Argus scowled. “Don’t touch my bourbon, witch.” He slid a panel in the wall, revealing a dark passage, and waved us forward. “Come on, let’s go.”
Vivian reacted first, rushing to his side. He looped an arm around her waist.
“That’s right, love. Watch your step.”
She shook off his arm and dove into the passage.
Argus laughed. “She’ll come around. Witch, don’t forget to close the panel.”
I started to follow but remembered the ledger with Jane’s information sitting on his desk. I had to take it with me. A boot slammed into the office door, and I rounded the desk, snatching the ledger, then ran for the passage just as the door splintered open. I shrieked, covering my face from flying debris.
“You, there. Stop!” a man shouted.
It was too late. I slid the panel back into place. At least they wouldn’t arrest Vivian.
Numbness washed over me as the authorities streamed into the office. They shouted for me to raise my hands, then one of them ripped my arms behind my back and strung a pair of iron cuffs around my wrists. An officer picked up the ledger I’d gone back for, but I lost sight of him, pushed from behind by a rough set of hands. They loaded us into a wagon enclosed by bars, and I spotted Thug Number One and Two sitting in the back. They inclined their heads when they saw me and shoved the man next to them to make room. The carriage rolled forward, and we were herded away, into the night.
***
I waited in the holding cell for an hour, then two. What was taking so long? Everyone else had been transported further into the prison already. Fear rooted me to my chair. Part of me wanted the holding cell door to remain closed, to keep me locked away from the consequences of my actions. I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting against the panic.
Going to see Argus was the right thing to do. I clung to that thought, desperate for it to soothe my frayed nerves. Derrick would understand when I explained why I went there. He’d listen. He always listened, even when I made his life difficult.
Footsteps thudded down the hall and came to a stop behind the cell door. My breath stalled in the back of my throat as the knob turned and the hinges whined. Derrick stood in the threshold, his fingers clamped around a thick folder. I couldn’t breathe at the look in his eyes. It was a dark, thundercloud of a look that sucked all air from the room. I’d witnessed disappointment numerous times, but this was something else.Devastation.
His gaze pinned me to the seat. I was drowning in it, choking on the raw anguish. I sucked in an aching breath.
“I’m sorry. I—”
“Save it.” Derrick strode toward the table, and the folder landed with a smack against the hard surface. The fear inside my heart expanded, turning my insides to ice. He wasn’t going to listen. He stood, chest rising and falling with uneven breaths, his eyes drinking me in. For a fleeting second, they were filled with a mixture of relief and longing so powerful it made my stomach clench.
Then, it disappeared.
“Miss Daniels.” My name cracked like a whip. “Start by explaining how long you’ve been working for a known criminal, and finish by giving me a single reason why I shouldn’t throw you in the hole with the rest of his men.”
Chapter 24
It was hard to speak around the throb in my throat. I closed my eyes to shut out his accusing stare, but I could still see it burning behind my eyelids.
“I know this looks bad.”
“Answer the question. How long have you been working for Argus Ward?”
The table creaked with his weight. I opened my eyes to find him braced on his fists, his face an iron mask.
“I don’t work for Argus Ward. You’re making a mistake.”
“Am I?” His lips curled in a sneer. “Then explain why, when I questioned his men, they claimed you’ve been feeding him information about Ironhazel.”
“They’re wrong. I’m not feeding him infor—”
“Damn it, Tessa!” He slammed a fist on the table. “I trusted you. Do you have any idea the type of man Argus is? The kind of danger you’ve put yourself in?” He tore open the folder and spread out its pages.
A series of rugged faces stared back, all of them associates of Argus. Derrick stabbed the top image with his finger. It was the mountain of a man Vivian and I had approached on the street.
“Do you think this is a game? Assault, theft, attempted murder. This criminal is sitting in a cell after tonight’s raid. He isn’t fit to speak your name, and yet he knows things about you that I don’t.” A pained expression tightened his features. Derrick exhaled and dropped his chin to his chest. “Tell me, why?”
“I’m trying. Let me explain.” I stood and paced the floor, struggling to find the right words. They all sounded inadequate in the face of his anger. “I don’t work for Argus. I owe him money. Lots of money.” Self-loathing pulsed through my body, a feeling so familiar it felt like coming home. “Are you happy now? I screwed up. I always screw up, don’t I? The magic shop was failing, and Argus was a temporary solution that spiraled out of control. I needed to pay him back. I’m sure you of all people know what happens when payments are missed. I was desperate. Ella had been murdered, and then you walked into my shop and charged me with fines! What was I supposed to do? I was sinking. I had to make impossible choices.”
