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I have reason to be.

Before we can talk further, and I can warn him what he's up against—if Lukas hasn't already—a cop in uniform walks into the room. Bored, he tells the lawyer, "She's being released from custody."

"Why? Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but Detective Lyons seemed to think this was a slam dunk."

"Someone else confessed."

I move in a stupor as they unlock the handcuffs. Rubbing my raw wrists, I wince as a little remaining dried blood flakes off my skin and onto the ground. If this was a way for the Syndicate to get me away from the laptop, it's far too complicated and risky to make sense. Especially when they could've just killed me.

In a daze, I follow the lawyer as he escorts me out of the interrogation room, then pause as the officer is about to walk away. "Wait! Who confessed?"

He turns, shrugging like he couldn't care less. "Some rich kid."

My heart slams in my throat. The lawyer is telling me that he'll call me a cab and make sure I get home safe, his tone curious, as if he can't quite believe my luck. But I'm barely listening, scanning the precinct for a familiar face, wondering if I'll even see...

There. Near the doors. Lukas has his back to me, but I know it's him. I can't see his hands, so they must be cuffed.

I don't understand. It doesn't make sense. Why would he...

But then he turns, and sees me. I frown, gasping as I see that his hands aren't cuffed at all. He's standing near a few officers, but they move away a moment later, making it clear he's not in custody.

The lawyer guides me down the steps, towards the bullpen. I mouth a question towards Lukas,"What's going on?"

There's a stricken expression on his face as he watches me, and I freeze, trying to figure out why he's shaking his head, something like despair in his eyes.

Then someone shifts, and I see him, standing between a uniformed officer and Detective Lyons, carefree and cocky, looking for all the world like he's free despite the cuffs very tightly keeping his hands bound.

Cole Masterson confessed to a murder he didn't commit.

All to set me free.

27It continues…