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“Who is it?” Camila called out from somewhere inside theroom.
Hazel stepped aside to show the other girls that it was me at the door. “It’sher.”
Camila waved a hand. “It’s okay. Let her in. I’ve actually been expectingher.”
I gulped and stepped inside, slowly approaching the table where the Medusas were sitting with theirlunch.
Camila smiled at me. “I assume you’re here because you got my letter yesterday?” she said in a saccharinetone.
“Yes. I got both letters, actually, and I have this to prove it.” I held up my right hand, showing her the dark red scabs from yesterday’s misadventure in the abandoned building. There were multiple scratches all over my palm, and right in the center of it, there was a gash from where a giant splinter had stabbed right into me as I held on to the edge of the broken floorboards for dearlife.
Camila frowned. “I only sent one letter, and I didn’t stick broken glass in the envelope, so I have no idea what’s going on with yourhand.”
I pursed my lips. “That’s nottrue.”
“Uh… yes, it is. I think I know what Idid.”
“I know what you did too,” I said, putting my hands on my hips. “You hacked my phone and read about my plans to explore the abandoned RFA buildings with my friends, and you went and cut through the floor to set me up for a fall. I know you did something to my friend Trina to make sure she wouldn’t show up, too, and you also attacked my friend Adam. And I know there weretwonotes in thatroom.”
All of the Medusa girls exchanged confused looks as Ispoke.
I had to hand it to them—they were great actresses. I almost believed they didn’t know anything about yesterday’s incident in thewoods.
Camila tilted her head to one side. “Laney… I know you think I’m a crazy liar, considering all the things you said to me on Friday night, so you probably won’t believe what I’m about to say. But I genuinely have no idea what you’re ranting about,” she said. “I didn’t hack your phone. No one here did. I didn’t do anything to your friends, either, and I certainly didn’t cut through anyone’s floor. Also, I only sent one letter. I stuck it in your locker yesterdaymorning.”
My brows shot up. “Mylocker?”
“Yes.”
“Oh. I haven’t checked it in a few days,” I muttered, forehead creasing withconfusion.
She rolled her eyes. “Well, I guess that explains why we seem to be talking about two completely different things,” she replied. She pointed to a chair. “Take a seat. I’ll tell you what the lettersaid.”
I went over and sat down at the table, mind reeling with confusion. This wasn’t going the way I thought it would, but all I could do was play along and try to salvage the situation as best I could. I didn’t have any otherchoice.
“So,” Camila said, arranging her hands in a pyramid on the table. “Obviously, things didn’t go as planned on Friday night. We’re not happy about it, but it happens sometimes. Our society is not foreveryone.”
“Right,” I said, knitting mybrows.
She leaned forward. “We know you left the island that night with Hunter Connery. We saw you,” she said. “None of my business, really, but I have to say, I’m a little confused as to why you’re suddenly hanging out with him again after what he did toyou.”
I swallowed and nervously licked my lips. “I found out that it wasn’t him behind the video at the assembly. It was someone else,” I said. “So we’re okaynow.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Right,” she said, drawing out the syllable like she didn’t quite believe me. “Anyway, back to what I was saying—I know you left with him that night, and due to the state you were in, I can only imagine that you spilled quite a lot of stuff to him. Stuff you weren’t meant to tellanyone.”
I took a deep breath, trying to remain calm and unruffled. “I told him a few things,” I admitted. “But it mostly boiled down to me saying that it was just a terrible party that I wanted to leave. I couldn’t really tell him much else, because I didn’t really know anything forsure.”
“Hm. If you say so,” Camila said with a short, disbelieving sniff. “Anyway, the men of the Network know all about the Hunter thing too, and they know you have no interest in joining us anymore. They don’t want anything to get out to the public, though, and they don’t want anyone to get hurt,either.”
“Is that athreat?”
“No. The complete opposite,” she said, looking mildly surprised at my attitude. “Hunter Connery is actually related to a prominent member of the Network, so chances are, he’ll become a member himself one day. So you telling him about us isn’t the end of the world. But when it comes to others…” She trailed off and hesitated before going on. “Like I said, we don’t want anyone else to hear anything. So over the weekend, the men of the Network came up with a deal to offer you in order to restore the trust between us and ensure there’s no bad blood. That’s what the letter in your locker wasabout.”
“A deal?” I said, eyes widening. “What sort ofdeal?”
“They’re willing to pay you twenty-five thousand dollars if you sign a contract stating that you will never breathe a word about the Medusa Society or the Network to anyone else for as long as you live,” shereplied.
“Twenty-five thousand dollars,” I repeated, wishing I could scoff out loud. Considering what the men of the Network stood to lose if I exposed them, twenty-five grand was a mere drop in thebucket.
