Page 78 of Bloodlust

"What?"

"Well, remember that facial recognition software I've been working on?" she asks and I nod warily. "Well, it's finished. I, uh, well, I managed to piggyback off a few government servers and..." She hands me her tablet slowly, almost afraid to pass it off. "Here, just look..."

"What is it?" I ask, unlocking the screen.

My heart stops as I stare at the picture on the screen.

No.

"Is that..." I trail off, zooming into the professional headshot.

"It's Hayden," Zoey confirms. "He's a..."

I guess Leo was right.

Secrets don't stay secret for long.

He's a fucking fed?

Chapter 21

Villain

Aperson needs to have a heart in order for it to break. I don't have one. Or at least... I didn't think I did. And yet I can hear it breaking. I canfeelit shattering.

Right down the fucking middle.

"Cami, he's a f?—"

"No!" I slap my hand over Zoey's mouth.

If she doesn't say it, then it can't be true. It can't. If he's a fed, if he's truly FBI then...

My heart rate spikes, dread infiltrating my senses as I frantically look around my bedroom. He was here. He's been here so many times. He knew where I was...always. He knew. He knew because...

I lower my voice as I let Zoey out of my tight grip, my hands shaking with fear. "Don't say another word."

Zoey scrunches up her forehead, staying silently confused as I rummage through one of my dressers and pull out a bug detector.

"Oh," she hums, eyes widening as I turn on the device. "You think..."

"Shh," I hush, slowly waving the detector around every corner of my apartment as Zoey trails behind me, holding her breath.

Bedroom. Clear.

Bathrooms. Clear.

Kitchen. Clear.

As I scan the couches in the living room, a red light begins to flicker when I hover the detector over a lamp.

Bugged.

God, this can't be happening. How could I be so blind? So stupid? He popped out of thin air. He came to me when I was at my most vulnerable. When I was weak. He weaseled himself into my life. Into my apartment. I place a sweaty palm over my rising chest.Still breaking.Into my fucking heart.

Mystupid fuckingheart.

I trusted him. I... I let him in. I let him see the mess inside my mind. My fuckingsoul. I gave him access to my most inner thoughts. And he... He pretended to care. He acted like he gave a shit. Like he... It was all fake. All of it. All the concern. All the advice. Every touch. Every word. A lie. He lied. He lulled me into a false sense of security. Of safety. He... He tricked me.