My grip on the pistol tightened, and I pointed it directly at Bradley. “Should I see if it’s a fake?”
“Oh, it isn’t,” he said, ducking his head with such speed that I knew it had to be genuine. I’d never seen him move so fast before. “It’s very, very real, and very, very loaded. If you wouldn’t mind, my dear Amanda...”
“The safety’s on anyway,” I said, lowering it. To Greyson, I added, “What do you think?”
He shrugged. “It couldn’t hurt to see what he has to say.”
With the gun securely in my hand, I stepped aside, and finally Dr. Hatchet and Minister Bradley entered. Neither of them made a move to sit down in the living area, and instead we lingered in a circle near the doorway. More beads ofsweat formed on Bradley’s forehead, and he dabbed his face with a handkerchief. No one could fa
