ouldn't st

the vid

a has h

us

ing wayyyy...I

sounding in my head,but th

ed, thick with betrayal. Luna. The girl who held me when I cried. The girl who made me soup

. I buried the envelope and flash drive under the loose floorboard in my room, rig

bed, eyes wide op

-

ng a spoon in her iced tea like she was stirring time itself. Her dark curls fr

like hell,

od morning

. Ta

ite her. "Something's off.

er head. "De

deo. A letter. He mentioned names.

s knitted. "

ell you yet. I need to

flinch. "Then

s the table. Her fingers cur

vestigate something

ded. "A

-

the living room. Her phone was pressed to her ear, and she lo

you?" she as

Needed

old me. I've bee

the phone. So

a smile. "Just... family

hen I asked, "Who

fr

r eyes widened, just a flicker, and

e said too qu

eard somewhere.

. It matte

-

an abandoned school ground. There was something thrilling about the se

rched into her touch. Her lip

t to stop?"

God

I wasn't a girl mourning her father. I was just Skye

sweaty heap, I whispered

iffened.

eo. He said if Luna

"Then you have

ow

like everything's

felt like it was

-

at our door. Broad-shouldered, crisp

he said. "Min

him in with

she said, placing a hand on his

ook. A subtle one.

ing open a notepad. "Any dev

head. "No

ometimes, killers are

ghed bes

always around. Call me i

s hand brushed

night, he

our own good. Meet me.

message until th

-

heard Luna o

dn't tell her. We have to handle t

od ran

d on my voi

had

-

ety stabbing through my ribs. I told Luna I was meeting Zaria for st

wn motel on th

ed of mildew and secrets.

the door

he said, ste

he threshold. "

y. "Because I know thing

inside,

e. "He paid me to monitor your father's murder case.

hy

to expose a political secret.

ind of

pieces yet. But Luna? She was never

ge to

yo

"You were his info

you don't shut u

was

n all the wa

into h

ut," I whispered.

s no escap

ruth was