Page 156 of Chandelier Enthralled
She was so damn smart, but even so, I still didn’t want any of this to touch her.
Then my brain ached with the realization that Willa had been lured into Pulse360.
“You know I believe that Jewel killed Lance Merrill,” said Willa, meeting my gaze.
Shit. That wasn’t a road Willa should go down—because I had been there that night when they had murdered him.
Caressing my brow, I told myself that all this chaos would settle down and somehow, someway, we would eradicate the evil component to our secret society.
“Jewel and Lance were connected.” Willa held her mug tightly, trying to put the pieces together. “Dean Hersey, did he…?”
“He just got too close to Jewel.”
“Staying one step ahead of these people is challenging.”
“They are hard to predict or understand.”
“We don’t think like them,” she agreed. “It’s hard to imagine what an evil person would do.”
“We need help figuring this out,” I reasoned.
“Minds who are trained to confront evil.”
“Your brother?”
“Cameron is good at this sort of thing.”
“Understatement.” I sipped my tea. “Not sure he’ll want you anywhere near this.”
“It’s too late for that, Greyson.”
“Maybe.”
“No maybe about it.”
I looked toward the pool. “We have something substantial now. Jewel will abandon her lackey when she learns what we have.”
“Let the police handle this.” She set her mug down.
“Willa, if we involve the police, it may lead them to raid Pendulum. Everyone will go underground. We’re not saying we won’t do that—we just need more.”
“More evidence against Jewel?”
“Yes.”
“That’s where I come in.”
“What you did here is remarkable.” I pointed at her. “But that is where you’re input ends—do you understand?”
She went to speak and then thought better of it.
“Wait here.” I leaped from my seat and hurried inside. Within a minute, I had retrieved a chenille throw and had it wrapped around her shoulders.
Willa beamed at me.
“Better?”
“Much.”
