“He knows that we know,” Lila said. “If he gets out…”

“He’s going down for Sadie,” Niki said, “and the others.” She put her hand on Lila’s arm. “I promise, he’ll never get near you.”

“There were two of them that night. What if he doesn’t need to get out?”

“We’ll protect you. I promise.”

Lila looked at the hard steel in Niki’s eyes and knew that if grit could carry the day, the detective would stand by her word. But Gavin Spencer was smart and careful. He would never come at Lila from the front; he would find a way to snake the blade in from the shadows. Niki couldn’t protect her—Lila knew that—but she gave Niki an appreciative nod all the same.

Lila handed the flash drive back to Niki and walked her out of the office, her thoughts lost in a maze of What ifs. Gavin stopped at nothing to wash away his crimes—she had seen the bodies. And now he knew they were on to him.

When Lila returned to her desk, she pulled Gavin’s mug shot up on her computer screen and stared into his eyes, her fear melding into anger. Gavin had raped her, and now that the secret was out, she was certain he would try to kill her.

Lila knew how far Gavin would go to silence her, but as her anger grew, she began to wonder how far she would go to stop him.

The game had changed. The entire world of right and wrong now played out like a coin tossed into the air. For her, it all came down to a simple choice. Him or me.

Chapter 50

Gavin’s attorney came early to the status hearing that Wednesday, walking into the court’s holding cell with pictures of Gavin’s Bronco in his hand.

“They just gave me these,” he said, handing Gavin the pictures.

“I need the phone.” Gavin had his back to the door. The green folder with his paperwork lay on the table in front of him.

“They have pictures of your Bronco only three blocks away from where Sadie Vauk was kidnapped.”

“It’s not my Bronco. Give me the phone.”

“Look at that patch on the door. You don’t think they can match that? A jury’s gonna—”

“Give me the fucking phone!”

Leo Reecey looked at the window on the door, clear of any guard, and handed Gavin the phone. “I think I have a right to know who you’re texting.”

Gavin slipped the SIM card from its hiding place in the folder and slid it into its tray. “Tomorrow’s my omnibus hearing. You have a right to collect that fifty grand. That’s the only right you have. Cough if you see a guard.”

He typed Jack’s number and began his text message.

What the Fuck Jack? You think I’m joking? You know what I’m capable of. You know what you have to do. Look at the time stamp on this message. You have twenty-four hours and not one minute more. If she’s not silenced in twenty-four hours, I will send your picture to the police. We will both go to prison. I don’t fucking care. I have nothing more to lose—you have everything to lose. The clock starts now!