Page 115 of The Silent Note

“Tonight, when we were driving home, Dutch got a call from Finn. He got really tense, so I asked what happened. He didn’t want to tell me. He just started ranting about moving out of the city and putting me and Viola in hiding. I told him absolutelynot. My friends are here. Vi’s friends are here. Then he said it’s either we move or he puts a tracker in me.”

I wince. “A tracker?”

“He was dead serious about it too.” She huffs, seeming to get annoyed all over again. “That psychopath.”

I can totally picture Dutch putting a tracker in her. I’m more surprised that he was nice enough to ask her opinion about it first.

“If he thinks he can tag me like a cow on a beef farm, he’s crazy. I’ll go down kicking and screaming first.” Cadence’s dark stare of wrath convinces me that she’s good for the threat. “Can you believe he’d even suggest that?”

“Actually, I can.”

She flings herself back into the bench.

“I’m not the poster child for marriage, but allow me to put my high school debate training into use and play the devil’s advocate here.”

“You’redefending Dutch?”

“Whoa. Whoa. No, I’m not. But I do feel responsible for any danger you and the boys may be in.” I think of the panic I’d felt when that car hit mine on the highway. This game we’re playing is a dangerous one and I’ve come close to death too many times to ignore it.

“Everyone involved in investigating The Grateful Project is in danger because of me. We’re dealing with a threat that has even Jarod Cross scared. Dutch might be taking things too far?—”

“As usual,” she butts in darkly.

“—but he’s understandably concerned and feeling helpless. We all do crazy things when we feel desperate and helpless.”

“I guess.” She bobs her head. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“I told you about me and Dutch.” Cadence wiggles a finger in the space between us. “It’s your turn.”

I shrug. “Zane is Zane. I can’t say much else.”

“So…”

“Sothere’s nothing new to report.”

“Okaaaay,” she says in a high-pitched voice.

“Why?”

“I just thought…”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“What?” Panic lacing my tone, I ask, “Did Zane say something?”

“Not him…” she admits.

The answer comes to me immediately.

I face-palm. “Jinx.”

“I can pretend not to know you guys… you know…did itif that makes you feel better.”

Inside, every single organ in my body is cringing.

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