Page 87 of Scars of Fate

“I hid a copy.”

“Where?”

I hesitated.

Lucas saw it.

Of course he did.

“Wynn.”

“If Meridian finds out⁠—”

“They already know.”

“No. They know I received it. They don’t know where I put it.”

“And neither do we.”

“That’s the point.”

Lucas moved closer until only inches separated us.

His voice dropped low enough that only I could hear.

“People nearly died today. Samir may still die. I watched a man put a gun against your head.”

His control cracked.

Just a little.

Enough for me to hear what lived beneath it.

Fear.

“You don’t get to protect that secret more than you protect yourself.”

“I’m trying to protect everyone.”

“You always say that.”

My breath caught.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means you keep putting your life on the line because you think the truth matters more than you do.”

“Sometimes it does.”

“Not to me!”

The words tore out of him.

Raw.

Loud.

The few people close enough to hear us went quiet.