jonas tried Belinda on her cell every few seconds while they drove. Nothing. Straight to voicemail, which meant it wasn't even on. "This is bad. Bad, bad, bad."

Kyle looked to him in panic. "If you're saying this is bad-"

"Dude, watch the road!"

Kyle swerved, nearly running into a sand dune to avoid a runner.

"How did you get your license exactly?"

"Just tell me we'll find my sister."

"We'll find your sister. Now please keep your eyes on the road." Jonas rubbed his forehead. He was getting a migraine. "Why is Belinda so obsessed with the stupid boat?"

Kyle didn't answer, his expression hard.

"Kyle, please. I'm trying to help you. What is the importance of finding Sea Stud for her? Besides the sailing...whatever we want to call it now."

"It's not Sea Stud. It's Mark."

Jonas licked his lips. "Was she involved with him?"

Kyle hesitated, his eyes glued to the road now. "She doesn't think I know they spent so much time together that summer, but Mark finally confessed and told me his plans to break it off with Lily and start dating my sister. Openly."

Jonas wrapped his mind around that. "So she's doing all of this for emotion...sentiment?"

"I don't know, man. I don't pretend to understand her, all right? But I promise you that's why she's going there. It's all about Mark. All of it." He banged his palm against the steering wheel.

"Were you gone the day he died because you were mad at each other? Because of the failed sponsorship?"

"What? No!" Kyle laughed incredulously. "Is that what Bels told you?" He shook his head. "One sponsor blowing us off because of Lily's father was not that upsetting. I mean, in the long-run it just didn't matter. The Devores always liked to make plays like that against other families to show off I guess, but we knew we'd get another sponsor, probably a better one, within a month or two."

"But you guys fought."

Kyle scratched his head, a smirk in the corner of his mouth. "I'm sure we did, but I think it had more to do with the rumor. Mark was angry that Bels got dragged into it. In any case, I finally told him about the spy following them around." Kyle's eyes grew serious. "I think he knew it too, though he didn't say as much to me."