Page 86 of Wicked Games (Fallen Royals 2)

“Deal.”

We work in silence. She has me glance at pictures when she finds them. By the time we get through the list, there are two who don’t have headshots online.

I stare at the two highlighted names. Tobias Hutchins and Tobias E. Rodrigues.

“What now?” Riley whispers.

A shadow falls across the narrow vertical window on the door, and we both duck behind our screens. It disappears after a second, and we both sigh.

“He’s kind of a stalker.”

“If that was even him,” I answer. I know it was, though. After this morning, he probably assumed I would hide. Luckily for me, I still have tricks up my sleeve. Including hiding in places he’d never think to check.

Riley groans. “Did you eat?”

“Yeah, I ate with one hand and Googled with the other.”

We gather our things slowly. The bell is going to ring any moment.

I grab Riley’s arm. “I need to get to New York City.”

She swallows. “And I’m guessing you don’t want Caleb to find out?”

“Something like that.”

She sighs. “Okay. Great. Let’s do this.”

19

Margo

Past

I tapped on Caleb’s door. It swung open without resistance, revealing an empty room. His bed was made, the pillows smoothed. And no sign of the boy I was searching for.

Instead of calling out for him, I left the doorway and crept down the hall. Voices were coming from his parents’ room. I paused, unsure for a split second, then continued on.

“You’re being unreasonable,” Mrs. Asher hissed.

I froze again.

“Me? I’m the unreasonable one?” A male voice… but not Caleb’s dad. “This is insane, Lydia. You can’t expect me to go along with this.”

“I can, and I will,” she snapped. “Lord knows we pay you enough.”

“There isn’t enough money in the world to help us if we get caught,” he answered. “Something I’m sure you’re well aware of.”

She sighed. She often sighed at Caleb and me. We did ridiculous things just to get a sigh out of her—her whole body moved with it, an exaggerated slump. She was an actress in a former life, she often told us.

“We’ve come too far to turn back.” Her voice got louder. The door pulled open.

With a start, I realized I was in the middle of the hall, about to be caught eavesdropping. I ran back to Caleb’s room, pressing myself against the wall behind his door.

“Lydia, I don’t think—”

“Quiet.”.

I held my breath.

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