Page 35 of Xavier

He closes the register and walks over to the hostess stand. “Uh, yeah.”

Brianna isn’t satisfied with his bullshit answer and her face shows her discontentment straight away. “Are you looking for something?”

He glances around nervously. “I think I misplaced something.”

She eats another bite of pie and tries to act uninterested. She waits a few moments before asking, “What is it? Maybe I’ve seen it.”

Zach’s tone is sharp and a tad aggressive. “You haven’t seen it before.”

Brianna keeps at it, asking one question after the other. “Well, what was it? Where was the last place you had it? If I haven’t ever seen it, who has? Maybe that person has it.”

“It was in my office, but it’s just something silly that I kept for good luck. It’s really nothing important.”

He’s lying. What could his good luck charm be? If that’s really what it is.

Brianna must be thinking the same thing I am because her face lights up and a smile forms on her face.

“Oh, well, if it’s nothing important, I can get you a new good luck charm. I have that one shark tooth we found together. It’s been lucky for me, but you can have it until you find your old good luck charm.”

Damn, this woman is incredible.

My gaze moves to Zach, who tries to cover up his true expression as he turns to face Brianna.

“That’s really nice of you, Bri, but I can’t take your good luck charm. I’ll just have to wait until the old one pops back up.”

He plasters a fake smile on his face, probably hoping it stops Brianna’s questioning, but she and I see right through his facade.

Police sirens make their way closer to us.

I guess we are out of time.

Add this so-called good luck charm to the growing list of things to find out from the mayor.

What is this family hiding? And why are they keeping family secrets from Brianna?

Chapter Nine

BRIANNA

Police sirens cut off my conversation with Uncle Zach. They couldn’t have come at a worse time.

I know he’s lying to me, but why?

We’ve always had a close relationship. I’ve told him things that I was too afraid to tell Mom and Dad.

I’ve never lied to him, and he’s never lied to me before, so why now?

I feel hurt, confused, and even a little pissed that he would lie straight to my face.

Whatever is going on must be huge.

Everything over the past twenty-four hours seemed so out of the blue, like random occurrences. Except now, it seems like they were all deliberate attacks.

The attempted kidnapping, being followed, the break in, and even the murder all seem connected.

But why?

Nothing like this ever happens on Scarlett Island.

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