Page 33 of Twisted Truths

“To me?”

“To you.”

“Why?”

“Because you knew Zara.”

KnewZara.

Past tense.

Swallowing, I force myself to look away from him. “I told you, I don’t know?—”

“Yes,” he says firmly. “You did. I can see it in your eyes.”

I shift uncomfortably. “This isn’t a game for me, Nash. You don’t know what you’re asking for.”

Something dark flashes in his eyes, and I draw a deep breath, fighting my instinct to run. While I don’t think he’s here to hurt me, I know I’m tempting fate by giving in to my desire to talk to him.

Zara always talked about her older brother, and how proud she was of him for breaking free of the heavy shackles of their father and chasing his dreams. She missed him terribly, but she understood why he had to leave. He was never destined to stay in Barrenridge. This is why I need to walk away. He can’t help me. No one can.

In my desperation to find my sister, I unknowingly gave up my freedom. To begin with, it was comforting to know I hadsomewhere to live, with her close by, but over time, I have begun to question what I’ve gotten myself into.

There are dark secrets within the walls of the Sunfire Circle, secrets Zara opened my eyes to, and secrets Gabriel is supposedly trying to save me from. I no longer know who to trust.

“I want you to tell me,” Nash says, interrupting my thoughts as he takes a small step closer, and my breath catches. “Help me understand. Please? For Zara.”

It’s the slight crack in his voice that breaks me. “She’s really gone, isn’t she?” My voice is barely more than a whisper, but he still hears me. Pain washes over his features as he nods, and I hate that my words did that to him. “I’m so sorry.”

Nash makes a soft grunt in acknowledgement. “Now you understand why I need answers.”

“What kind of answers?”

“The kind that will help me find the murderer.”

A shiver runs down my spine at the cold detachment in his voice, and I shake my head. “I don’t know what you want from me.”

“You can tell me what you know about Gabriel. What was his relationship with my sister?”

“She was his Chosen.”

“What does that mean?” he grits out. “What did he do to her?”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him about his nephew. He lost his whole family in a horrific way, and he needs to know he’s not alone. Fear causes the words to catch in my throat. If I tell him about Franklin, he’ll storm the commune looking for him, which will only put us all in even more danger.

Right now, Zara’s brother is my only real hope of freedom, and while I know the truth will come out eventually, I need toplay my cards close to my chest until I know I can trust him. I made Zara a promise that I would look after Franklin, and I intend to keep it.

“A Chosen is like a bride,” I explain instead.

“She married the son of a bitch?” he snaps, and I flinch at the harshness of his tone. I don’t know what Nash’s problem with Gabriel is, but something tells me it runs deeper than his sister joining the Circle. “Why would she do that?”

Protection.

She didn’t feel safe in her hometown.

I want to tell him everything, but the truth is while I was Zara’s confidante within the walls of this commune, she was wary of opening up too much. She was cryptic in what she told me, but I know she was scared of someone on the outside. After Franklin was born, her paranoia got worse. Zara was convinced whoever it was had infiltrated the Circle. She warned me not to trust anyone, especially the guardians. I thought that meant Gabriel as well, but now I think about it … she spent more time with her guardian once Franklin was born, not less.

Coupled with what I overheard Gabriel say earlier, about Zara seeking refuge with him, and how he’ll do whatever it takes to keep me safe and take ‘them’ down, I’m beginning to think he’s the only person within the Sunfire Circle I can trust.