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WHY AREN’T YOU ANSWERING AUS??

URGENT. PLEASE CALL ASAP.

AUS, SERIOUSLY, ARE YOU OK?

BRO, THIS IS GETTING SCARY.

Leo isn’t the kind of guy who texts in all caps. He’s usually reserved, always the guy who needs to speak up more. He and I have a casual relationship, but these are pretty intense texts to send to the guy who signs your paychecks.

Something must be up.

It can’t possibly be related to what the cops are talking to Thea about, can it?

I call Leo. It rings a few times and then⁠—

“Holy fuck, dude. Where the hell have you been?”

“Good evening to you too, Leo.”

“Seriously. Did you throw your phone into a lake or something?”

“I turned it off. I was on a date.”

A short pause. “For fuck’s sake.”

“Dude, I’m still your boss.”

“Why do you think I’m calling you? Why I’ve been trying to call you all day?”

My heartrate spikes. “Is it something to do with Jade?”

“You could say that. The place is swarming with cops as we speak.”

“It is?”

“Yeah. Has been all day. There are fewer guys here now, but they still haven’t fully left.”

“What happened?”

“They’re… They’re investigating a potential homicide, Aus.”

Fuck.

Thea’s talking to cops right now.

And she was at the club last night.

But then why wouldn’t the cops want to talk to me?

Maybe they don’t know who I am. They knew Thea would be at this gala tonight. They’d have no way of knowing I was her date.

Still though, it’s not adding up.

“Who died? One of our patrons?”

“No. It was… fuck.” His voice breaks. “It was Kin, dude.”

I drop my jaw. What the hell?