I looked down at my ring, my heart grieving. “It was already unraveling. He was puttin’ things together.” I looked up at him, his face blurry through my tears. “See? I told you.” My voice cracked. “He’s a smart man.”

“You’re certain?”

“Yes.”

He nodded. “Call Merv. Make the arrangements.”

Jed looked furious, but he dug out his phone.

I turned and walked into the kitchen, getting a glass out of a cabinet so I could pour myself some water. The clock on the microwave read 12:20.

Skeeter walked up behind me. “Merv will pick him up. Tell Deveraux to be behind the station at one a.m. He’ll have to wear a blindfold, and if he even hints that he’s takin’ it off, Merv will dump him onto the street.”

I nodded.

He leaned his mouth close to my ear. “Rose, you better be damn sure you want to do this. You have to know the outcome.”

I bit my bottom lip and racked my brain for some other solution. The bottom line was that he deserved to know the truth. Even if it killed him metaphorically, at least he wouldn’t be literally murdered. Besides, I’d sensed all along that we needed to be working together and pooling all of our resources.

“Yes.” I turned around to look at him. “Does he know who Merv is? That he works for you?”

Skeeter sighed. “Most people know Jed works for me, but Merv tends to keep a low profile, and both of them are careful enough they don’t get charged with anything. There’s a chance he won’t put it together.”

I nodded. “Good. I want to be the one to tell him.”

“I figured as much. I’d send someone else, but this is dangerous enough without adding any more unknowns. If Deveraux’s in the back of a car blindfolded, he’s a sittin’ duck. Merv’s bound to protect him, which means his ass is on the line.”

I hadn’t thought of that.

Skeeter must have sensed my guilt. “That’s his job, so don’t worry about him. He does what I say. Even this.”

“Okay.”

He turned to Jed. “Where’s Deveraux now?”

Jed checked his phone. “He left the sheriff’s office a few minutes ago.”

“Then we’re good to contact him.” His gaze turned to me. “You ready?”

I nodded, then sucked in a deep breath and pushed it out before I called Mason. He answered on the first ring.

“Rose?” He sounded so desperate, I started to cry.

“It’s me. I’m fine, really.”

“Oh, my God. I was so scared.” His voice broke, and he took a moment before he spoke again. “Where are you? How’d you get away?”

“I’ll tell you all about it, but I need you to come here.”

“Of course. Just tell me where you are.”

I fought back a sob. Would he be so eager to see me after he found out my secret? “Mason, you have to listen to me—you’re in danger and I need to protect you, but you have to do as I say.”

He hesitated. “What are you talking about?”

“I need you to come to me, but you can’t know where I am. Someone I trust is coming to get you.”

“Who?” I could hear the suspicion in his voice now.

“Someone who’s helping me. Helping us.”

“Rose?” He sounded worried again. “Are you in trouble?”

More trouble than he could even guess. But I couldn’t tell him that. “I’m safe for now—that’s what matters. Just get here, and I’ll explain it all. Okay?”

“Okay.” But I heard the hesitation in his voice.

“I need you to go to the Sinclair station, the one I saw you at last week. Be there in forty minutes. Park behind the building, and the guy who comes to pick you up will bring you to me … but here’s the unusual part. You have to wear a blindfold. That’s the only way they’ll bring you here. But make sure you’re not followed. ”

“Who, Rose? Who has you?”

I fought another sob.

“Sweetheart, can you tell me where you are? I’ll come get you.”

“I can’t,” I said through my tears. “I’m so scared for you, Mason. They were going to make you watch me get murdered, then I’m sure their plan is to kill you next. Whoever hired them thinks they took care of the first part—now they’ll move on to the second. Just like in my vision. The only way I know how to protect you is to bring you here. Will you come? Please?”

“Sweetheart, I know you can’t talk because of whoever is there. But I’ll come for you, and then we’ll figure out how to get out of this together.” He released a short chuckle, but it was a strained sound. “We’re partners, remember?”

“I love you so much,” I choked out.

“I love you too. I’ll be there soon. We’ll get out of this. I promise.”

For the next hour, I was a mess. Skeeter wanted to talk more about the plan to meet J.R., but I refused to discuss any of it until Mason showed up. He wanted to know more about what I’d found in Kate’s apartment, but I put him off on that too. Part of me worried Mason would find out the truth, then turn around and walk away from me forever. But the rest of me knew he wouldn’t. He’d told me that he’d do anything to bring J.R. Simmons down, and though I knew that was, in large part, for me, it wasn’t only about me. J.R. Simmons stood for everything Mason had fought against for his entire career.