REAPING INNOCENCE ◦ STILINSKI [3]

ix.

"Jordan Parrish?"

"Deputy Parrish," Jordan corrected gruffly, not letting his confusion as to how she knew his name seep through his facade.

And as soon as Violet was escorted out of the building, Carter grabbed Liam's hand once more and began pulling him toward Scott, Agent McCall, and Sheriff Stilinski who had been approaching both of the McCalls. When Carter made her way over, Scott's eyes widened before rushing to her side. When he made his way to her, she instantly wrapped her arms around his neck. Agent McCall watched in admiration as his son pulled the brunette girl into his arms, he had never seen so much emotion being displayed through such a simple gesture.

Reluctantly, Scott pulled away, "Are you okay? I thought you took off again."

The sadness in his voice caused another wave of guilt to surge through her chest. She was still paying the price for the way she left things when she skipped town with Raeven. The letters to Stiles, Scott, and Derek were shitty ways to say goodbye, but she wasn't able to bring herself to do it in person. And she left Scott wallowing in all of his unresolved feelings for her and his grief for Allison.

She smiled sadly up at him, placing a hand gently on the side of his neck, cupping his jaw. "I know when I left with Raeven I left things between us unsettled, and for that, I'm sorry. But, Scott, you can't take your anger toward me out on Stiles. He did nothing wrong. You didn't either, and neither did I. It's my cursed Pheanixs genes that pulled our relationship apart. I just want you to know that I'm never leaving again. And I—" she paused, feeling a thick ball swell up in her throat. She needed to tell him while she still had the courage or she never would. Even though she was in a relationship with Stiles, she needed him to know. "Scott, I—"

"Sheriff, what is that? Is that the weapon?"

Upon hearing those words, the two broke apart. Carter kicked at the ground while Agent McCall's eyes fell upon the evidence bag in Stilinski's hand. "Yeah, it's a uh, thermo-cut wire." McCall continued to eye the thermo-cut wire, quickly turned around before calling out: "Parrish, hold up!" Confused, yet interested, Stilinski followed after the FBI Agent as they went to go speak with Violet once more.

Glancing toward Liam, Scott asked: "Where's Kira?"

"She took off," Liam announced. "Stiles told her about Lydia cracking the second part of the deadpool."

"Her mom's on it," Carter breathed out. "And so was Kate Argent and Jordan Parrish. I didn't even know Parrish was anything other than human—well, I didn't know for sure, I had my suspicions."

"Everyone's on it," Liam corrected.

Scott shook his head. "Not everyone. Not you and Logan."

"Not yet. There's still another third, right?"

"Thermo-cut wire's a very unusual weapon, Violet." Carter cocked her head to the side, listening to what Agent McCall was saying to Violet down the hall. "Now, we've got a file at the Bureau on something similar. Used in over a dozen murders."

Violet's pulse jumped, but didn't show any sign of guilt. "I don't know what you're talking about. I just go to school here."

"Maybe we should call your parents then—oh, no. That's right. You don't have any parents." Agent McCall's words seemed to anger the petite brunette, narrowing her eyes at the man. "That's why they call you The Orphans." As Jordan began to pull Violet away from the Agent, McCall leaned over and whispered to Stilinski: "We need to find her boyfriend, Garrett."