Page 81 of Shadowed With Fear

“And…the rest of you?” I ask, my voice breaking slightly.

“Pretty much the same.” Henry chimed in, taking a drink from his bottle of water.

“But—Brahm said Casey— “

“She’s not dead.” Grayson’s cold voice comes from the doorway.

“I—There was a funeral,” I say cautiously.

“My grandma wanted it. Casey has been missing for almost ten years.” There is no light in Grayson’s eyes as he stares off at the far wall of the room. His voice is dull, like all the life had been sucked out of him.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” I murmur, looking down at my hands picking at a loose thread on the hem of my shirt.

“That’s the point, D,” Adam says calmly, placing a hand on my shoulder. “We didn’t want you to know. About any of this.”

“Brahm thought it would keep you safe.” Alex scratches at the stubble on his chin.

Grayson snorts derisively. “Yeah, and we see where that got her don’t we. She’s being fucking hunted, and we don’t have a fucking clue who it is. We don’t have a fucking clue about any of it. Who’s bringing in all the drugs? Where are these girl’s going? Why anyone isn’t doing anything about it?” He laughs humorously, hands raising to grip the roots of his dark curls.

“It’s driving me crazy. The only person who seems to know any of what is going on in this fucking town is trying to hide it!” He yells, pointing at the TV where a photograph of the mayor from last year’s Founder’s Fest is blown up across the screen, the reporter discussing the statement he plans to make that day.

And I have an idea.

“Grays, what kind of clearance do you get with your freelance job?” I quirk an eyebrow at him dismissing his outburst.

“I-,” his mouth opens before snapping shut, head tilting to the side in suspicion. “Why?”

He copies me, brow rising below the messy fringe across his forehead, arms crossing over his chest, displaying the collage of ink covering his arm. The ring on his middle finger tapping anxiously on his bicep.

“Well, if the only person you think knows shit is Crook, he’ll be at town hall in an hour. You could just say you’re taking pictures for the paper, and we could go snoop around, see what he has to say, or doesn’t say.” I lean back against the couch.

All four of them just stared at me, not saying a word. I huff, annoyed. “What? Why do you guys keep looking at me like I have three heads and a tail?”

“Honestly?” Adam chokes out through a grin.

“Well, yeah. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t want to know.”

“It’s just funny being reminded that you are in fact Brahm’s sister, and he isn’t some weird alien creature,” Alex deadpans and I burst out laughing, before my face drops.

“Oh my god, no. Do not tell me I’m acting like him right now, I’ll throw up.”

The guys laugh, Grayson shakes his head and Adam nudges me with his shoulder. “It’s not a bad thing, D. It just means your fucking smart.”

“And cunning,” Henry adds.

“And I would hate to get on your bad side,” Alex mumbles.

Grayson smirks watching me with his friends—hell, my friends, my practical extended brothers.

“Alright, sweet girl. Get ready,” he nods to the room I’ve been staying in near the living room. “You and me.”

“Yeah?” I ask hopefully.

“Yeah. You get to play with my cameras.”

Alex groans, throwing a pillow over his face. “Can you guys please not do weird sexual innuendos when we’re here.”

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