Page 104 of Haunted Prey

“I…was just curious.”

I raised my brows. “You let him bring you in here?”

“Not without a little persuasion, right, sweetheart?” Lez smiled at Lena, offering the gun to Dom who put it away.

Lena frowned. “Don’t call me that. And it was only for a second. I didn’t really want to.”

Lez snorted. “Well, if you're not going to finish that blunt in your hand, at least let me.”

I didn’t think Lena could blush more, but she did. She revealed the hand she’d been hiding on the other side of herchair and gave the blunt to Lez. He took a hit and blew the smoke up to the ceiling, looking smug.

Lena looked everywhere but me until she finally cracked and glanced my way. “I guess I couldn’t help it,” she said. “I needed something to take the edge off. And it ain’t bad weed,” she mumbled.

“Got a great dispensary up the road,” Lez added, taking another hit. He offered the blunt back to her and she turned it down, pretending to be offended. “Suit yourself.”

I glared at Emery who wiped his amused expression away, clearing his throat. “You mess with her at all, and we are going to have a problem.”

“She didn’t look too upset to me.”

Lena pursed her lips and turned her chair. “Is Andrea here?”

“Yeah.”

“Good.”

“But she’s talking with Micheal.”

She slumped back in her seat.

I went inside. Lez slid off the table so I could place the laptop in his spot. “Will you two let me interview you?” I asked.

Lez glanced at Dom. “Did Micheal let you?”

“Yes.”

Lez tilted his head back to assess me. “How do we know you're not using it to get us in trouble. Maybe get some kind of confession and throw us to the feds?”

“Micheal read my paper. You’re welcome to as well. It’s not for a confession.”

He didn’t look convinced.

“You have access to my storage so in the end if you think I’m full of shit and going to rat on you, you can delete the updated file with your information. How about that?”

“Eve…” Lena started to say but I put my hand up.

“But I want to get your side,” I said, giving him the truth. “I’m going to publish this piece, and I want others to read it, to hear it.”

“Why? What’s in it for you?”

“Nothing. Just the need to give you back your voice, to tell your story, so others can know. Because you deserve that.”

Dom tapped on the counter and Lez looked over as he signed to him.

Lez frowned. “We don’t know that.”

“Please, just let her,” Lena said this time. “If you do…” She looked torn by her next words. “If you do, I'll hang here with you, and you can show me more of your…collection.”

“Lena, you don’t have to—”

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