My eyes narrow. “Why was that necessary? If it’s Bella’s, I already know she was hurt. If it’s Elena’s, it doesn’t change anything.”
“That’s the thing,” she says. “It’s not Bella’s. And it’s not Elena’s either.”
My stomach goes cold. “Then whose is it?”
“Male,” she says. “They haven’t matched it yet, but it’s definitely male.
I think of the dark lot, the figure stumbling away, clutching their side. I thought it was Elena in a coat, in the chaos. It was dark.
“I don’t think Elena was working alone,” Selene adds quietly. “If she was even the one who grabbed Bella in the first place.”
“Who else knows about this?” I ask.
“Just me and the tech,” Selene says. “And he likes his job too much to talk.”
I just stare at her.
Male blood. Not Bella’s. Not Elena’s. Someone else in that parking lot bleeding because of a knife Bella drove into them.
“And you think you know who it is,” I say. “But you’re not saying.”
“I’m not guessing out loud in the middle of a hospital corridor,” Selene replies. “I’m reckless, not stupid.”
My mind runs through possibilities.
None of it fits. None of it makes sense.
“For once, I honestly don’t know what the hell is going on,” I mutter.
My phone vibrates in my hand.
I glance down at the screen to see a message from the charter company.
Your aircraft is confirmed and ready to depart this evening, per your request.
My stomach drops a little.
Tonight.
I was thinking tomorrow. Planning to buy us a few more hours. It doesn’t matter. Irina’s clock is still ticking. Two days. And now I have a plane and no idea who I can trust to get Bella and Lily to it.
Selene tilts her head. “Bad news?”
My phone vibrates in my hand.
I lock the screen before she can see anything and slide the phone back into my pocket. “Nothing I can’t handle,” I say.
She watches me for a second like she knows I’m not telling her everything, but she doesn’t push. She folds her arms. “You look like you’re about to walk into traffic on purpose.”
“I’ve got things to do,” I say. “You should head home.”
She snorts. “And miss the show? Not a chance.”
I step closer, lowering my voice. “Stay away from Bella. I mean it. Whatever game you’re playing, do it with me, not her.”
Her expression shifts, just a fraction. “I’m not the one you need to say that to,” she says quietly.
I don’t answer. I turn and walk away, back toward Bella’s room.
