Page 54 of Unspoken Lies

Meanwhile, Rachelle keeps running, refusing to acknowledge us or turn around.

Theo jumps out, and she screams as his arms attempt to go around her. Despite not wearing shoes, she kicks and claws at him. It’s like reliving the last time we came for her, the blood running down his neck as he drops her in shock.

Rachelle pivots and races across the street, narrowly avoiding being hit by a car.

“Fuck,” Lili curses, chasing her.

“She’s still just as feral as she used to be,” Theo grunts, but not in complaint. We’ve all fallen for Rachelle for different reasons, despite our refusal to save her from the bet.

We chose ourselves over her. Elijah especially, even though he was the last to begin to dig her out. Too many conflicting emotions gave him paralysis.

“Where’s the fire?” a deep voice asks, catching Rachelle in his arms as she crashes into him. Her head jerks up as she drinks in Nacio’s face.

“Please tell me you’re real,” she whispers as his jaw drops. Rachelle sags in his arms as she passes out, and Ignacio hoists her into a bridal carry.

“Only if someone tells me you are,” he mutters. Glancing up, his eyes harden into a glower. “What the fuck is going on? She’s…terrified. And alive.”

Ignacio swallows hard as his gaze finds Liliana.

“Did you know?” he whispers, his voice hoarse.

“No. I saw her running from these assholes, and was just as shocked,” she explains. Her hands are shaking as she crosses her arms. “I don’t know anything else. Guys, take those ridiculous masks off before someone calls the cops.”

Pulling off our masks, our hair is all fucked up and wild. The cool air feels good on our skin, and I can’t stop staring at the girl in Ignacio’s arms.

“She works for us,” I grunt. “I don’t think she realized it when she applied and got the job. She works at the mystic shop, and when she was walking home, Elijah saw her.”

“I really thought I was seeing shit,” Elijah sighs. “I stalked toward her and didn’t mean to scare her. I’m so tired of dreaming about her, seeing her everywhere I turn.”

“That’s called guilt,” Nacio says. “You’re going to continue to have nightmares for the rest of your life if you don’t settle this with her.”

“How do you settle a score with a supposed to be dead girl,” he hisses. “She hit me with a stun gun, and I knocked myself out on the damn pavement.”

“Your father texted me to go collect him, which was really fucking weird,” I admit. “We don’t have access to any video cameras on that corner of the street.”

“That’s because none exist,” Theo says, sighing. “I can’t get the city to agree to let me post some on the building. They’re very adamant that I don’t need any.”

“Anyway,” I mutter. “We went out to scrape Elijah off the sidewalk, decided to check some of the new employment paperwork because we knew the new girl started. He could have easily scared the shit out of her.”

“Her name is very close to her real one,” Theo adds. “We decided that if she called out today, we’d hunt her down to ask her questions.”

“Normal people don’t do this,” Liliana says. “Poor girl is shivering. We’re taking her home.”

“No,” Elijah barks out. “We have questions too.”

“Do you think you’re owed anything from Rachelle?” Ignacio asks, his eyes pulled back to her in awe. “She survived you. Not many people can say that.”

“I’m glad she did,” Elijah breathes. “We were so fucking wrong.”

“You can’t possibly believe she’ll give you the time of day,” Lili growls at him.

“No fighting,” Nacio barks out with gritted teeth. “It seems my father has been holding secrets. I want to know why. We’re going to the car, Lili.”

“Please don’t take her away,” Elijah breathes as we move out of the way for Nacio to walk.

“So you can terrorize her?” Nacio scoffs.

Shoving our masks away in our pockets, we follow him. Liliana pushes us away hard to give Nacio some space, scowling at us before following him.