I Know Lucy (A Fugitive #1)(62)

“Even that much? Zach, I’ve never told anyone this much about myself before. I don’t think you understand how difficult this has been for me. But I know you needed it, so I’ve opened up. I’ve let you in.”

“You haven’t let me in on everything.”

Her lips puckered with a frown. “I’m trying, okay? But you have no idea what you’re asking me to do.”

“Well, tell me then.”

“I’ve already told you, it’s too dangerous.”

“What’s so dangerous about five or six trustworthy people knowing? They won’t tell a soul, Dani, I can say that with 100% conviction.”

“Wait. Five or six?” Her brows bunched together sharply, her eyes narrowing.

My mouth dropped open. Seriously! What the hell was wrong with me?

“Who else knows?” Dani fired blue daggers at me that bit into my conscience, piling on the guilt until my body actually hurt. “Zach, what have you done?”

“Nothing bad.” I met her eyes, trying to ease that scared look in her eye. “I just mentioned it to my uncle. He was the one that helped me ask around on Saturday.”

“You had help on Saturday?”

I shrugged, going for a casual. “He helped put some pieces together and work out some of your identities.”

“Your uncle.” She looked dubious.

“Yeah.”

“Who is he?”

I swallowed. “He’s Uncle Alex.”

She closed her eyes and breathed in through her nose as if she was trying to summon some inner calm that was too far from reach. “And what does Uncle Alex do? Is he a cop?”

“No!” I shook my head. “He’s…” My lips flapped over the truth. Damn, she was going to hate this. “He’s a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle.”

Her face drained of color, her blues eyes rounding with horror.

I winced.

Fear swept across her expression. “A reporter? You told a San Francisco reporter!”

“It was off the record. None of this will get printed. He has resources and connections, Dani. He can help us.”

Her hands were shaking as she grasped her head. “He’ll find him. He’ll find you,” she whispered.

“What?”

“You promised me you wouldn’t say a word to anyone! You promised, Zach. How could you be so selfish?”

“Selfish!” I pointed back to where my friends had all stalked away from me. “I’m losing my friends over you. I’m not breaking trust or gossiping about you around school. I’m just trying to help. My uncle is an amazing investigator and he’ll find out who did this to your parents. He can expose him and then this can be over for you!”

“I didn’t ask for you to do that for me! I’ve never requested justice.”

“Well you should have!”

“You don’t get it, Zach!” Her voice was quivering. She looked like a cornered animal, her eyes flittering around me, seeking an escape. “I want to live! That’s pretty much my only goal in life and you messing around with this is just screwing it up. You can’t stand the idea that justice hasn’t been served. You want to bring him down, but you have no clue what you are up against! He’s too powerful for you, Zach. I told you to drop it, because I care about you. I value your life.” Her voice broke and she pulled in a ragged breath.

Okay, was she saying that me digging into this would get me killed?

That’s ridiculous. I gripped the back of my neck, needing this argument to be over. We weren’t getting anywhere and the idea of watching her shake like that for another nanosecond killed me.

“I care about you too, Dani. A lot.” My eyes rested on her, making sure she understood that I meant every word I was saying. “You deserve to get back the life he stole from you. You have to stand up and bring this guy down. You can’t live like this for the rest of your life. I want to help set you free. Uncle Alex is the best ally we have.”

“You don’t know shit, Zach.” She shook her head, agony cresting over her expression. “Bring this guy down? I can’t do that! You don’t know what you’ve started.”

“I just want you to be safe…and you won’t be until you stop running and end this.” I reached for her hand, but she stepped away from me.

Her sad eyes tore at my soul. “You need to leave me alone and you need to tell your uncle to drop this.” Her voice was a soft whisper.

“Dani, please don’t go.” I took a step towards her.

“DO NOT follow me.” She raised her hand, forcing me to stand my ground. Her eyes were filled with such agonizing pain. I didn’t understand it. Couldn’t she see I was trying to help her?

“Dani, please,” I whispered, but she turned and ran.

I watched her race over the grass, my heart beating a dull rhythm inside my chest. I had no idea where she was going and I knew trying to follow her would only push her further away.

Tipping my head up to the sky, I let out a soft string of curses before flinging my bag over my shoulder and stomping my way to what would no doubt be a detention.

I couldn’t figure out why Dani was so freaked. She’d survived five years without that cop catching her. He probably didn’t even remember who she was anymore. She was being paranoid. Uncle Alex wasn’t going to be flashing his name across the sky. My uncle was all subtlety until it came to the day of print and then he nailed these crooked bastards to the wall.