“Where am I?” I ask, flicking a glance around the grey room. There’s a large window along one wall. Looks like an interrogation room. “Am I in jail?” I sit up a little straighter and realize my go bag and windbreaker are gone.
“I’ll be the one asking questions,” he curtly informs me. He stands and stalks over to the table in the center of the room. “Come over here and sit.”
Uncertain whether I’m in jail or not, I rush over and sit down in the cold metal chair. Folding my arms, I watch him as he sits across from me.
He picks up a file and notepad. “Name?”
“Greer Vickers,” I reply with a sigh.
“Address?”
A laugh escapes. “None.”
His head pops up and his eyes narrow. “Previous address?”
“A friend’s place,” I answer quickly.
He leans forward. “What was your friend’s address?”
I shrug. “I don’t know.” His eyes start to glow, and I realize I’m definitely not in jail. Whatever his power is, it’s starting to show. I swallow hard. “I promise. I don’t know his address. Can you tell me where I am?”Can you tell me if you’re Raven? I want to scream but somehow hold back.
He ignores my question and looks back down at the file. “Parents?”
“Where’s River?” I counter, lifting my chin.
“Down the hall,” he replies to my surprise. “In a room similar to this one. Answering questions.” His jaw hardens further. “Parents?”
“Dead,” I tell him. “All of them are dead. I’m the only one left. Happy now?” Angry tears fill my eyes, and it pisses me off. “Where am I?”
His hand rises to his ear, and he says nothing for a second. “Someone’s here to see you.” He stands up and opens the door.
Brad, with his shaved head and tattoos, is standing in the hallway, and I immediately burst into tears.
CHAPTER19
WILLA / GREER
“Lionel’s dead,” I push the words out between sobs. “He decided to drive instead of taking the train. They caught up to us on the highway. We pulled into a gas station. They shot him.” My words are barely coherent as I try to tell him what happened to his friend.
“Shh,” Brad says, his voice gruff and thick with emotion. He awkwardly pats me on the back a few times. “Take a minute to breathe, then we’ll talk. Everything’s going to be okay. I promise.”
He points to the metal chair on the opposite side of the table. “Slide me that chair and get her some water. This isn’t a prison cell. Have some fucking compassion.”
The other guy practically stomps out of the room, only to return a few minutes later with a cup of water. “Here.”
I sniff. “Thank you.” I take a few sips and several deep breaths. “Sorry. Seeing you reminded me of Lionel and that night. Everything hit me at once.”
The corner of Brad’s mouth turns down. “Lionel was one of my best friends. I didn’t realize he fell at the gas station. We didn’t find any bodies at the scene. Of course, there wasn’t much left. The explosion took out most of it.”
“That’s weird. There should have been at least two bodies,” I murmur. Did Raven take them? I explain everything that happened at the gas station up until I ran into the forest.
Brad leans forward and props his elbows on his knees. “The second you called and told us you were in trouble, we set out, but by the time we got to the station and searched the forest, the tracker was heading south. We didn’t know if Raven had taken you or if you’d somehow escaped.”
I stare down at my hands. “I didn’t realize it would take you so long, and I was afraid to stay in the area.” I pause and explain how River pulled me into the forest and hid us from Raven. “The next morning, we found food at a diner and a trucker willing to take us to Atlanta. Once we got here, River’s friend, Jordan, let us stay with him.”
Brad stroked his chin. “How did River get his collar off?”
Confused, I stare at him. Collar? Like a shirt? “I’m not sure what you’re asking.”
