The Lost Girls || Bbangsaz

XXII

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Dani stripped down to her underwear and threw her clothes into the fireplace. "We'll burn everything we wore tonight. Not that I think anyone will look for us."

"Frankie didn't try to snag the combs," I said. "When the police showed up and everything was chaos for a minute, I thought he might."

"He might've if it was just us," Dani said. "He wouldn't betray Haerin, though."

Haerin rolled her eyes and tossed her clothes into the fireplace.

"I think you can trust him. He's had a million chances to ambush you with Gwen and Elton and hasn't so far." Hyein took her scarf off, her neck flap swaying as she spoke.

Haerin started the fire while Dani dug out clothes from our suitcases.

I pulled a navy sweater with a hole in the elbow over my head. The rough cotton chaffed against my skin. I should've thrown the sweater out decades ago, but it comforted me to have a piece of my old life.

Even if it was just a bit of lifeless fabric that was ready to fall apart.

"The manager showing up was a surprise." Haerin put on a long black skirt and cream button-down shirt. She let out a giggle as she chewed on her thumbnail. "Did you see the look on that stuffed suit's face when Minji slammed him into the wall? Priceless."

"So hilarious." I gave Haerin a bland stare. While I didn't hold the living in high regard, I didn't give the bank manager a chance to run and wouldn't be finding any sort of amusement in his death. "We have four more nights until the full moon."

"We'll lay low until then." Dani stroked her combs with a loving finger. "There is no need to go out other than to hunt. We can't risk Elton finding out our location."

The ancient steps on Hyein's front porch creaked. Probably just the wind, but the back of my neck prickled with awareness. A knock at the door, followed by bits of rotted frame crashing to the ground, had the four of us spinning around. My heartbeat picked up speed, and Hyein grabbed my hand. We weren't expecting company.

"We fight our way out," Haerin said. "Everyone on the same page?" We nodded. A grim finality settled over us. We'd been willing to push every limit to be free of Elton, and none of the costs concerned us. But I had crossed a very important line in retrieving Dani's heirloom, killing without giving my victim a chance to run. It wasn't one I'd come back from easily. Hyein motioned for us to move to the back of the house.

"What are you doing?" I whispered.

"Go out the back. I'll hold off whoever's at the door." She took one look at my expression and let out a long-winded sigh. "Please don't get weepy about it."

"I wasn't." I sniffed.

"Come on." Haerin guided me toward the patio. "Hyein can handle herself."

"Minji?" The knock sounded again, followed by more falling plaster and a chorus of barking dogs in the distance. "Are you in there?" My heart stumbled at her voice, and I shook off Haerin.

"It's Hanni." I hadn't intended to see her again. We had our perfect moment already, and continuing to see her would only complicate my feelings.