Page 107 of Wicked Brutal

Nobody says anything for a second. X is the one who breaks it. “Well, that’s fucking sinister. Did Ally know Mercer? Bellamy? Hollis or Vane?”

“No. They moved into money after that. Roman told Victor not through the foundation.”

Clifford looks at Arthur. “Which foundation?”

“We don’t know.” I continue. “Victor said, ‘The usual.’ Roman said after Pennington he wasn’t having anything trace back there.”

Kaiden’s coffee stops halfway to his mouth. “What?”

“That’s what Ally heard.”

Kaiden lowers the cup. “Pennington.”

I keep going. “Victor said Pennington was careless.”

Kaiden’s face goes blank. Not confused. Not surprised. That cold fucking Kaiden expression that usually means someone should start running. “And Roman?”

“Agreed.”

“That’s it?”

“No.” I look toward Xander. “Then Lucian came up.”

X doesn’t move. “What’d they say?”

“Roman said Lucian was careless too.”

X laughs once without humor. “That’s cute.”

“Victor called him arrogant.”

“Also accurate.” Gideon’s hand settles against X’s shoulder. X doesn’t shrug him off.

I look at Danny next. “And Hartley.” Theodore’s eyes close briefly. Danny’s fingers tighten around his coffee.

“What about her?” he asks.

“Victor called her stupid.”

Danny’s mouth moves slightly. “Also accurate.”

Nobody laughs. Arthur watches him for a second before looking back at me. “What did Roman say?”

“That’s when the conversation changed.” I glance at my notes even though I don’t need them for this part. This part has been stuck in my fucking head since Ally told me. “Roman said there were a lot of people around Edgewood suddenly making mistakes.”

Callum sits forward. “What did he mean?”

“Them.” I gesture toward the papers on Arthur’s desk. “Pennington. Lucian. Hartley. The families we’ve been dealing with all year.”

Kaiden’s eyes narrow. “And then?”

I look at the four assholes sitting around me. “Then they talked about us.”

X sits forward. “Us?”

“The five of us.”

Iz’s coffee lowers. Danny is completely awake now.