“Difference?”
“I told him people knew he was drugging women.”
“And?”
“He laughed.”
Ronan stared.
“You were there when he read it?”
“No.”
“How do you know he laughed?”
“He replied.”
“To the anonymous account.”
“Yes.”
“What did he say?”
Elliot’s mouth tightened.
“Something about whoever sent it being a pussy.”
Ronan almost smiled despite himself.
“Charming.”
“Very.”
“And then you followed him.”
“Yes.”
“Mask?”
“Yes.”
There it was. The first time. The mask before it became Bellweather folklore. Before Mason cracked the cheek. Before Saint copied it. Ronan’s stomach tightened.
“Where?”
“Service alley behind the bar.”
“What were you planning?”
Elliot looked at him. Ronan regretted asking the second he saw the answer.
“To kill him.”
No hesitation. No pretending it became violent accidentally. Planned. Ronan swallowed.
“Okay.”
Elliot watched his face. Ronan hated that too. He was always waiting to see which truth finally made Ronan leave.