Page 69 of The Golden Hour

“I know, but—”

“No buts, Callisto. This is your life on the line, and if you won’t keep yourself safe, then I will.”

“She’s sick. You have to believe me. She’d never hurt me. They’ve done something to her.”

Even as I say it, I wince at the denial in my voice and remember her face. Her words: If someone betrays us… Well, that’s where I come in. And suddenly I don’t know whether or not she would take my life if she needed to. Or was told to.

Finn sweeps his thumbs over my jaw. “I get that you want to find a way to defend her, to make this anything but what it is, but your sister admitted to murder. Whether or not she was groomed by your uncle, she’s a psychopath. You can’t go back.”

A sob tears out of me, barely muffled by my fist. “She’s only n-nineteen.”

A voice behind me, firm but not callous, says, “Old enough to be cognizant of and responsible for her crimes.”

I spin on Detective Wilson, the door swinging shut behind her. She’s alone.

“You heard everything?” I ask weakly.

She nods, glancing at the mirrored wall. “Mr. McCowen was very forthcoming this morning, too. I’ll admit, what he had to say was hard to swallow. Sounded more like a Hollywood movie script than truth. Until he showed me the photos on his phone. It’s my strong recommendation you do as he suggests and not return home.”

Finn’s lips press softly to my temple. “Please, Callisto. I can’t risk losing you like I lost my father. It’s over. We’re stopping this now.”

The finality—and reality—of his words sink in. He’s right. My hope for this ending a different way died in the basement last night with Lizzie. The plan had been to convince my sisters to take a trip with me. A bonding vacation. To get them far away for when Finn laid everything out to Detective Wilson and their worlds were upended.

Too late. It was always too late. There’s no going back for any of us.

The door swings open on a fuming Hugo, whose gaze lasers each of us, stalling on Finn. “Who the hell are you?” Without waiting for an answer, he turns to the detective. “Please tell me you’re not questioning my client without her lawyer present.”

Before she can respond, I say, “Hugo, you’re fired.”

He turns ashen. “Now wait a minute—”

“You heard her,” says Detective Wilson, no hint in her voice of the satisfaction she likely feels. She takes his arm and guides him back to the door. “Time to go.”

“You’re making the biggest mistake of your life,” he growls at me, right before the door closes in his face.

“Well done, Calli.”

Not sharing the detective’s smile, I sink into an uncomfortable chair. Finn clasps my shoulder, squeezing gently.

Wilson sits opposite me, dropping a thick file and notepad onto the table.

I nod to the file. “What’s that?”

“Until today, it was my pet project in conjunction with a friend at the Bureau. Now, it’s a case file on your family’s extracurricular activities.”

All my capacity for surprise has been scourged. I merely nod. “When we first spoke, I had a feeling you knew more than you let on.”

She gives me the barest of smiles. “It wasn’t a coincidence that you spoke to me, although I felt damn lucky I was working the night you came in.” Her keen gaze shifts between Finn and me. “I only wish I’d made more of an impression—maybe you would have invited me into your little troupe of vigilantes.”

“It was my idea,” Finn says quickly. “Like I told you, I wanted revenge and blackmailed her into helping me.”

She gives his hand, still on my shoulder, a pointed look. “So you say. It’s time for you to step outside, Mr. McCowen. Don’t go anywhere. I’m sure I’ll have more questions for you.”

Finn crouches beside me, his gaze heavy on mine, full of pride and a touch of worry.

“I’ll be okay,” I whisper.

“I know.”

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