Page 89 of The Two Last Moments

I briefly close my eyes in frustration. Cam should’ve told me about this stuff before. But Danny and I already decided not to look into my past anymore. “I don’t want my memories. I just want to move on.”

“But the journal mentions the name ‘Travis.’ He’s the person you were looking for, right? That picture you showed me?”

My shoulders hunch forward. I almost say yes. But Danny and I have been through this. We made our decision.

“We’re not looking for Travis anymore,” I say.

“Could I bring these things to you? Could I come see you?”

“No. That’s not a good idea.”

“Lark, I—”

I end the call without saying goodbye, my heart thundering in my chest.

When will this be over? Truly over?

Danny and I both thought it was enough to choose to be happy. But that’s not really true. We can’t make Nina healthy again.

I can tell Bennett Security to stop investigating, close off my mind and my heart to who I used to be. But I can’t stop my past from finding me, can I?

Can I?

A twig snaps behind me. I go to whirl around, but a rough hand covers my mouth, another clasping my throat so tightly I can’t scream.

Cold. Ice cold.

“Hello, little sister,” a low voice hisses in my ear. “Still think you can run?”

31

Every cell in my body is frozen in place. I can’t move. Can’t breathe. White fills my vision.

Headlights, aiming straight for me.

And I’m caught in their snare.

“Do you know who I am?” He’s speaking quietly, a hoarse whisper. Almost as if he’s trying to disguise his voice. Or maybe he’s just trying to avoid being overheard. We’re right outside Danny and Nina’s house. Minutes from help. Two muscled, overprotective firefighters are nearby, but they might as well be a world away.

I’m paralyzed. Trapped in a nightmare.

“I’m going to loosen the hand over your mouth, but if you scream, I’ll make you very sorry.” His grip on my throat tightens for a moment. A warning. Though I doubt I could get my vocal cords to work enough to curse him, much less cry out.

The fingers over my mouth shift enough that I can speak.

“You’re Z,” I manage to croak.

My stepbrother.

“That’s what you used to call me to your little boyfriend. The old one, not the new guy. I’ll give Bradley credit. He’s good at keeping you close. Better than I was.”

My arms and legs shake with indignation. “Don’t talk about Danny.”

“I’ll say whatever I want. I know a lot more than you imagine, baby sister. I know you were just on the phone with Cam. You really don’t remember anything from before, do you? Because if you did, you wouldn’t give Cam another moment of your time. You wouldn’t trust him for a second.”

My bravery surges. “You’re the one I don’t trust. Show me your face, you piece of—” I choke on the words, fighting to breathe as he squeezes my windpipe again.

“There was a time you wouldn’t have dared speak to me that way.” He loosens his grip, and I gasp in a lungful of air. Z leans close enough that his exhales tickle the back of my ear. “You thought you could run from me, double-cross me, and I meant to punish you for that. But you’re like a cockroach, Lark. You don’t go down on the first try, do you?”

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