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“Don’t thank me for doing what any other half decent person would have done.” Spinning around, I met her gaze. “Do you have the paper?”
My words were sharp, and the gratefulness in her eyes disappeared. Geo had been right. I was protecting her. Over him. Over the group. She couldn’t live here thinking I’d save her every time she needed it. Then her courage of trying to find a way out of this would grow. And she’d end up right where Geo had told her. At one of our houses. Whatever the fuck I was feeling, I needed to lock it down.
“No,” she told me, crossing her arms.
“I’m going to have to look. Because if you’re lying and the paper is found later, then it’s my ass on the line.”
She bit her lip, and I blew out a harsh laugh. “You do have it. Jesus. Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
“Yes, that’s what I’m doing. I ran for six months because I have a death wish.”
I ignored her sarcasm. “Give it to me, Sage.”
“Are you going to tell Alex?”
“Go get it.”
She hesitated, as if still trying to figure a way out of this. Leaving the kitchen, I strode to her room, and she caught up to me as I passed through her door.
“Get it. Or I’ll search for it. And I’ll find the phone you still have too.”
Her eyes narrowed. “The phone’s dead. I can’t use it anymore.”
“Right now, all I want is the paper.”
She gritted her teeth as she moved to the dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans. After taking out a small folded up piece of paper from the pocket, she crossed the room and shoved it into my chest.
“Here.” She pulled her arm back, but I snatched her wrist, keeping her in front of me. The paper fell to the floor as we glared at each other.
“Your mouth and attitude are going to get you in trouble.” The blush on her cheeks made it clear she was thinking of our conversation from a few days ago as I spoke. “But it’s all talk. We both know you won’t do anything. There’s no way out, Sage. Stop trying to get yourself killed.”
Letting her go, I didn’t wait for a response as I grabbed the paper and left her room. Flicking off the light, I fell onto the couch and unfolded the paper, shining my phone light onto it. My gut knotted as I read the four names. She’d had this for months. My panic increased when the image of her hugging the woman in Chicago flashed through my mind. What if she was connected to this? Footsteps in the hall broke through my thoughts.
“Are you going to tell them?” she asked softly through the darkness. “I need to know. I don’t want to be blindsided.”
After a minute, I sighed. “No.”
More silence. I lowered my head back onto the pillow, figuring she’d gone back to her room until she spoke up again.
“Thank you. For the chocolates. And everything else.”
“You’re welcome.”
