Chapter 360
Chapter 360
Chapter 205: Paula Called Him
Roman
零四
The moment Zane muttered something about being mixed up in “dangerous stuff,” something ugly and familiar crawled up my spine. Maybe I am paranoid. Maybe I am dramatic. But when someone says danger, my mind goes to the same demons every damn time.
My father. And the sick little entourage of criminals he calls allies.
It’s pathetic how much of my life traces back to their rot. Mess after mess, wound after wound, disaster after disaster–every time, I peel back the layers and there they are at the core like some parasitic infestation. So naturally, when Zane said the word dangerous, my brain immediately screamed: them. The five evil minions.
And suddenly I didn’t have the patience to tiptoe. “Well?” I snapped. “Go on. Speak. What exactly were you involved with p>
He flicked his eyes to me, then down at his hands like he was ashamed of them. His palms, his fingers, the lines between them. Every part
of him jittered, restless and guilty.
“I’m pretty sure you already know,” he finally said, voice small. “ If you tracked me down here then … you know my sister and I have been
through a lot p>
I rolled my eyes so hard I half expected them to get stuck in the back of my skull. “A lot,” I repeated dryly. “ If by ‘a lot ‘ you mean the petty crimes, robberies, and the general chaos Paula has left behind her, then yes. I’m aware. ”
He winced–not offended, just tired. Then he nodded. “She was contacted by someone. Someone wealthy.” His voice tightened. “Someone into shady stuff. Drug smuggling. Serious operations. He reached out to Paula after juvie. I guess he heard about her attempt to rob that jewelry store… that’s how they usually find new people to recruit p>
Savannah stiffened beside me. I didn’t have to look to feel her tension, she practically vibrated with it.
Zane continued. “After he reached out, Paula came to me and told me she needed my help pulling off a deal p>
“What deal? ” I demanded, though the answer was obvious.
“Drug trafficking, ” he said, blunt and resigned. “Big leagues. Cross–border. A suicide mission if you don’t know what you’re doing. So I refused. I didn’t want to get involved. I’ve done stupid shit before, sure, but nothing like that. Nothing that huge. Nothing that paints a target on your back forever p>
Savannah’s breath caught, but she stayed silent.
Zane exhaled shakily. “Paula said I’d betrayed her – again. And that she didn’t need me anymore. She went ahead with it. And somehow, she managed to pull it off.” He shook his head. “She didn’t get caught. And she kept doing it p>
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Chapter 360
My jaw tensed. Paula wasn’t just reckless. She was self–destructive on a cosmic level.
“ Recently, ” Zane added, “something went wrong. Really wrong. That’s why she left for the States to meet the man who contacted her.
I heard Savannah swallow.
There it was. A trail. A thread. A direction our chaos was pointing toward.
“And that’s why you took over her apartment,” I said.
He nodded quickly. “Yes. And Chloe’s been living there ever since she left New Hope. She… she doesn’t go anywhere. She just sits inside.
Sleeps. Cries. Just basically existing. She’s not okay. ”
Savannah shifted beside me, her expression pained but confused. “So that’s why Chloe couldn’t be located,” she murmured. “She never left
the house. She was never seen. ”
“Yes,” Zane said. “She’s been completely off the grid p>
“But what’s the deal with them?” Savannah asked, brows pulling together. “Chloe and Paula? Why is Paula so insistent about Chloe? None
of it makes sense. ”
Zane rubbed his face. “I have no idea. Chloe thinks Paula is her soulmate, but Chloe’s not thinking clearly. She needs help–actual, professional help. And Paula… Paula drags her deeper every time.” He shook his head. “If they stay near each other, Paula’s going to ruin
her completely p>
Savannah frowned. “You and Chloe… were… still together when Paula began messing with her p>
Zane let out a long breath. “Yes. We were. We’ve always been. On and off. Mostly off. Fights every two seconds. Breakups that lasted hours. Make–ups that weren’t healthy.” His voice dropped. “But yes. We cared about each other p>
I felt Savannah tense.
“And Chloe told me about the plan to break up your relationship,” Zane added.
Savannah froze–completely still, like someone had unplugged her. “She told you?” Her voice cracked down the middle.
“Yes,” he said simply.
Savannah’s fingers curled into tight fists, trembling.
Zane continued, tone flat with shame. “And on the night she went missing… when you and your ex came looking for her…” He shut his eyes briefly, bracing himself. “Chloe and I met up. She told me Alyssa hit her. She was crying. Panicked. Begging me to come to the mall. She’d called through an unknown number since her phone was smashed p>
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Savannah gasped–sharp, wounded.
Zane didn’t flinch. “I went. And we… had sex that night p>
6993)
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Savannah covered her mouth like she might throw up. “Oh my God,” she whispered. “I knew it. I knew it. You–Chloe–both of you… you’re disgusting. What the hell is wrong with you p>
Zane ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “Savannah, now is not the time for p>
“This is exactly the time!” she snapped. “You helped her ruin my life p>
“I didn’t help anyone ruin anything,” Zane shot back. “I’m telling you what happened because you wanted answers. You want to solve this
mess? Fine. But I’m not your villain here. Not today p>
Savannah surged forward, but I reached out and put a hand on her arm–not to silence her, but to keep her from exploding. The last thing we needed was everything derailing into a screaming match before we got what we needed.
Savannah’s voice trembled when she spoke again. “And how the hell are we supposed to solve anything when none of you are saying anything useful? Paula’s too tight–lipped. Chloe’s insane. And you–you’re talking in circles. We still don’t know what we’re dealing with p>
Zane’s shoulders sagged. “I never met the man, ” he said quietly. “The one Paula worked for. I never even saw his face. Paula was the one dealing with him. She was loyal to him. And she never said his real name. Not to me”
Something cold prickled the back of my neck.
My father had ‘business partners‘ like that–men with no names, only shadows.
“Then how do we find him?” Savannah asked.
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“You can’t,” Zane said. “Not unless Paula talks. She’s the only one who knows anything true p>
I stepped forward, voice calm in a way that wasn’t calming at all. “Leave her to me. ”
He nodded once,
swallowing.
Savannah’s voice softened but cracked. “Do you know anything? Anything at all? A name? A code name? Anything Paula ever said p>
Zane paused. The air in the room pulled tight, like it was holding its breath.
He looked up slowly, eyes darting between Savannah and me, then settling on me like he wasn’t sure if he should say the words.
But he did.
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Chapter 360
“Paula called him…” He swallowed again. “Everyone in that gang probably calls him p>
Savannah leaned in slightly. I felt her fingers graze my arm, instinctively seeking grounding.
“ The Medicine Man p>
My pulse stopped. Savannah’s eyes widened. The floor beneath us seemed to shift.
Zane’s voice was barely above a whisper, but the name echoed like thunder.
“ The… Medicine Man. ”
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Sara Lili
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.