Every shadow has my skin lurching, a sudden jolt of apprehension crawling through me.
Brax glances back at me, eyes focused as he draws his gun and shuffles forward, light on his feet.
“Stay close.”
Every muscle inside of me is coiled like a spring. The air smells of smoke, petrol, and hot tires as the sun crests the horizon in the distance.
I take a deep breath and focus on my surroundings. She’s here. We’re going to find her. We’ll get her back.
And then we continue, stepping farther into the unknown.
“Fuck!”Brodie yells, stumbling backward as I shake my throbbing fist. Pain blooms through my knuckles, but the satisfaction of seeing his head snap to the side is worth it. Even if he retaliates. “You punch like your brother,” he mutters, stretching his jaw from left to right.
“Which one?” I deadpan.
“Touché.” He smirks, eyes cold and hard.
Standing before me, Brodie is no longer the man I once believed he was. The real Brodie, the one who joked with my sister, coached Roman’s games, manned the grill, and who Brax loved is gone. Or maybe it was an act, and he never existed.
“It was you,” I say quietly. “Laurel agreed to do the exchange after she heard you because she thought Elliot would break if he ever found out what Chase’s best friend was mixed up in. She was scared if Elliot found out the truth, he’d step in to protectChase.”
He rolls his eyes. “Nice job, Scooby Doo. Want a Scooby snack for cracking the case?”
My stomach rolls at the careless look in his eyes. The silence that consumes the space is deafening.
“It all makes sense now,” I say. “You told her the safest thing she could do was get rid of the drugs she had as leverage because you needed the drugs you stole from your father gone.”
Brodie’s eyes lock on mine, the storm raging inside them blacker than the night sky.
“You had Laurel go to Chase with a story about Elliot because you knew Chase would doanythingfor his brother, even risk his career.”
Brodie glares at me.
“You knew Chase would go to Brax for help,” I add. “And he did. Just as you wanted.”
Brodie’s lips twitch. “You think you’re so smart.”
“Smart enough to see that you knew Brax would be the perfect shield, especially since he has no idea what his father does. The Octopus would never suspect his distant son’s involvement.”
Brodie’s eyes flare.
“You needed them gone because if The Octopus ever found out his protégé was the thief?—”
“He wouldn’t,” Brodie snaps. “My dad would never…” His voice wavers, betraying him.
“And yet, you did everything you could to make sure he never learned the truth.”
Brodie doesn’t blink, doesn’t breathe. His face flashes crimson. “It was supposed to be a harmless experiment. I didn’t think he’d notice a small amount missing.”
Small.
I almost want to laugh at that word. Three lives were destroyed because of what he stole.
“Before you grabbed me,” I say, “I found the necklace Laurel gave Elliot. You planted it. Which means you were there that night when Elliot fought Jack.”
His eyes drop.
“Tell me why Elliot was at the stadium. Tell me what really happened.”
