Page 17 of Oliver

After looking both ways, he says, “What’s up?”

“I need your help,” I say.

“Which is what?”

Why is he acting so squirrelly—first Oren and now Bone.

“Dixie…” I say and his mouth curls in a frown before he backs up.

Summoning an inner breath for patience, I say, “Look, you were her friend. Right? Please…”

His brows furrow and I press my palms together in the prayer position, exhaling quietly when he slowly nods and says, “Maeve mentioned some stuff. I don’t know how I can help you, but…you and Maeve should back off.”

Fucking Maeve.

“Back off what? What do you know?” I ask, curling my hands into fists.

Once again, he glances around, and I catch myself before doing the same. Is it really that weird to be seen with me?

“Look,” he says. “I don’t know shit about Dixie’s death, but I do know she was messing with dude’s who wouldn’t flinch at making someone disappear.”

He raises his brows while I process what he’s saying. It’s not entirely surprising. I mean, these fuckers are crude, disgusting and fucking scary. But what does this have to do with Oliver?

He’s on my ass for a reason.

“Okay,” I say, tapping my leg. “Do you think one of them…did it?”

“The Lucky Charm killer did it, Penny.” His sympathetic look sends a kernel of annoyance through me, and I grit my teeth.

“What makes you so sure? As you said, she was messing with dangerous dudes.”

“Because her head was cut off,” he says, grimacing when I wince.

“That could have been someone pretending, you know…to lead the police away from them.”

I know I sound unhinged, but he doesn’t know what I know, namely Oliver’s involvement and Dixie’s affair. Why would Oliver have someone assault me if he wasn’t trying to hide something?

“Penny…look,” he glances both ways and I fight off a shiver. “I heard from a couple people that there’s an underground club. It’s for hunting. They…”

“Yeah?” I whisper.

“They hunt people…girls.”

My pulse thumps and I grab my chest. What the hell? Hunt girls? Is this why Charming Charlie led me to the woods?

I sway when spots dance before my eyes and Bone grabs my arm. “You, okay?”

“I…yes. Um, anything else?”

Dropping my arm, he says, “That’s all I know except…”

“Except what?” I rasp.

His sigh ruffles my hair but he steps back as a shadow looms over my shoulder. I know without turning that it’s fucking Oliver and tipping my head to the sky, I snarl, “What do you want?”

“You making deals over here, Bone? We don’t sell to Playpen here. You feel me?”

Bone slowly nods and turns away. With a good dose of rage, I stalk toward my car with the heat of Oliver’s skin at my back.

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