Page 130 of Kiss of Deceit

Harry pulled back the curtain, peeking his head out. “Is there a problem?”

Dani pushed past him, her eyes finding mine immediately. When I’d left her in the other medical room, she’d been wrapped in blankets. Now she was wearing a pair of purple scrubs, reminding me of the night she’d been attacked at the police station. We were spending far too much time at this clinic. Nolan finally finished and stepped back, pulling his gloves off.

I jumped off the bed, staggering a step when a wave of dizziness hit me. I shook my head, the pain nearly stealing my breath.

“What’s going on?” I forced out.

Susan folded her arms. “I’m sending the interns home.”

“I’m not going,” Dani hissed, a storm growing in her eyes. “I’m staying until they’re caught?—”

“That is not your choice to make,” Susan cut her off. “There’s a helicopter coming in three days. You’ll be on it.”

Nolan muttered something about his work being done before scurrying out of the room. Dani was glaring daggers at Susan as my pulse thrashed. Harry pulled out his pack of cigarettes, avoiding everyone’s eyes as he backed up to make a silent exit. He wanted no part of this argument, just like everything else that would make his life harder.

When the three of us were alone, Susan glanced at me, a frown on her lips. “You can go home.”

“I’m not going anywhere without Dani.”

“This conversation isn’t over,” Dani snapped. “The killer wants me. I can lure him out. You need me.”

I bit my tongue until I tasted blood. I wouldn’t argue with her in front of the therapist, but there was no way in hell she would be acting as prey to catch those bastards.

“No. We have new information.” She hesitated. “I was going to inform everyone at the station tomorrow. That blood that was found in the woods? When there was no body? We found out who it belonged to.”

“The blood Riggs found?” I stared at her. She usedbelonged, meaning the person was dead. “Who was killed?”

She cleared her throat. “Someone who worked at the factory. Who had no business being in the woods.”

Understanding dawned on Dani’s face when she glanced at me. Not a worker, but an inmate. Someone who was in the prison that had no free access to this town. I rubbed my temple, wishing the excruciating pain would go away so I could think straight.

Susan’s gaze swung back to Dani. “Do not make your life harder by fighting me. You’re leaving and that’s it.”

“No.” Her voice was strong even after the night she went through.

“I know why you want to stay,” Susan sneered. “Don’t want to go back to thelovelylife you had before this. Believe me, it can be much worse if you don’t listen to me.”

I frowned, my eyes darting between them. What the hell did that mean?

Dani’s face flushed. “You have no right to talk about my past,” she hissed furiously. “You’re breaking?—”

“I’m doing nothing wrong. You’re not my patient. I’m under no obligation to keep your secrets.”

Dani’s eyes filled with fury. “This is a mistake.”

“It’s my decision.”

“I know what this town is. A social experiment about reform.”

Dani’s admission had my stomach plummeting. Interns were not supposed to fucking know that. Susan’s lips parted in shock, her eyes cutting to me.

“Kole didn’t tell me. He had no idea I knew,” Dani said, taking the attention off me. “Natalie told me before she was killed. She warned me. I know that factory isn’t just a place where boxes are made. It’s also a prison. Everyone here except you and interns are inmates. And I’m guessing this entire place is about to get shut down. It’s why the interns are getting sent away.”

Susan pressed her lips together, the silence growing heavy.

“Is that true?” I asked quietly.

“She shouldn’t know about any of this,” Susan said, her voice rising. “It could ruin everything.”