Page 4 of What's Left of Me

“Yeah, me either. So, I’m not going to pretend to know what’s going on in Nix’s head, and neither are you. I get that you need information, I do—but my concern right now is my brother and helping him. I’ve told you that he needs time, he needs to feel safe, and not here. I also told the authorities and hospital staff that no one is to question him without me present.”

“Have you watched the news today, Ms. Briar?”

I looked up at the agent. He was scared, angry…something had happened.

“No. I was here; then I had to run an errand. Now I’m back. Why?”

He glanced at me but returned his attention to Hazel. “There was another victim this morning. He’s keeping to his schedule. He has others and he’s killing them; do you understand that?”

Killing them. I’d had a feeling that after the others would leave the shed, he’d maybe been killing them. But I’d hadn’t been sure. I hadn’t known what he was going to do with me once he’d tired of me. I’d known he was getting close to that point, though. He’d told me recently that my time was almost up and that I’d be seen for who I was.

“I’m sorry, Agent. I truly am. My brother needs space, and I won’t have you all pressing him to the point that he shuts down completely. Then you’ll never get his story.”

The agent stood. “Very well, I’ll come by your place in a few days.”

“We won’t be there,” Hazel said.

I turned my head and met her gaze.

“What do you mean, you won’t be there? He needs to be accessible to us for questioning.”

Hazel smirked at me but hardened her expression and looked at the agent.

“He will be accessible to you. I’m trying to make sure he’s not accessible to that monster, too. I will get the information to you as to where you can talk to him.”

He didn’t say anything more. He left, and Hazel was sitting in the chair he’d vacated. When she reached over and took my hand, I didn’t pull away. She was okay.

“I’m going to keep you safe, Nixy. I promise.”

I wanted to tell her that it didn’t matter what she promised. If he wanted me back, he’d get me.

CHAPTER THREE

Noel

Mason wasthe last to enter the living room. Shep and I had called for a vote, and it was going to be a hard sell. We knew Four was on board because he’d do anything for Lizzy, but I also believed this situation was really getting to him.

“Is this going to be like the last vote?” Matt asked as he sat beside Nick on the love seat. “Or the one before that? I’ve only been able to vote two times, and both were kind of…weird.”

“Was the last one weird, though?” Gabe sipped his water as he dropped into the wingback chair.

“It was to help a man who wanted you all to catch whoever was stealing his flock…a flock of hamsters, I would like to add. And it turned out to be three boys, all aged ten, who took them because they thought they should be free. I don’t even know how he became a client.”

“Not super weird, though. And just for the record, a group of hamsters is called a horde.” Nick shrugged, earning an eye roll from Matt. “And the person who referred him thought we were PIs—honest mistake.”

“Okay, how about the other one, then? The lady thought she was being watched from her home. Do you all remember what happened?” Matt made eye contact with everyone, waiting. Nobody wanted to remember that. “No one was watching her. She wanted to make her boyfriend jealous. Her boyfriend, who happened to be a blow-up doll.”

Yeah, okay, that was weird. “We got paid, though, didn’t we?” I smiled.

“How about we don’t reminisce?” JJ chuckled. “Let’s see what my manly man and the other twin have to say. I have been waiting forever.”

“Other twin?” I gasped. “How am I other?”

“Just make this a good one, please.” Matt sighed, and Nick kissed his cheek.

“A woman came into the shop today who happens to be a friend of Lizzy’s,” I began. “It was Lizzy who asked us to hear her out—seems she knows a bit about what we do.” I eyed Four, who looked unapologetic.

“She’s my girlfriend. I don’t lie to her.”

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