Page 11 of Duality

“You got it, boss,” Liam said, none of his usual levity in his tone. Maya slid into a seat next to him and started typing.

“Grace, Danny, get me answers.” I leveled a look at Grace. I wanted this leak found. I also didn’t care if they needed to useforce to get it. We didn’t use force often, but it never hurt to remind people we carried a big fucking stick when we needed to. She nodded and tilted her head at Danny.

“What do you need from me?” Izzy asked. I shut my eyes briefly before opening them.

“I need to talk to Eric’s husband, Clayton, and break the news.”

Izzy nodded, her face grim. As a detective for many years, she was familiar with making the next-of-kin notifications. “I have their address. He should be home by now.”

The ride to Eric and Clayton’s house was silent. I was a mixture of grief and rage. This wasn’t the first time I had failed someone the Archers helped. The first person I had failed was Riley Monroe, a domestic violence survivor who’d reached out to The Archers for help to escape her abusive husband, a prominent real estate developer. Riley had been smart and resourceful, collecting evidence against her husband for years before she reached out to us for help. Her husband had lots of connections, but we had carefully crafted a plan to get her out when she made her weekly spa trip. But something went wrong, and Riley never showed up. Two days later, she had been found dead in her home. The coroner ruled it a suicide, but I knew better. Her husband had found out she was trying to leave and had killed her for it. I had promised Riley we would get her out, and I had failed. The worst part was that her husband still walked around like a grieving widower, and the best we could do was spread rumors that he had killed her.

No, this wasn’t the first time I had lost someone, but I never got used to it. This was the first time Citadel had executed a hit, though. They were getting bold. Too bold. There would be time for retribution later. First, I had to have one of the most difficult conversations of my life.

Eric and Clayton had actually met doing Archers work. Clayton was a nurse at the city hospital and had patched Eric and me up when a mission had gone sideways. When we brought a girl in for medical attention a few months later, Clayton had confronted us about being gang members. By the time we were done explaining, we had a loyal contact at the hospital, and Eric had Clayton’s number. They’d gotten married last year, and I had officiated the wedding. God, this was going to break Clayton’s heart.

“This isn’t your fault,” Izzy said, breaking the silence as we turned down their street.

“It’s my organization. It’s always my fault.” I laughed bleakly. The argument was a familiar one. “I promised her she would be safe. Eric should have been safe.”

Izzy didn’t say anything until we parked in Eric and Clayton’s driveway behind Clayton’s car. What was there to say? I hadn’t realized that her employer hired Citadel. I should have had Liam check to make sure. I should have known Citadel would have cleaned up the nightclub owner’s mess. They’d cleaned up other ‘messes’. In the past, I thought that meant paying them off and making evidence disappear. But that was naïve, and unfortunately, two of mine had to die before I could see what was right in front of me.

“We’ll get them,” Izzy promised.

I nodded and swallowed hard as we knocked on the door. Clayton answered. His eyes went wide when he saw us standing there. He shook his head, tears already streaming down his face.

“No…” he wailed as he crumbled.

“Letus know if he needs anything, okay?” I told Clayton’s sister, Emmy. “Izzy will be in touch to help with funeral arrangements. He doesn’t have to worry about a thing.”

Emmy nodded, tears still leaking from the corner of her eyes. Clayton’s big family had embraced Eric whole-heartedly. “I will.”

I squeezed her arm one more time before turning back to the car. I was halfway down the front walkway when she called my name.

“Promise me you’ll get the ones who did this.”

I froze and turned slowly back around. I wasn’t sure how much Emmy knew about the Archers and Eric’s involvement, but her eyes were fierce, and they pierced through me.

I dipped my head once. “I will.” It was a vow, and she nodded sharply before pivoting on her heel and going back inside to her sobbing brother.

I blew out a slow breath as I struggled to get my emotions under control. I could grieve later. But now, I had to keep it together. Brittany didn’t have any family to notify, so we drove down to the city coroner’s office. I swallowed against the lump in my throat as I identified the bodies. I made arrangements with the coroner for the funerals. Emmy had helped me recover Eric’s will and last intentions document, so Clayton wouldn’t have to worry about a thing.

Izzy stayed at my side during all of it. Her stoic presence helped me keep it together when all I wanted to do was to storm into Citadel’s office, guns blazing. I think she knew that, because she never took me up on my offer to drive.

When we finally exited the coroner’s office, it was close to 9 p.m. My phone rang. I looked down at it, then muted the ringer.

“Again?” Izzy asked carefully.

It was the fifth call I had dodged from Alexander. I was sure he had questions and was worried, but if I heard his voice, any oftheir voices, right now, I would shatter into pieces I would never be able to pick up.

I nodded, and she grimaced. “You don’t have to pick up the call. But we also don’t need him sending people to find you.”

I bit my lip. She had a good point. I typed out a quick message that I had a family emergency and would be in tomorrow morning.

“You could call in sick tomorrow,” Izzy said, reading over my shoulder. “I’m sure they would understand.”

I shook my head. “We have another meeting with R&D about the new security system. I need to be there to take notes.”

And catch up on what I missed today. The information about the security system could help the Archers prevent what happened today from ever happening again. All of our safe houses had security systems, but clearly, there was a flaw. The primary feature of this security system that SDS’s R&D was presenting was its invisibility. Unless you knew where to look, cameras and sensors could be hidden. I didn’t know where we were going to come up with the funds to buy a system, but I could use the information to maybe make our systems better.