Page 64 of Temptation
“A package was delivered in front of the school. A suitcase actually.” I had no idea where he was going with this. “A suitcase with your name on it.”
I slowly nodded, still trying to understand why the FBI wanted to talk to me.
“There was a body inside, Ms. Blackwood.” I gasped. “A body with rats.”
I was glad Rowan and Ash stood next to me, because as soon as the words left his mouth, my knees became weak. Ash grabbed me around my waist, holding me up, while the edges of my eyesight started turning dark.
“Ms. Blackwood?”
“She needs a moment,” Rowan barked and turned toward me. “Sky, look at me.”
But I couldn’t focus. I couldn’t look at him.
Another dead girl.
It was happening again. It was fucking happening again, and I had a feeling that this had nothing to do with Dylan or the Order.
“Skylar.” Rowan shook me and I turned toward him, trying to focus on his lips and his voice. “I’ll call Dylan.”
“No!” Ash barked, earning a glare from Rowan.
“Ash, I know what I’m doing. Trust me.”
“Ms. Blackwood,” Agent Herrera called out again. “Why don’t you come to the station with me? We can talk there.”
“I’ll drive her there,” Ash answered, and in this moment, I was thankful for the two of them.
Was this nightmare ever going to end?
* * *
The smell of antiseptic in the interrogation room tickled my nose, but I stared right ahead—right at Agent Herrera. I was all alone with him, isolated from Ash, from Rowan, and most of all—scared.
I was fucking terrified.
My hands shook while he continued with his questions, and this whole thing felt like déjà vu from the recent events when that police officer asked questions. But Agent Herrera was much kinder about the whole situation, and I was glad that he actually wasn’t from Winworth.
“So, you have no idea who would do such a thing?” he asked, and I wanted to laugh.
I have a list, I wanted to tell him but couldn’t. I couldn’t say anything until I talked to Ash, Rowan, and Kane, and possibly Dylan about our plan. If there was one thing I’d learned over the years, it was that even the police force that was supposed to be helping us, could be the most corrupted.
Half of the police officers in Winworth were in my father’s pocket, and the other half knew about the Order. They didn’t care who he hurt or what he did.
Senator Blackwood was untouchable in this part of the world, as well as the rest of the founding families. Corruption ran deep in this sleepy town, and even though Agent Herrera wasn’t native to this area, I couldn’t trust him.
I couldn’t trust any of them because God knew how far Judah’s influence could reach. I didn’t even know if the Order only existed in Winworth or if it was spread throughout the country.
“Ms. Blackwood?” His voice infiltrated through my thoughts, and I shook my head, trying to pull myself together.
“I’m sorry.” I squeezed my eyes shut. “Could you please repeat the question?”
A sympathetic look passed over his face as I uncapped the bottle of water they gave me and took a large sip. “It’s okay. I’m trying to figure out why anybody would send a body in a suitcase to an eighteen-year-old kid.”
“I’m wondering the same thing.” I looked at him. “But I can tell you one thing—I didn’t kill her.”
“I believe you, but Ms. Blackwood—”
“Just call me Skylar.”
