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“The less you know, Jaci,” Maz calls out.
My stomach feels sick.
I don’t know what he’s going to do with Darby’s body next.
Dump it somewhere? Put it in the lake to be eaten by animals and rot away? Burn it until there’s nothing but ash?
Now my stomach feels even sicker.
“You don’t have to do this,” Birdie says to me. “I can go alone with Archer.”
I look at Birdie.
I look at Archer.
There’s no fucking way in hell I’m leaving Archer alone with Birdie.
We leave the dorm and go our separate ways.
This is the smart move.
It just looks like Birdie and I are going out for a late night stroll in the cold autumn air.
“It’s fucking freezing out here,” Birdie growls.
“Then let’s go back,” I say. I take her hand. “Let’s go back and be done with this. I trust Archer with this.”
“Jaci, I know you mean well, but I have to see this,” Birdie says. “I have to take my stand at some point here too. Even as aThorn. There are times when I think everyone assumes theGoldafamily isn’t strong. Maybe we aren’t as strong as the others. My father has worked hard to make things a little more legitimate than in the past. Maybe I’m just some dorky computer girl, okay? But I’m part of the fucking mafia. And I need to see this.”
I’ve never heard Birdie talk so strongly before.
I grip her hand tighter.
I nod.
I don’t say another word to her for the rest of our walk.
When we cut into the dark woods, I get nervous.
We both use the flashlights on our cellphones.
Shining them on the ground, making sure we don’t trip over some branches or a fallen tree.
I can’t help but wonder what kind of animals are watching us.
Deer? Bear? Mountain lions or something? Spiders? Snakes? Bats overhead maybe?
This is horrifying.
The pinnacle of Halloween but without an ounce of fun to it.
Up ahead I see a flashlight click on and off three times.
“That’s him,” Birdie says, referring to Archer.
“Yeah,” I whisper.
We walk to Archer and he leads the rest of the way.
