Page 28 of Primal

But when I see Ahmad’s picture next to it, my heart jumps up into my throat.

My fingers fly over the keyboard as I text Zyran.

It was you, wasn’t it?

My hands shake as I wait for his response.

“What’s wrong, Kiara?” Yolanda asks nervously, but I don’t respond.

When his message comes through, I nearly drop my phone.

Yes.

He doesn’t even bother asking me what I’m talking about because he already knows.

Why would you do something like that?

The gray bubble taunts me as I wait for his response.

I didn’t kill until I met you.

That’s all he says. My fingers fly over the keyboard furiously as I type out a response.

And that makes it okay???

YES

If I didn’t, those men would have raped you and your friend, Kiara.

I swallow down the sick feeling beginning to creep up my throat.

The man Yolanda was with did rape her.

I chew on my bottom lip impatiently as I wait for his reply, and when I finally get it, it sends shivers down my spine.

Then I did the world a favor.

You should be thanking me.

They could have just done time in prison. You didn’t have to kill them.

Why am I defending rapists?

Zyran takes a minute to respond, and when he does, I’m overwhelmed with a feeling of intense dread.

But it was fun.

I drop the phone on the table and rake my hands through my hair so hard it feels like I’m ripping out the strands. My phone vibrates, but I ignore it.

“Kiara,” Yolanda says sternly, “what the hell is wrong with you?”

“If I tell you, you have to swear on your mother’s grave that you won’t go to the police.”

Her eyes widen in surprise—I would never have her make such a promise if it wasn’t serious.

She nods slowly.

Taking a deep breath, I explain to her what happened last night. Zyran confessed to murdering two men, and he did so without even a shred of guilt or second thought. I get that he did it to protect us, but I think there are other ways he could have done so, like getting the police involved.

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