Page 34 of Five for Silver

“Have you lost your mind?”

Josh smirked. “I’ve often wondered abouttha—

“Shut your trap,” Ally pointed a finger atJosh but stared at Chad. “The DI will never allow it.”

Chad met her stare. “If I don’t go visithim, then I’ll be called an impassionate coward who doesn’t want togive a family closure and if I do visit, and can’t get a location,I’m a failure. I’m gonna lose either way, but at least one of themlooks like I tried. I have to do this.”

“And just like that.” Ally clicked herfingers. “Vincent has pulled you in. I can see it in youreyes.”

Chad looked away. “See what?”

“You’re falling for it. You’re falling rightinto his trap and the worst thing about it is that you know youare.”

“I’m not falling into a trap—”

“Do you enjoy being toyed with bykillers?”

Chad stumbled back. Josh sucked in abreath.

“What?” Chad asked.

She stood in front of him.

“Do you secretly like it?”

“Of course not!”

“Is it exciting? Does it make you feelspecial having their attention?”

Chad’s eyes burned, as did his lungs as heheaved for breath. The numbers carved on his skin tingled,reawakened at Ally’s taunt.

“Ally,” Josh hissed. “That’s completelyuncalled for.”

“Do you really think that?” Chad narrowedhis eyes. “Do you think I enjoyed everything that’s happened tome?”

“Sometimes I wonder.” Ally shrugged. “Maybeyou get some kind of sick pleasure out of it.”

Josh tightened his hand around Chad’s armand tried to pull him away, but Chad rooted himself to the floor,meeting Ally’s anger with his own.

“What the hell does that—”

“First Romeo, then Marc, now Vincent.”

“Romeo and Marc took me against mywill.”

“But with Vincent, you’re choosing togo back to him.”

“I don’t have much of a choice.”

“Of course you do. You can say no.”

“The public—”

“Will crucify you regardless. You’ve givenyourself over to whatever sick game he’s got planned and I’mstarting to think you enjoy it—you can’t function unless someone istrying to destroy you.”

“Christ, Ally,” Josh interrupted again. Hegave Chad’s arm a hard tug, but he resisted, not backing down fromAlly’s accusation.

“That’s not fair,” he snapped.

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