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It was the first time I’d ever seen Chloe issue a direct threat in Brooke’s direction, and for so like part of some crazy hierarchy that I’d never really understood They weren’t captain and cocaptain or co officer and second in command They were friends who had a common ex, and Chloe wasn’t about to shut her mouth
“He’s over Brooke now,” Chloe said “And he’s sure as hell over h to think that he’s the one playing you”
“Chloe Shut Up” Brooke was clearly on the verge of losing it
Chloe ood on her threat and turned the communicator off Given the broader situation, that seeed A could happen until three We could watch, and we could wait, but we couldn’t make a move
“Is there anything else you want to know about Jack Peyton?” Chloe hissed
“Yes” The simplicity and unexpectedness of my answer took the wind out of Chloe’s sails “What do you know about his uncle?”
“We’re not having this conversation,” Chloe said
“We should have had this conversation weeks ago,” I countered “Now, the Squad’s cover is in danger, and my cover is prettyto happen next, and I want you to tell me the truth”
Chloe pressed her lips together, hard, but sory “Jack’s uncle is one of the Big Guys,” she said finally “So is Brooke’s mom”
She stopped speaking then, as if she’d toldI hadn’t already known “And Brooke doesn’t know about Jack’s uncle,” I said, hoping that would prod her into tellingnew
“I never told her,” Chloe said “It happened our sopho out The two of us were in Brooke’s roorab some cookies There was aShe called hinized his voice—how could I not?—but I didn’t really process what he was telling her”
“And as that?” I asked
Chloe took a deep breath, like she couldn’t possibly have enough oxygen in her lungs to divulge this secret “He said that history had a way of repeating itself, and that Brooke’s s could be I had no idea what he was talking about”
That made two of us
“That was the night Brooke found out she had to break up with Jack” Chloe shook her head, as if trying to shake off the fact that she’d mentioned any of this to me at all “If you tell anyone I told you this, anyone, I will kill you, and I will make it look like an accident Are we clear?”
“Crystal,” I said, unsure whether to take Chloe’s threat literally or with a grain of high school dra this to anyone ever, it didn’t really matter
Refusing to meet my eyes, Chloe leaned forward and flipped the communicator back on “Sorry,” she said “Technical malfunction”
“Connors-Wright still hasn’t made a move,” Zee said fron of Ae of the park so we can divide it up and decide the le of entries for our hostiles”