Page 193

Aria reappears with paper and pens. “Here, we can figure this out.”

Tension rises, silence falls. The only sounds are pens scratching on paper and occasional curses.

“Three hundred sixty-two thousand, eight hundred eighty,” Rex grumbles.

“What?” I spare him a glance.

“The number of combinations you can make with nine letters.”

We gape at him.

“What? I may be a party animal, but I’m smart. A genius really—”

“Ugh.” I roll my eyes, a smile twitching my lips. I miss my siblings.

“Silent Eke?” Maxwell furrows his brow. “God knows the man makes no sound.”

I try it. Still nothing.

“An Elks Tie!” Aria yells.

We stare at her, and she grimaces. “I don’t know. I’m a nurse, not a wordsmith.”

I try that too. Nothing.

“Ink Least.” Scarlett holds up her paper. “Does that mean anything?”

“No.” That combo doesn’t work. I slide the letters back into the original position.

ELIAS KENT

“It’s something else, something—”

Then suddenly—clarity.

I slap my forehead.

“What?” That can be Rex or the girls. I don’t know because my quaking pulse eclipses all sounds.

“I’m so stupid,” I whisper, more for myself than for others. “He told me who he was all along.”

My fingers tremble as I rearrange the letters once more.

The most obvious answer.

KIAN LESTE

“Holy shit. He’s your Kian? The guy you dated in Chicago in high school?” Rex asks.

Click.

I nod, a sob wrenching out of my throat.

A tiny compartment pops open at the bottom.

A micro SD card tumbles out.

“Let me get my laptop.” Scarlett scrambles off the seat.