Page 63 of Vengeful

Zachary glared at them, then turned to me. "Where are they? We went through every fucking key we could find. At least ten are missing."

"What makes you think I have anything to do with that?" I asked evenly.

"Did you?" Chloe asked.

I glanced at Hunter, who was still grinning and looking smug. "I might, but I don't think I'm the only one." I didn't have ten in my pocket.

"You might not be," Hunter agreed. He rubbed his hands together. "What's it worth to you?"

"I don't rip your nuts off and shove them down your throat," Zachary snarled.

Hunter clicked his tongue. "I don't think you're in a position to make threats, bro."

"I'm not your fucking bro. Where are the keys?" Zachary's face was pink with rage.

"If we have them, and give them to you, will you back off?" Slade asked. He stood with his arms crossed, eyes narrowed at Zachary and my sister.

Chloe and Zachary exchanged looks.

"I can't finish the trials like this," she said softly.

"Alive?" Slade asked.

She looked at him resentfully. "Handcuffed. Even if I'm alive, our father will call it a failure. I might as well die."

"Works for me." Parker shrugged and started to turn away.

"Please," Chloe added.

I hesitated for a moment longer, then reached into my pocket and pulled out the keys. "Turn around."

She looked at me like she was certain I'd stab her in the back, but turned around anyway. What choice did she have? I had keys and she didn't.

I tried one key after the other, handing each one to Slade when they didn't work.

Finally, the sixth key slid into the lock and Chloe's handcuffs fell open.

She turned back around, shaking her wrists, clearly relieved. She looked slightly like she'd prefer to suck a lemon, but she said, "Thank you."

"You really want Zachary's cuffs unlocked?" Hunter asked.

"Yes, she fucking does," Zachary snapped.

In the corner of my eye, I saw Dane approach. He must have been the dutiful teacher and kept his distance. In Zachary's present mood, I didn't blame him. I didn't want to be near him either. I gave Dane a slight nod and turned away.

"If you have his key, please use it," Chloe said finally.

"Turn around," Slade told him.

Zachary looked resentful, but turned his back on Slade. Slade tried them all, but none of the five keys I kept worked on his lock. One by one, Slade hung the rings on a branch where they could be seen by any students who came this way. If any of them were left alive.

"Hunter." I raised my eyebrows at him.

He sighed. "For the record, this is against my better judgement." He pulled out a handful of keys and gave them to Slade.

Slade took them and started trying to fit them into Zachary's lock. Three, four, five were added to the tree. A sixth. The seventh. Finally, the eighth key worked and Zachary's cuffs fell from his wrists.

He shook his wrists out, but when he turned around, he had a knife in his hand. He lunged at me.

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