Page 112 of Bite of Sin

“Behave,” he warned. “Or she’ll be the one who pays for it.”

Warner cursed at him, but Zan kept a firm grip on me while going inside the room. Then he pushed the busted door closed behind him before I could say a word. His grip on me loosened, and I tore away from him, scrambling to the other side of the room. Other than an old bed with a thin blanket on it and a broken dresser, this room was empty. There was a window I could try to escape out of, but I wasn’t leaving this cabin without Warner.

I slowly turned around to see Zan leaning against the door with his arms crossed. He seemed content to just stare at me, and I lifted my chin, glaring at him.

“It’ll be me that pays for it?” I sneered, repeating the words he said to Warner.

Zan shrugged. “You know I won’t hurt you. Warner doesn’t. It works in my favor.”

“I don’t know that,” I snapped. “What are you planning on doing with me, Zan? You seem to want to kill everyone who knows your secrets.”

His eyes didn’t leave mine. “Not you.”

“Not yet,” I muttered.

“Once you hear what Garrett has to say, you’ll want to come back with me,” he murmured. “Trust me, Kali.”

I let out a cold laugh. “Trust you? You’re killing Clovers. I will never trust you.”

A muscle in his jaw ticked. “You’ll change your mind.”

I didn’t argue with him, knowing he wouldn’t listen to anything I said. Instead, I glanced toward the top of the dresser, where my bag was. Where my weapons were.

“Don’t,” Zan warned. “You wouldn’t get it before I get to you.”

I flexed my fingers, resisting the urge to try anyway. But with Viggo out there next to Warner, I didn’t want to chance anything.

“Why are we hiding?” I gritted out.

“Because I want you to hear what Garrett has to say,” Zan replied. “I’m going to crack this door so you can listen. But you need to stay silent. Got it?”

“Yes.”

“I’m serious, Kali,” he said with a frown. “I’m doing it this way for you. I could have dragged you out of here last night. But I didn’t. Because I want you to understand why you can’t stay with this fucking group.”

His reference to last night had me straightening my spine as I stared at him. “How can you walk in the sun?”

His lips lifted in an amused grin. “You’re more on guard at night. Daylight was best to surprise you.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“I will.” He tilted his head. “But not now. Garrett is about to walk in. Come over here.”

I hesitated, not moving from my spot as he cracked the door open. When he saw I hadn’t moved, he scowled. In five steps, he had crossed the room, and he snatched my hand, pulling me back toward the door with him.

“Stop—”

“Shh,” he hissed, pressing my chest to the wall, right near the door. “He’s walking in.”

His chest was at my back, and when I pushed against him, he only pressed me to the wall even more. I bit my tongue, staying still when Garrett’s voice filtered in from the other room.

“Who is he?” Garrett asked, already sounding suspicious.

Matt told him the same answer as earlier. “He’s someone who came with me from Project Hope. He knows Warner and Kali.”

“Tim never mentioned him,” Garrett said. “This is a safe house for a fucking reason.”

“He needed to get out,” Warner said, his voice tight. “He got caught sneaking food out of the pantries. The food that was coming here.”

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