Page 216 of Stay Scared

The look between them promises absolutely nothing useful.

Mark sighs. “I’m going to stand over there.”

He leaves me with the monsters.

Owen takes in my injuries.

He waits several seconds before speaking.

Then, “I deleted the local archive before police pulled the racks.”

My stomach tightens. “All of it?”

“Yes, all of it.”

“Copies?”

“I killed the mirror too.”

I study him.

Owen looks tired enough to fall over. His voice remains steady.

“I wanted to keep it.”

That lands differently.

He looks toward the cameras beyond the gate. “I still wanted it while I was deleting it.”

He leaves the confession ugly instead of softening it with an apology.

I believe him more because of that.

“But you deleted it.”

“Yes.”

Cade makes a rough sound from behind him.

Owen turns. “What?”

“Nothing useful.”

“That would be unusual.”

The officer near Cade looks between them.

I rub my forehead. “Please do not start fighting before I get into the ambulance.”

Neither man promises anything.

Owen steps closer, too close for somebody who spent months learning me through glass.

His hand rises toward my neck.

He stops before touching me.

I catch his wrist. “You can touch me.”