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“Help for what?”

Here goes nothing.

I turn to face her.“A few weeks ago, I got an email,” I begin. “Someone claiming they could get the investigation into Richard Arnold’s death stopped. All they wanted was for me to figure out who’s behind a new drug called Haze.” I pause, watching herreaction, which has turned from understanding to a mixture of fury and disbelief. “I thought Rowan might be able to help.”

“You got a random email and believed it?” she half-shrieks.

“What else could I do?”

“I don’t know, Alex, ignore it? Delete it?”

I swallow. I get her annoyance, but I’m doing this to help her.

“So, you thought Rowan Vasilyev, the son of the most powerful clan in Senna—the guy youslept withand then gotarrested—was going to help you out of the goodness of his heart?” She barks out a laugh. “Jesus, Alex.”

When she puts it like that, it does sound a little insane. And after last night, it feels even worse. “I know how it sounds,” I admit, “but he did help—sort of. I’ve got a lead. It’s only a matter of time before I find a name and get your case dismissed.”

Halle’s jaw tightens. “Alex, this is illegal.”

“I know.”

“You could lose your job. You could get arrested.”

“I know,” I say again, quieter this time. “Believe me, I’ve thought about every scenario, and I’ve come to the same conclusion. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make this go away, Halle.”

She stares at me for a long second, hurt blooming in her eyes. “Do you think I did it?”

“What?”

“Do you think I pushed him?”

I shake my head. “The judge won’t care what I think. We aren’t from the right side of the river. It doesn’t matter if you didn’t do it or if you did. Richard’s family wants your head and they’re influential enough to get it.”

Tears glisten in her eyes. “Unbelievable,” she whispers. “You know I’m not ashamed of where I come from. You shouldn’t be either. There’s no evidence of me doing anything to that guy. They have nothing.”

I flinch at her words because a part of me knows she’s right. Still, this is the only way to save her. “I’m not ashamed either, but I know how this works. If they say you did it, then you did.”

She shakes her head, anger and pain swirling in her expression. “You’re going to get yourself killed. I mean, look at you. You look like a mess. The more you involve yourself with The Snake, the worse this gets. I can handle whatever is coming, Alex. Just call this off now. Please.”

I shake my head. “I can’t, Halle.”

She meets my eyes. Hers glisten with tears. “This isn’t just about me, is it?”

I stand straight, crossing my arms. “What are you talking about?”

She matches me, her tone coming out sharp. “It’s about him. Rowan. You’re still caught up in him.”

“That’s not fair—”

“Isn’t it?” She cuts me off, her voice rising. “You’re going to end up dead. And when you do, I’ll stand at your grave and say,I told you so.”

“Halle—”

She doesn’t let me finish. She storms out, leaving me alone again in my apartment that feels foreign now that Rowan has walked through it. I glance around at the knife, the discarded tie, and my gun. The picture of Halle and me sits flat on the TV stand.

Rowan was here, in my apartment. He was going to kill me last night. I saw it in his eyes, but something stopped him. My tattoo. I run a hand against it now, my skin hot. Why did that stop him? Did he realise what it means?

Despite the time we were together, I’ve never thought Rowan would remember the night we met. I’ve always assumed he saw me as some plaything, a bad call he made, nothing more.