Page 26 of Traitor

A deadlier one.

And it's telling me what I already know. I can't take that risk.

If she's a traitor, there's only one way this ends.

I have to find out for sure.

I have to confront her.

And if she lies to me…

If she looks me in the eyes and fucking lies, I will bury every last piece of her.

Even if it kills me.

Ely

By the time the bar clears out, I feel like I've been skinned alive. I have to trust Bones. He loves me, he won't do anything to hurt me. I don't need to run from him, not like I ran from Jinx. He'll understand.

But — he hasn't spoken to me all night.

Hasn't touched me.

Hasn't even looked at me the same.

Now, as I finish closing up, I feel his presence before I even see him.

The air shifts. Thickens.

And then he's there, stepping behind the bar, his expression blank, his eyes cold.

A flicker of suspicion.

A question that wasn't there before.

"What did she tell you?" I ask, my voice low, unsteady.

He leans against the counter, his arms crossed over his chest, his tattoos shifting over muscle and rage.

"She said you were Crimson Riders' trash."

The words hit like a bullet.

I swallow hard. "I worked at their bar."

He studies me. "And yet, you never told me."

I stare at him, pulse hammering.

"I was running," I whisper. "I didn't think it mattered."

He says nothing.

But it's already too late.

I see it in his eyes.

The doubt.

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