Page 75 of Devil's Riches

Nate opened the food container, letting the rich savory smell of the casserole fill the bunker. “You can have this. You just need to tell us what we want to know,” he said, moving it closer so the scent wafted right under his mother’s nostrils. She reached out a shaky hand in an attempt to grab the container from him, but he snatched it back immediately. “No. You have to talk to get it.”

Greg sat up and stared at us, eyes filled with cold hatred. “Don’t tell them anything, Annalise,” he muttered, flicking his gaze to his sister. “They’ll kill us as soon as they have what they want.”

Annalise swallowed audibly. “Nate… you wouldn’t really kill me, would you?”

Nate ignored her question. “Do you want the food or not?”

“Yes. Please.”

He handed the container to me and crouched in front of her. “I’ll talk first, and then you need to answer,” he said. “We’ve figured out a few things over the last few days, and now we have the names of the families in the Golden Circle.”

Annalise’s eyes widened. “That’s not possible.”

“Tell her, Alexis,” Nate said in an icy tone, turning his head to me.

“Lockwood, Holland, Montgomery, Van Zandt, Ellesmere, Rosewell, Redstone, Goulding, Perrier, Chabert, Adamson, and Marin,” I said.

Annalise’s eyes bulged even more, and her chest began to heave. “Nate, please. You have to leave this alone,” she said, lifting her trembling palms. “I know you hate me now, but I still love you, and I can’t stand the thought of what they’ll do to you if they find out what you’re up to.”

“Are those names right?” Nate said. “I need to hear you say it.”

Her gaze dropped, and she nodded silently.

“You missed something,” Greg muttered. “Doesn’t matter, though. You should listen to Annalise and drop this. You have no idea how much trouble you’re going to get yourselves in when the others realize you’re onto them. They don’t want to go down for those murders, and they won’t let it happen. Not under any circumstances.”

Nate’s upper lip curled into a sneer. “We’re not dropping it. Every single one of those people deserve justice, and the Golden Circle deserves to rot. For the old murders and the new ones.”

Greg cocked his head. “What new ones?”

“Nessa Pratchett and Claire Reilly.” Nate lifted a brow. “I guess your beloved sister didn’t tell you about them, huh?”

Annalise frantically shook her head, eyes still wide. “I didn’t kill those girls!”

Nate snorted. “Bullshit. You’ve started everything up again. Alexis heard you talking to Devin Holland about it months ago. He said he’d take it to the board.”

“No. I told him it wouldn’t happen, and the rest of the board agreed. We didn’t start up anything. I swear.” She struggled onto her knees and stared up at him. “Please, Nate. You have to believe me. We didn’t kill those girls. We ended things in 2009.”

“Bullshit.”

I frowned in Greg’s direction. Something he’d said a minute ago was rubbing at me. “What did you mean before?” I asked. “When you said we missed something.”

He smirked. “Means exactly what it sounds like. You think you’re so fucking smart, but you missed something. Something huge.”

I tilted my head to one side. “So our list of names is wrong?”

“Nope. It’s right. I’ll tell you that much,” he said, lips still curved in an arrogant smirk. “But that’s all I’ll tell you.”

I turned my attention back to Annalise. “What is he talking about?” I asked, dangling the container in front of her again. “Tell me, and I’ll give this to you.”

Her eyes wavered between me, Nate, and her brother. “I think he means—”

“Don’t!” Greg roared. “Don’t tell them anything!”

Annalise’s lips clamped shut.

I yanked the food away. “I guess you don’t want this, then.”

Tears began to slide down her cheeks. “Please… I’m so hungry.”

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