Page 88 of Amber Gambler

“I’m sorry, Mary.” I scooted down to pull her and Matty close. “That’s why I got us out of there.”

“The feeds are still live?” Matty’s hold on us tightened as his mind whirred. “Who else knows?”

“Bash bought the place for the clan. He had no clue what it was hiding. He only showed up because he got an alert when Kierce and I began searching the property for evidence Audrey had been there.” I stroked Josie’s hair as she nestled her face into my neck and wept. “After we found the surveillance equipment, I called Carter.”

“This is all my fault.” Josie dug her nails into my arms. “He used me.”

“We’ve been over this.” I kissed the top of her head. “You’re not to blame.”

“What do we do?” Matty eased back enough to catch my eye. “How do we fix it?”

“I’ll talk to Carter, see if the 514 can recommend someone we can trust to do the job right.”

“We used the company Armie recommended for our new security system,” Matty realized. “Damn.”

“We need the hidden cameras taken down and any audio recording equipment there might be removed by professionals. We can keep the upgrades we made ourselves, but I want someone to go over them with a fine-toothed comb to ensure the only people who can access them are in this room.”

Quiet sobs wracked Josie, and I held her tighter, like I could squeeze out the bad memories if I tried hard enough. But there was no sparing her from the knowledge Armie had violated her in ways that made me sick. He had seduced her in her own home, knowing he could go back to the restaurant and rewatch it or upload it to the internet or share it with friends or…

A million horrible ideas hit me, each one worse than the last until I couldn’t hold back tears.

“You can have my room,” Matty offered her, “if you need a minute alone.”

For him to have gotten a separate room, rather than crash on a pullout with us, he must have figured out Kierce’s sleeping situation and intended to bunk with him.

As she curled her fingers into my shirt, weeping harder, I shook my head at him.

Sunlight seeped from around the edges of the blackout curtains, and I followed a hunch. “Hit the lights.”

After the room plunged into darkness, she allowed the embrace of the void to comfort her.

“She can sleep with me.” Mobility limited by her hold on me, I lay down and pulled her with me, letting her curl against my chest like she had when she was small and afraid. “Wake me when Kierce gets back.”

Matty padded away, fabric rustled, and then the slit of light spanning the threshold cut out.

He must have sat on the carpet with his back against the door, the better to guard us while we slept.

No sooner had I shut my eyes than I jerked awake to find Matty leaning over me.

Josie had turned over at some point, rolling away from me, and buried herself under the covers.

Careful not to jostle her, Matty and I traded places, and I followed Kierce into the second room.

“He shouldn’t have woken you.” He watched as I slumped onto the nearest mattress, tempted to rest my eyes a bit longer. “You’ve only slept for three hours.”

“Three hours?” I forced my scratchy lids to resist the urge to droop. “It felt like three minutes.”

“Rest.” He sat beside me. “Nothing I have to say can’t wait.”

“You almost had me, but I won’t be able to sleep for worrying.” I rolled my hand. “Out with it.”

“You cut yourself, in Josie’s apartment.”

“I knocked over a vase when I had that episode. I must have cut myself when I fell.”

“Have you noticed anything unusual about your blood lately?”

“Josie said I was covered in blood and glitter.”

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