Finally, the woman speaks again, her voice cold and emotionless.“Tell me the name of the man who killed you.”
A new voice, this one cold and raspy, sends a chill down my spine.“Jericho.”
They sound strangled, as if coming from the grave. But that’s impossible, isn’t it? People can’t really talk to the dead?
“And who was with him?”
Silence.
“Tell us the name of the man who lives in this house,”the woman tries again.“Why were you visiting them?”
“Evan O’Connor owed me money.”
Well, at least that can convince the pack I was telling the truth.
“Did Evan know Jericho?”
“Yes.”
“Were they friends?”
“I do not know.”
Rip clears his throat.“Ask him if this… Evan O’Connor is the key to helping us find Jericho.”
The woman relays the question.“Would Evan help us locate Jericho?”
“They left together.”
A snarl breaks through the speaker, and then Rip complains,“I knew there was someone with him!”
A few minutes later, the trio leaves Evan’s house and drives off.
Jericho strolls away, fisting his hands at his sides. “Fuck!”
Sage purses his lips together. “You probably shouldn’t go back home until this is over.”
“Oh, I wasn’t—”
Jericho suddenly appears in front of me, eyes wild. “You can’t leave me now, you hear me? Wecan’tsplit up. Foxx will learn all he can about you and start tracking you like he did me. He’ll use you to get to me!”
I furrow my brows. “We already knew this, Jer.” Why is he acting like it’s new information?
Jericho reaches out to cup my face. It’s so unexpected, so intimate that I freeze.
“You don’t understand,” he says softly. “Ineedto keep you safe, Evan. It’s why I stayed away for so long. I was afraid. I always thought thatIwould be the one to hurt you, but now…” He sucks in a sharp breath. “Just promise me you won’t leave.”
When I don’t say anything, he starts to pull away, but I close a hand around his wrist, needing the contact just a little longer, for reasons I can’t even explain. Doesn’t he see I need him just as much as he needs me?
“I’m not going anywhere,” I say firmly before hugging him. “I promise. I’m not going anywhere.”
13
JERICHO
That night, while Evan is asleep, I stare at the ceiling and replay that video in my head on a loop.
Would Evan help us locate Jericho?
