Page 99 of Stutter

“So that’s where she gets it.” Maverick chuckles, patting Damon on the back. “Little hellcat.” He looks so proud of her.

“Anyway, Raven knowing it was a joke, took the cyclic and started guiding us, laughing.” I roll my eyes, grab the OJ, and pour myself a glass. “It took me a full thirty minutes to calm down.”

You were fine!She signs.

“Babe, we were a mile up in the air, clenching my ass-“

“Jonas!”

“Sorry– trying to hold myself together – while trying to make a good impression. I was notfine.”

Okay, I’m sorry. Make it up to you later?She winks.

“You absolutely will,” I grumble back at her. I will totally hold this over her head for the rest of my life it means a blow job every time I do.

“Oh, wait, did you hear that?” Maverick asks, standing, and going over to where the TV is.

“Turn it up, honey, please.” My mother says, while standing also, joining Maverick. I do as I’m told, finding the remote, setting it down then sitting on the arm of the brown leather sofa where Damon and our pretty girl join me.

“Hoover, just barely twenty-five, was allegedly murdered by his wife, Clarissa Hoover, twenty-one, last night…”A helicopter view of live footage shows the girl being led out of their house in handcuffs and into the back of a cruiser.“Cops say there is an ongoing investigation, not because of the wife but because of what they found in Simon’s basement. Over forty Polaroid pictures of what looks like young women, tied up and being either tortured or killed.”All of our jaws hit the floor.“The FBI is now on the case and will be going through everything to verify if they are any of the missing girls reported in the area. This is Wendy Taylor, bringing you more news at five.”

“Oh dear, I need to call your father,” Mom says, racing to her room.

“Holy shit, that’s Tasha,” Maverick says, still staring at the screen, having flipped over to another news station that’s still broadcasting it.

My eyes flicker over the giant screen to the corner where I see a familiar face. “Hey, wait. Can you pause it?”

“The live news broadcast?” Maverick asks.

“Yeah. Just… let me see the remote.”

He hands it over and I push the button, walking over to the dark-haired guy behind Mav’s old partner and then tap on the screen. “This guy. I know him from somewhere."

Maverick grunts, displeased. “That’s Detective Arlo.”

I look over at him. “Mav, she looks scared of him,” I say, pointing out how rigid his former partner looks. Her body language is all wrong, and the scowl on Arlo’s face looks like he’s trying to hide from the cameras.

He gives a quick nod. “Have you seen him around campus?”

“Yeah, but… somewhere else, too,” I say, squinting, trying to remember from where but it’s not coming to me. “Like I know him frombeforeeverything started happening.” I turn around to face the trio staring at the screen. They all look as unhappy as I feel. I shake my head. “I can’t remember.”

“Well now that I know what he looks like I can keep an eye out for him,” Damon says and Raven nodding along with him.

“Jonas, darling.” I hear my mom call out to me from her bedroom.

I turn away from them and walk down the hallway to see her standing at the threshold of her room. “Yeah?”

She swallows thickly and motions for me to join her in her room. When I do, she shuts the door behind us and then juts her chin to the bathroom where she shuts and then locks the door once we’re in there.

I don’t like this.

“You’re making my stomach hurt. What’s going on?”

“Did Raven have anything to do with this?”

I swallow, completely unprepared for this. “No?”

She rolls her green eyes and sighs. “Darling, please. I’mold, not stupid. I know she’s had a part to play in all of these deaths in the Syndicate. I mean, she strolls onto campus and bodies drop like flies? I’m not judging her, and I don’t blame her. What they did to her…” She trails off before meeting my eyes again. “I’mproudof her, Jonas. Why do you think I let you in on my findings? I knew you would tell her. For our sake, I protect her, too. She’s family. But this, Jonas… if thewrongFBI agents are all over this, what Simon did could lead to an investigation so deep you could be incriminated for… Jacob.”

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