Tangled

Chapter 280

Unshift 280

Unshift 280

280 Ava: Debrief

I can't help but laugh at Lisa's horrified expression. Her eyes are wide, her mouth hanging open in a perfect 'O' of shock. It's such a quintessentially Lisa reaction that, for a moment, I can almost forget everything we've been through.

We lapse into a comfortable silence, the kind only possible between best friends. It feels like old times, before vampires and shifters and mates complicated everything. I close my eyes, savoring the moment. "I miss my parents."

Lisa's voice, small and fragile, shatters the peace. My eyes snap open to find her staring at her hands, twisting them in her lap.

"I'm sorry, Lisa. The cell phones aren't working right now. We can't-"

"I know," she sighs, her shoulders slumping: "Just wishing I could tell them I'm okay. They're worried sick, I'm sure."

I reach out, squeezing her hand. There's nothing I can say to make this better, so I don't try. Suddenly, Lisa jerks upright. Her eyes, when they meet mine, are bright and intense. "Ava, Chloe and Mia... they're not very good people."

The abrupt change in topic throws me. "What? Who?"

Her gaze darts around the room, landing on the walls, the ceiling, the floor. "Are they listening?" she whispers, leaning in close. "The guards, I mean."

My face goes blank as I nod, careful to keep my expression neutral. "There's a place we can go to talk, if we need to."

Lisa's on her feet in an instant. "Can my friends come too?"

I blink, startled by her urgency. "Um... I guess so? We'd have to check-"

"Great," she interrupts, already heading for the door. "Let's go."

Bewildered, I follow her. When I open the door, Kellan's there, his posture tense. I can see the longing in his eyes as he looks past me to Lisa.

room. Can

be better to wait a few hours. Ryder's debriefing Dr. Blackwell right

okay" Lisa pipes up from behind me.

snap back to her, filled with a yearning

twisting in my gut as his

rummaging through cabinets. "What are you doing?" "Looking

11:30

280 Ava: Debrief

Ah.

that, flipping to an empty page and handing Lisa the

to the table, scribbling across the paper and then

Mia are traitors. Brought vampires to

heart pounding. I lean in close to Lisa, my voice barely above a whisper. "Are

the page, her hand shaking slightly. When she turns the

Damn.

did, but I remember now the two girls at the party, with their intrusive questions and their clear disdain for

traitors.

And why?

their peers. Why would they

It doesn't make sense.

you want me to have Kellan

purse my lips in thought. "Or not. Okay. Why don't I see if I can figure out the coffee

***

us to the conference room,

she talks about the

one

and I wonder if Sister

to elaborate over the details

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