章 76: | White Hot

Ava drew a shuddering breath. 'Stroke told my mom she could get to me and Jack through him. But Ray wouldn't help, he wouldn't betray us. So… so…'

'I knew it,' Jane hissed. Her eyes glittered like ice. 'You got him killed. You.'

'That's not fair, Jane,' Lucy said gently.

'Oh, right,' the girl sneered, her face contorted with rage. 'You clean-living clever white girls, you gotta stick together, right?'

'That's bullshit and you know it,' Lucy snapped.

'Not bullshit,' hissed Jane. She rose to her feet and crossed the room, then grabbed Ava by the arms and shook her. 'You killed him!' she shouted. 'Hear me? Hear me?'

Ava didn't react, just stood there and took it, so numb she could barely feel the girl's fingers digging into her flesh.

'Jane, stop it.' Lucy tried to come between them. 'This isn't helping, you have to—' But Jane knocked her away. The blow sent her reeling across the room towards the archway.