Page 54 of Demon Found

I take off, feet hammering over the paving slabs as I career toward the dorms. What a fucking disaster. Seth didn’t even tell me how to let my barriers down, I didn’t even get the chance to mention Las Ratas . . . and now someone is dead.

Chapter Twenty-seven: Lorelei

Mytabletbeepsagain,and I pointedly ignore it. I’m done answering Seth’s cryptic messages. I’m done with Seth. He made me an accomplice to murder. If I had to, I’d kill to defend myself. But he didn’t have to kill that kid. We could have paid his stupid blackmail, or I could have involved Farrell. Politicians and their families are forever hiding dirty secrets, right? But no. Now the whole school is alive with gossip about the dead student. The dead gang member. Because of course the imp would have to be a Maverik.

A chill runs down my spine. Members of the Paranormal Investigations Group are coming tomorrow. If they find out Seth and I were there, he’ll throw me to the sharks. He already works for the Collectivo. The PIGs will believe him over me. But . . . he’s myfamily,so maybe he wouldn’t shop me? Family means something, doesn’t it?

My tablet pings and vibrates off the nightstand, landing with a dull thump on the floor. Flopping over the edge of the bed, I peer at the screen.

Seth: You better be damn sure you have nothing to do with Deago vanishing. The PIG are going to be all over that.

Deago’s vanished? Hellfire, I didn’t even know he was missing. AndI’mnot the damn murderer here. He’s right though, first Hunter, then the imp, and now Deago. The PIGs are going to wonder if there’s a pattern. They’re going to look even harder.

I thump my pillow until I bust a seam and soft feathers fly out. I have to speak to Chano. He could screw me over if he tells anyone he saw me.

“You all right?” Naeve calls from her bed, the clacking of her knitting needles never pausing. She’s an old woman in an eighteen-year-old’s body. “You seem intent on murdering that pillow. Shoot, that’s insensitive, isn’t it?”

Murdering it? Insensitive? She can’t know. Can she? Panic claws at my throat.

No, she’s talking in general. It’s insensitive because a fellow student was murdered. I’m so damn twitchy. Grunting in reply, I clench my teeth and pluck up the nerve to message Chano.

Meeting the Maverik boss in the middle of the deep dark campus woods seemed like a great idea from my comfy bed. Now, creeping through the dead branches littering the trail to reach the monument in the center, now . . . I’m not so sure. I saw Hunter crawling out of these same woods with my own eyes. He was a broken mess, and he’s still not talking.

The giant monolith towers above me. In the eerie silence, a twig snaps and I spin to see a giant demon charging straight toward me. I duck sideways, but he catches my arm easily and pins me hard against the cold granite. He leans in toward me, horns curling around until they’re nearly back in my face, purple demon rings swirling in his eyes.

“Ch . . . Chano . . . you scared me.”

He shifts against me, shoving me into the monument. His taught abs press against me, and his massive biceps rest either side of my head pinning me in, our breaths mingling in the cold air.

I shove back against him. It’s like pushing against a fucking mountain.

Chano snarls, but his horns retract and his demon rings stop swirling. He doesn’t let me go though, simply shifts to grip my wrists.

“When the Paranormal Investigation Group arrives,” he says, “you will keep your mouth shut about seeing me, you hear?”

He wants the same thing I do. My shoulders sag, and his eyes narrow.

“Tell me you didn’t kill Linx?” he demands.

I swallow hard before meeting his gaze as steadily as I can. “I didn’t kill the imp, Chano. But I don’t trust authority. I’ll keep my mouth shut if you do the same.”

Chano leans in closer, peering into my eyes like he’s able to see my freaking soul. My heart hammers, and I don’t know if it’s because he’s a scary bastard or because he’s so damn close. I swear I can feel his dick getting hard against my stomach. Is he . . . does he “like me” like me?

Holding his gaze, I cock my head to one side, until finally he pulls away with a grunt. He nods once and clears his throat. “I’ll deal with the cameras.”

Wait. What? There aren’t any security cameras in the quad. My eyes widen as it dawns on me. Fuck. There are cameras at the dorm doors and along some of the paths. Why the hell didn’t I think of that?

“I’m helping.” The words are out before I can stop them. I don’t trust anyone. Hell, I don’t even trust my own brother. I am not trusting this to a Maverik. Not even the Maverik boss.

“No.” Chano’s tone is flat. “Chica, you say you didn’t kill Linx, but you have no way of proving it.”

“How do I knowyoudidn’t kill him?” I blurt. I’m not getting sidelined. What if he only removes the footage of him?

For a long beat, Chano stares at me before grunting and fishing in his pocket. This guy is all muscle and animal noises. Damned if that’s not a turn-on. I watch carefully as he pulls a violently yellow vial out of his pocket.

“Truth serum. Not working with you unless you take it.”

I back up. No way am I swallowing something from a freaking test tube.

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