BooksBarbecue
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Chapters (53)
  1. Dedication
  2. Chapter One
  3. Chapter Two
  4. Chapter Three
  5. Chapter Four
  6. Chapter Five
  7. Chapter Six
  8. Chapter Seven
  9. Chapter Eight
  10. Chapter Nine
  11. Chapter Ten
  12. Chapter Eleven
  13. Chapter Twelve
  14. Chapter Thirteen
  15. Chapter Fourteen
  16. Chapter Fifteen
  17. Chapter Sixteen
  18. Chapter Seventeen
  19. Chapter Eighteen
  20. Chapter Nineteen
  21. Chapter Twenty
  22. Chapter Twenty-One
  23. Chapter Twenty-Two
  24. Chapter Twenty-Three
  25. Chapter Twenty-Four
  26. Chapter Twenty-Five
  27. Chapter Twenty-Six
  28. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  29. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  30. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  31. Chapter Thirty
  32. Chapter Thirty-One
  33. Chapter Thirty-Two
  34. Chapter Thirty-Three
  35. Chapter Thirty-Four
  36. Chapter Thirty-Five
  37. Chapter Thirty-Six
  38. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  39. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  40. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  41. Chapter Forty
  42. Chapter Forty-One
  43. Chapter Forty-Two
  44. Chapter Forty-Three
  45. Chapter Forty-Four
  46. Chapter Forty-Five
  47. Chapter Forty-Six
  48. Chapter Forty-Seven
  49. Epilogue
  50. Preview of Malice
  51. Preview of Incognito
  52. Acknowledgments
  53. About the Author

He keeps talking. “Abignail is right, you know. In order to convince Nicki we’re brother and sister, we need to be comfortable with each other.”

“And how do you suggest we do that? Trust falls?”

“Oh no, we’re not to that level yet. I barely know you.”

I roll my eyes.

He barrels on. “Meet me tomorrow at six in the clearing behind my parents’ house—they’re out of town. I’ll show you where I grew up, and then I’ll teach you to walk and talk like an Influencer. You know, since I’m an expert.”

“I can’t wait,” I deadpan.

“Great.” Heading down the path to the right, he grins over his shoulder. “Don’t be late, Bets.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Five

January 4, 20X6, Keystone

Tramping through the snow, I pull my coat tight over my chest. I can’t stop thinking about what Garrett said yesterday, about picking me because I was the best. And I’m not even going to go there with the beautiful part. I hate that I’m flattered—that his opinion matters to me—that I want to believe it’s true. Because it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks about me; it only matters what I think. It’s unlike him to let his guard down, so there’s got to be something he’s hoping to get by complimenting me, but it’s also been fun pretending what he said was true. Ugh. I’m so needy.

Up ahead, Garrett sits on a tree stump in the clearing, staring off into the distance. Gone is the messy chin-length hair that obscured his face. It has been replaced with a short, cropped cut, dyed a golden brown and mussed with some sort of pomade that accentuates his cheekbones, makes his murky eyes glow brighter. Except for the three black bars under his left eye, he could rival any of my Influencer friends.

He catches me admiring his perfect profile, and my cheeks flush.

“Do I make you nervous, Bets?” He grins as I approach. “We can’t have you blushing so easily. You’ll give us away.”

“Are you incapable of using a person’s full name?” I ask, stopping in front of him, my cheeks now heated with annoyance.

“Of course not. Ask Chloe.” He presses his lips together, the corner of his mouth twitching. “Your hair looks nice.” Picking up a strand of my pale-blue waves, which now finish halfway down my back, he examines them. “This is a good look for you—less sulky and murderous—more approachable.”

I ignore him. “Speaking of Chloe—since we’re here to learn everything about each other—you haven’t told me. What reason did you give her for picking me as your partner?”

“Slow down, Ellie. Maybe we should establish some ground rules first.”