Page 163 of Secrets and Lies
Damon: the crypt
Damon: 20 minutes
Anthony: we’ll be there
Damon: I’ll let them know
“What’s the verdict?” Connor asks when I look up from my phone.
“They want to meet at The Crypt in twenty.”
“I don’t know if them agreeing so quickly and wanting the meeting to happen now is a good thing or a bad thing,” Hazen says.
“Probably a bit of both.” Rath stands. “Might as well head over and try to get there first.”
Unsurprisingly, the Hawthornes, and Shane, who is Jace’s boyfriend and the fourth member of the next Rebel leadership team, are already waiting for us when we get to The Crypt.
“There’s no one using it right now,” Xave says as we approach where they’re all standing together in the front yard. “Inside?” he asks.
“Inside,” I agree with a nod.
The nine of us troop inside the familiar house and end up in the living room with them on one side of it and us on the other.
“You called the meeting,” Killian says, glaring at each of us. “You start things.”
“We have a copy of the flash drive Damon gave you,” I say, getting right to the point.
“How did you get it?” Jace asks, his expression shrewd. “Who gave it to you?”
“The same person who gave it to Damon,” I say.
“And who was that?” Jax presses.
“West. Any more questions, or can I continue?”
“Continue,” Jace says coldly.
“Like I was saying,” I start. “We have a copy of the drive, and we’d like to know what you know about it.”
“And why would we tell you?” Xave asks.
“Because you’ve been a naughty boy,” I tell him.
His eyes widen slightly, and I laugh. “I’m not talking about whatever you’re thinking,” I assure him. “But we do have evidence of you breaking some pretty big rules, so you can tell us what you know, or you can deal with the consequences of your own actions. It’s your choice.”
“What kind of evidence?” Xave asks.
“Video evidence,” I tell him.
“You’re bluffing,” he scoffs.
“Maybe, but maybe not,” I say. “The real question is, are you so sure that you’re willing to risk it?”
“What evidence?” Jace asks. “You can’t just say you have a video of something and expect us to believe it with no proof.”
I pull my phone out of my pocket and open the video of Xave breaking into the new server room at Baxter House. Then I flip the phone around so everyone can see it and press play.
They watch it in silence, and I tuck my phone back in my pocket when it’s done. “I also have footage of you after you broke into our house. Do you believe us now?”
