He knew I had hidden away a set of papers.If Gene knew, the Ledger knew.If the Ledger knew, they would want every copy.Every single copy.
My breath stuck in my throat.
Wheels shifted beside me.“Babe.”
“Oh my God.”
Twister’s face sharpened.“What?”
I stood too fast, and Wheels stood with me, one hand going to my lower back.
“What is it?”he asked.
“The papers.”
Podge looked at the table.“We have them.”
“No.”I shook my head.“No, not those.”
The room went quiet again.
Twister took one step toward me.“Goldie.”
My hands started shaking.“I made copies.”
“We know,” Twister said.
“No.I made more copies.”
Wheels’ fingers tensed against my back.I looked at him, and my voice broke.
“The second set.”
He stared at me.“You said they were safe,” he said quietly.
“They were.”
Twister’s voice dropped.“Where are they?”
I closed my eyes for half a second.I had kept the answer locked behind my teeth for days because trusting anyone with it had felt impossible.Now it felt like the only thing that mattered.
“With my sister.”
The entire room froze.
Twister didn’t move.
Wheels did.
He was suddenly closer; his eyes locked on mine.“Novalea.”
I nodded.“I gave them to her before I knew how bad this was.”My words started tumbling over each other.“I told her it was work stuff.I told her I didn’t have room at my apartment and asked if she could keep a folder for me.She didn’t know.I swear she didn’t know.”
Wheels turned me toward him.“Look at me.”
I did.
“She doesn’t know what they are?”
