Jack finally couldn’t stand it. He called in a couple officers to pull my brother out.
All the life had drained from him.
Smack–Jack’s hand cracked across his face.
“Ethan Graham, pull yourself together. Ivy’s waiting for you to bring her justice. The killer’s still
out there. Do you want her to die without answers?”
A spark came back into his eyes.
Jack kept at him, voice hard. “Do you hear me, Ethan? Your parents are watching you from above. If they knew you let Ivy end up like this, would they forgive you?”
My brother looked up, eyes bloodshot, and grabbed Jack in a rough hug as he wept.
“Jack, I was wrong. I’m a bastard. I failed my parents, and I failed Ivy.”
Jack held him and sighed. “What’s done is done. That’s exactly why you need to stand up now.”
When my brother finally steadied, Jack took out my bracelet.
“I think Luna is a strong suspect. Ivy’s been dead for days. Why did Luna claim she just ran into
her?”
My brother shook his head.
“They just bicker. Why would Luna kill Ivy? What’s her motive?”
Jack shot him a look. “Then bring her in and see what she says.”
He thought about it. “No. That’ll spook her. She asked me to come by tomorrow night. I’ll go and ask then.”
Jack’s reply was pointed. “Do you really know Luna?”
“This case screams revenge. We all knew Ivy. Who would she have angered?”
My brother fell silent. It wasn’t as if he’d never seen Luna bully me.
Chapter 9
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He just chose to defend her, right or wrong.
Luna would hide behind him and laugh at me to my face, even set me up without shame.
She once poured water all over herself, then ran to complain.
“Brother, look at Ivy. I only asked her to pour me a glass, and this is the attitude I get. She dumped it on me and said I didn’t deserve it.”
My brother grabbed me, furious, and tossed me out the door.
“Letting you in this house is a favor. And you dare give Luna attitude?”
No matter how I cried and explained, it never mattered.
Luna took my room, my closet, and my brother–bold as daylight.
Back then, just to get home a little more often, I even sucked up to her. I did her homework and followed her around like a lackey, hoping she’d say one good word so I could see my brother.
Remembering those humiliations still makes me want to cry.
In this moment, I was grateful for Jack.
Thank God he was there to keep my brother thinking straight.
Jack was right. That bracelet was the last gift my mother gave me.
I’d never taken it off–not even in the shower.
Luna ripped it off my wrist that night.
As for why she’d dare flaunt it? My brother gave her the nerve.
If it came from her, he believed it.
So she turned him against me without fear and kept smearing my name.
Even now, he was willing to trust her.
After a long pause, my brother finally said, “Then we start digging into her quietly. Tomorrow
night I’ll still keep the appointment, so we don’t tip her off.”
Turns out Luna couldn’t wait even one night.
Chapter 9
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.