“Just joking,” he says, barking out a laugh. “Carla confiscated it and handed it to the police before I could look.” He tips me a gigantic wink. “But you can bet I’ll make a thorough check when they return it.”
I slide out of the booth, shaken and dizzy. When I stumble, Bradley catches my elbow and supports me to the till. “Your shout,” he announces to the server, and I reach for my wallet. It’s not worth arguing.
When we venture outside, I fold my arms across my chest, snuggling into the warmth of Zach’s jacket. Bradley stands beside me, hands in his pockets, staring along the street at the ebb and flow of foot traffic on the strip.
“I’ll talk to Carla,” he finally says, shifting his weight to the foot facing away from me. “She probably won’t hear of it, but I’ll give it a try.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m serious,” he repeats, this time looking me straight in the eye. “She had her shields up when you were just hurting yourself. Now you’ve branched out—”
“I didn’t beat the kid.”
“—to actual violence, I doubt she’ll let you near Sierra. But I’ll try.”
I nod, waiting until he’s far away before I give in and weep. A long shot. The only shot I have.
About par for the course.
Once I’ve got myself under control, I walk to the central bus station and catch the next one home.
CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR
ZACH
“This’ll probably sound silly,”Lilac says as she slumps on the bed beside me. I talked her into staying the night at my father’s house. We’re both working for Stefan tomorrow, so it seemed reasonable, but she’s been lost in her thoughts from the moment she arrived.
“Just say it. I’m all for a laugh.”
“Is there any way to wipe a phone’s storage remotely?”
I roll over, catching her wrists and pinning them above her head. “What phone? What storage? What horribly incriminating images do you have on there?”
“You know the images,” she says in a low voice that sends a jolt straight to my groin. “Apparently, my sister’s phone is with the police, and I’d prefer some things stay private.”
“What the—?” I shake my head. Doesn’t matter. “Probably.” I loosen my grip and roll onto my back, taking out my phone to text Caylon. A minute later, he texts back. “It won’t work until someone connects it to a network. They must have it turned off.”
“Ran out of battery, most likely.” She frowns, her mind still far away. “What about… is there a way to see who’s accessed things on there?”
“Who’d you think has been digging through your phone, looking at nudie pictures?” She pushes a knuckle into her cheek, biting it on the inside. “Where were you today?”
“I met with the private investigator.”
“Yeah? And you think he’s got access to your phone?” She shakes her head, but the crease between her brows remains firmly in place. “Who then?”
“I also talked to Sierra’s foster dad. Just to feel him out about letting me see her, even while the investigation is ongoing.”
“And?”
“He mentioned he’d found some pictures on her phone.”
My core turns so cold I shiver. “You think—”
“I don’t know. He said it’s a joke, but…” She rolls over and buries her face in the pillow. “What if it’s not? What if he’s…” Lilac chokes on the last few words, falling silent. Every muscle in her back tenses to the max.
“When did the police take the phone?”
She wasn’t expecting the question and turns her head to the side, peering at me through narrowed eyes. “I guess Sierra coughed it up when they came round to question her.”
