“Everything,” Hannah confirmed.
I looked up at her. “Why give this to me?”
Hannah’s jaw tightened slightly. “Because, compared to the monsters I saw on that flash drive, you’re a saint.”
CHAPTER 18
The tires screeched as I careened into the parking lot, balancing recklessly on two wheels. My fingers clamped tightly around the steering wheel, and I hit the brakes hard, skidding to a halt near the entrance in a haze of smoke. Adrenaline surged through me as I flung open the car door and sprinted toward the building with my 9mm gripped firmly in my hand. At some point, it had left its place at my waistband, but I didn’t recall when.
My breath came in rapid bursts as I charged up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Each step echoed like thunder in my ears. Yet nothing broke the silence behind me, and somehow that made my nerves worse.
“Giani!” I called, each shout tinged with a growing desperation. “Open the fucking door!”
Every second it stayed closed, my nerves fired off harder.
“Hurry up,” I hissed, pacing in front of the door before beating on it again. “Please hurry the fuck up.”
I glanced over my shoulder as a vehicle crept into view. Its tires crunched over gravel as I pressed myself flat against the wall beside Giani’s window, heart hammering in my chest. When it was out of sight, I turned back toward her door, and a few moments later, the locks finally started clicking from the other side.
The door swung open, and the moment Giani saw me, her brow furrowed. Confusion flashed across her face, but fear was right behind it.
“Koko? What’s happening?”
I rushed inside so quickly I nearly slammed into her.
“Lock the door,” I breathed, glancing back. “Please, lock the fucking door.
Giani shut the door in a flurry, hurriedly securing the locks as I pressed my back against the wall, my heart pounding in my ears. My hands were clammy around the grip of my gun, the cold metal grounding me in the chaos swirling in my mind.
“What’s wrong, Koko?”
She rushed around me and went straight for the blinds. Her brow furrowed as her eyes swept across the parking lot, her movements growing more frantic with each second.
“Why do you look like you saw a ghost?”
I dropped my head into my hands and paced across the living room, my heart still racing as my mind flipped through everything I’d learned about my life up to this point.
“Talk to me, friend.” Giani stepped closer, her hands raised cautiously as her eyes searched mine for answers. “What happened?”
I swallowed hard and sank onto the couch, rubbing the barrel of my gun against my forehead as I thought things through.
“A lot, and I don’t know if I like the person I used to be.”
“What do you mean?” Giani pressed, concern etching lines across her forehead.
I let out a shaky laugh, the sound small and brittle. “I mean, I’m starting to understand why people want me dead.”
Giani’s face tightened, but she remained silent, her gaze unwavering.
I rubbed my hand over my mouth, diverting my eyes to the floor as I felt the weight of the moment. “I remembered something last night. Actually, a few things.” My grip on the gun intensified.
“What all did you remember?” she asked, her tone cautious.
I lifted my eyes, finally meeting her gaze. “Rich.”
“Rich.” She frowned, her brow furrowing in confusion. “That name doesn’t ring a bell.”
“Remember the night in my apartments when someone tried to run me over?” I studied her closely, searching for signs of recognition.
