I’ll explain everything when I get back. Please trust me.
Living without you is a foreign concept to me. I could never break your heart.
I love you so completely.
Your girl-next-door forever xx C
I pressed my elbows into my knees, relief raining over me, big fat droplets filled with hope. She still loved me. She did want me and what we had wasn’t over.
I scrunched the note in my hand, wondering what the hell she’d gotten herself into and if I could stand to just sit around and wait for her to come back.
Scott appeared in my doorway. “What’d it say?”
I held it out to him and he pressed it against his now-clothed chest to straighten it out. Lifting it up to the light, he read it. “Aw, shit.”
“I know. I don’t know who dragged her into it, but when I find out, I’m gonna kill them.”
“What’s going on?” Piper’s head popped over Scott’s shoulder. He held out the note to her and she quickly scanned it, her mouth dropping open. “That’s why.” She gasped. “That’s why she was acting so weird. Why she didn’t want to move in with us. It all makes sense now. I knew she wanted to!” Piper covered her mouth, pinching her nose and shaking her head. “Who could be controlling her decision? Why would she have to stay in the dorms?”
We all jerked still at the same moment, looking at each other before saying in unison, “Quella.”
“Damn it.” I reached for my phone. “Does anyone have her number?”
Scott and Piper both shook their heads.
I swore loudly, tempted to throw the phone across the room. “Well, who else! Why the hell would Quella be a person of interest and who would be interested in her?”
“Undercover operation, it’ll either be the police or the FBI.” Scott crossed his arms.
“Yeah, but they can’t employ Caity...” I swallowed, dread building in my system. “Can they?”
“They can blackmail her, though,” Scott said softly, waving Caity’s note in the air. “The only way to keep you safe?” He read Caity’s words aloud.
“Shit!” I wracked my hands through my hair.
“But who would—”
“Kaplan!” I spat.
“Oh shit, that’s got to be.” Piper seethed. “She’s the only one ballsy and bitchy enough to pull Caity into one of her schemes.”
“She couldn’t possibly.” Scott shook his head. “The FBI has protocols they have to follow.”
“Oh, come on, protocols?” Piper scoffed. “Like all the ones she followed when she sent Caity into Cameron’s house? If any agent is going to ignore the rules, it’s Kaplan! I highly doubt her superiors knew a college freshman was involved in that sting operation; her ass would have been fired in a second. It didn’t matter what we said in our exit interviews, she covered it up for sure.”
“Do we even know if she still works for the FBI?” Scott’s nose wrinkled.
“We know it’s her.” Piper threw her hands in the air. “You can’t tell me she’s not involved with this; my gut is screaming that she is!”
Scott scratched his hair, tipping his head with a look that told his girlfriend she was probably right. “What I don’t get is...why Caity? Why use her again? I mean, I understand why they did last time, because of her connection with Cameron, but this time around, they could have picked any girl from the dorms. Heck, a young, trained agent could pull this gig off easily. Why pick an amateur sophomore?”
With a heavy sigh, I drooped my head. I figured it was time to tell them.
I hadn’t uttered this secret to a soul.
It had been Caity’s to keep, but she wasn’t there to stop me, and if it could help me find her, then it was worth it. I pressed my elbows into my knees and muttered, “You guys remember the first time you met Caity?”
“Yeah, for that lunch thing.” Scott nodded. “She was having trouble with the Donovan brothers.”
“Do you guys remember what we told you?”
Piper gasped again. “I’d completely forgotten about that!”
“What?” Scott glanced at his girl.
“She can read people, right? Like, has really phenomenal observation skills or something?”
“It’s more than that.” I shook my head. “It’s like a freaking super power and Kaplan’s using it.” My voice quivered with rage as I looked at my friends. “Caity can read people. She knows how they’re feeling, and if they’re lying. She can read emotions and say all the right things to get them talking...and Kaplan knows this.” My jaw clenched tight. I closed my eyes and threaded my fingers together, squeezing until I thought my bones might crack. “She’s using my girl and she’s put her in danger, I just know it.” My eyes popped open.
“So, what do we do?” Piper crossed her arms.
I stood from my bed, running my hands through my hair again. “We’re gonna find Caity, and we’re gonna pull her out of this before something bad happens to her.”
“What if something already has?” Piper whispered.
Tears stung my eyes as I looked at my friends, desperation clawing at me. My insides felt shredded, raw, incapable…but I couldn’t give in.
“I have to find her.” My voice wobbled. “I have to bring her home. I don’t care what it costs me, but I am not resting until she is back in my arms.”
TO BE CONTINUED…
Can Eric stay out of danger long enough to find Caity and save her?
Keep reading to find out what happens in the explosive conclusion—Poker Face (Masks #4)
Dear reader…
Dear reader,
The ending of this book is a nail biter. Thankfully, Poker Face is already available, so you don’t have to wait to find out what’s going to happen.
The one hope in this dire situation is that Caity and Eric’s love for each other is stronger than ever. And they’re going to need every ounce of their strength and determination as they fight this final battle.
Caity and Eric are about to come face-to-face with an evil darker than anything they’ve encountered before.
Caity has been sold to a wealthy casino owner, and Eric is being tracked by a man who wants to make his father suffer.
Can they find each other and disappear before it’s too late?
Find out in the gripping conclusion to The Masks Series.
Poker Face is available on Amazon.
Get it now and escape into a sinister world where the truth is not always something you want to see.
Happy reading!
xx
Melissa
www.melissapearlauthor.com
Snake Eyes Page 25