“Have you dug up any new info on Lance?”
He reclines on the swing, pushing off the ground so we begin rocking again. “Nah. The guy is definitely shady, but he covers his tracks well. A few friends on the force tell me he’s an oddball and hard to work with. No one wants to patrol with him.”
“Isn’t that a red flag?”
“Not a big enough one. Do you recall anything else about when he was in school with you?”
I lay my cheek on an open palm. “It’s tough to remember more and I don’t know who to ask. All I’m certain of is his family moved to Silo Springs our freshman year. He didn’t stand out in the crowd. I never noticed him.”
“Maybe that’s part of the problem,” he mutters.
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve been hearing he’s rather obsessed with you, Sutt.”
I glare across the yard at a wide expanse of nothing. “That’s what people keep telling me.”
Jace grunts. “Yeah, exactly. It probably didn’t help his delusions when you wouldn’t give him the time of day. Who the hell knows. That’s a wild assumption.”
Blame rests heavy on my shoulders. “This is probably all my fault. Grady was on his radar because of me.”
He shakes his head. “No, that’s not true. Lance was picking on Grady when you were off at college.”
“Yeah, after I ignored him all four years of high school. What can I do about it now?”
“Have you talked to Molly? Maybe she’s privy to something useful.”
I yank at the collar of my shirt, a creeping sensation prodding at me. “They broke up. I think it was his doing. She doesn’t seem too bent out of shape, but also didn’t want to discuss it.”
He blows out all the air trapped in his cheeks. “Damn. There goes that lead.”
“Should I try talking to him?”
Jace jerks his startled gaze to mine. “No. Absolutely not. It’s too dangerous.”
“But what if he tells me the truth? I can save Grady.”
“At what cost, Sutt? I can’t let you dive into this shitfest headfirst. We’ll think of something else. Be smart and safe.”
Grady’s warnings come screeching to the surface. Another bout of searing pressure squeezes my eyes and I look away. My brother notices.
“What’s wrong?”
I wipe my face against my bent knees. “Grady told me the same thing.”
He smirks. “Because he’s looking out for you. I’m not surprised in the slightest. Even locked up, he’s watching your back.”
“I want to return the favor.”
“Then stay out of trouble. For all our sakes.”
My empty stomach gurgles, choking on acid and cracking dreams. “Easier said than done, Ace.”
He bumps into me. “I mean it, little sister. We all want Grady to be set free. Don’t do anything to jeopardize yourself for when that happens.”
I hunch lower in the seat and roll my eyes. “Fine, I’ll just sit idly by and wait for my boyfriend to get magically released.”
Jace snorts over a laugh. “And I almost believe you. Listen, I’m going to trap that bastard in his lie. He’s bound to squeal at some point, right?”
