“It makes perfect sense now,” I laughed, mockingly. “The way he frowned; whenever I wasn’t wearing it. All the times he brought it back to me, after I’d taken it off in the shower.”
“Peyton…”
“All those places he suddenly appeared, without explanation. No matter where I was.”
“It’s not your fault.”
I thought about how proud I was to be wearing it; the one thing he still had from his poor, dead sister. I’d worn it everywhere, at all times. Even down the aisle.
Anger flared, hot and violent. In a flurry of motion I crossed the room, and dropped the locket onto the stone hearth.
Then I grabbed the fireplace poker, and reared back with it.
“WAIT WAIT WAIT!”
My arm came down. I wanted to see the thing smashed, twisted, ruined. I wanted to feel the satisfaction of knowing Donovan’s screens would go dark, and his last hold over me would be—
At the last moment, an impossibly strong hand clapped over my wrist.
“You can’t destroy it. Not yet.”
My head whipped left. Theo was holding my arm, staring at me like I was a madwoman. Which I was.
“Why!?” I demanded angrily.
“Because the second that thing goes dark, Donovan will send more men,” Colson explained.
“So?”
“So right now he thinks we’re bringing the locket back,” said Ripley. He stepped forward, and plucked the poker from my still-shaking hand. “With or without you.”
My head tilted curiously to one side. “And why would you do that?”
A beat of uncomfortable silence settled over the cabin. Only the low hum of the fridge remained.
“Because your locket is notjusta tracker,” sighed Theo. “It’s much, much more.”
Fuck. There was a bitter taste in my mouth, as my thoughts flipped to Donovan. Is there nothing this asshole could do, that wouldn’t surprise me?
“It’s a data drive, isn’t it?” I sighed.
The men looked at each other again. Colson shrugged.
“Yes,” Theo confirmed. “An encrypted, micro-storagedevice.”
“So what’s on it?”
“Doesn’t matter now,” Ripley cut in. He put the poker back, and wiped his palms on his legs. “You’re out, remember? You don’t need to worry about—”
“I carried that thing for almost a year!” I snapped, pointing. “At least tell me what’s on it.”
The silver filigree oval I’d enjoyed running my fingers over hadn’t changed; not physically, anyway. But in my mind’s eye, it didn’t even look like a locket anymore. It seemed more like a poison pill.
“Peyton, listen…” Theo’s voice was soft, but also placating. And I hated placating.
“We’re not trying to be dicks about this, especially since you carried this thing around for so long. But the less you know, the better.”
Hmmm… now there was some logic I couldn’t argue. Besides, no matter what was on it, I was certain it wouldn’t be good.
