Page 136 of Beautiful Cruelty

"Fine." The lie tastes bitter. I rub my thumb over the naked spot on my finger. "It just feels... strange without it."

"Do you still have Nathan's ring?"

"What? Why would I need that?"

"Because it'll play a lot better if you're Nathan's grieving fiancée." Megan's voice drops lower.

My stomach churns. She's right. Of course she's right. I wrap my arms around myself.

"I can't, Meg. I won't."

"Lacey..." Megan's voice softens. "You have to. Do you still have it?"

"I don't know, I threw it in my purse after I got it off the other night."

"Is it still there?"

I look at her and then at my purse.Is it?And that's when I realize that I haven't actually looked through my purse after my arrival to Pankration. With trembling fingers, I dig inside until my hand closes around something cold and metallic.

The sight of Nathan's ring roils my stomach. The simple band and modest diamond now look dark and twisted. It's as if I'm looking at a physical reminder of everything that he was involved in.

The trafficking, the lies, the betrayal.

Knowing what I know now about him makes my skin crawl.

The thought of putting that ring back on my finger makes me feel physically ill.

"Put it on," Megan insists. "Just for this. Just pretend."

Pretend…

The ring feels like it's burning my skin as I slide it onto my finger. My stomach lurches again and I fight the urge to rip it off and throw it across the parking lot.

"You can do this," Megan whispers, squeezing my shoulder. "Just breathe."

We walk through the sliding glass doors into the police station. The fluorescent lights buzz overhead, making everything feelharsh and clinical. My heart pounds so hard I'm sure everyone can hear it.

At the front desk, a uniformed officer looks up from his computer. "Can I help you?"

"I'm..." My voice cracks. I clear my throat and try again. "I'm Lacey McKinney. I understand you wanted to speak with me about Nathan Walker?"

His expression shifts subtly at the name. "Yes, Captain Rutledge has been waiting to speak with you." He looks at Megan. "Are you her lawyer?"

"Her sister," Megan says quickly. "I'm here for support."

"I'm afraid only Ms. McKinney and her legal representatives can go make a statement," he says. "Department policy."

My fingers instinctively find Megan's hand and squeeze. The thought of doing this alone makes my chest tight.

"I'll be right outside," Megan promises, pulling me into a quick hug. "You've got this, sis. Just tell them what you know about Nathan. Nothing more, nothing less."

I nod, not trusting myself to speak. The officer gestures for me to follow him down a long hallway lined with closed doors. Each step feels heavier than the last.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Alone,I'm shown to a door marked "Captain E. Rutledge" and knocks twice before opening it.

Behind a weathered desk sits an older man with sharp eyes that seem to cut right through me. Despite his age showing in the lines on his face, there's nothing frail about him. He rises as I enter, and I notice that he stands perfectly straight, like someone who's spent a lifetime commanding respect.

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