Page 40 of Say My Name

My sister’s eyes rake over my revealing red dress and the small black apron tied around my waist. “I thought I could help you with your assignment.”

“You can’t. You should leave. How did you even get in here?”

She purses her lips. “Well, um…” Her words fall away and I grow angrier.

“I can’t have my big sister helping me with my job.” I can’t believe this.

I’m so mad at her.

“Let me explain,” she places a hand on my arm. “I didn’t come here to help you. I actually came here with a guy who’s a member. He wanted to bring me, so he had me vetted, and well…” She glances down at her outfit.

“Ash, you can’t be serious.”

“I really like him.”

I glance around the club. “Who? Who are you here with?”

“Just a friend.”

Is it someone who knows me? How much of my job has she told him?

“Ashley, thisisserious. Like life and death serious. No one can know I’m undercover here.”

She leans closer, holding her hands together like she’s praying. “Please don’t tell Mom. Derek, a guy from my work, brought me here to play in a group room.”

“Did you tell him anything about me?”

She widens her eyes and shakes her head. “No. Nothing. He doesn’t even know I have a sister.”

I breathe a small sigh of relief, but my mind is still reeling at her being here, her possibly screwing up my whole investigation.

“You need to leave,” I tell her.

She scoffs. “I’m not leaving. Listen, I can be a good detective too. Besides, I really like this guy.”

“Doesn’t matter. Everything about you being here can cost me my job. I know I never should have told you anything.”

She looks offended by my words.

Good.

“I promise you, Chloe. I won’t say anything. I’m going to just party a little with him.”

“Gross.” But then an idea hits me. If Ashley will be in one of the VIP rooms, then I want all the specifics about it. “I won’t kick you out of here.” Which, let's be honest, that would raise more questions if I kicked her out, but she doesn’t need to know that. “But you have to do something for me.”

She stares at me like I just saved her life. “Anything.”

“I want to know everything that happens in that room tonight. I want to know who all the people are too. So get names.”

She nods and presses a finger to her lip. “Well, you want to know everything?”

“Ew, gross. No, I guess not everything.”

My face scrunches with disgust. I can’t think about my sister having sex. Ever. “Oh, Ash—”

She cuts in, “Don’t judge me.”

“I will not judge you.” I glance over my shoulder to make sure no one is near. “I need your help.”

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