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On cue, my right-hand man turned his tablet around so we could all see the screen. It showed a man and a woman inside a boxing ring, the woman slim and blond, decked out in a shiny white bodysuit and mask.
As the video played, the two circled each other, exchanging blows, until the woman managed to get a chokehold on the guy. When she stepped forward in her victory stance, Gideon paused and zoomed in on her face. Even slightly blurred, I could see Gia beneath the mask now that I knew to look for her.
“One of our men also found the duffel bag Mercy mentioned tossed behind a dumpster at the edge of the parking lot where they initially argued,” I said. “Gia mustn’t have had time to stash it properly in her hurry to get back here and make sure Mercy didn’t reveal too much. It had her mask in it and tape for binding her knuckles, a bunch of cash, and some flyers she must have been going to put up in town for her father’s auto shop.”
“Jesus Christ.” Kaige raked a hand through his dark hair. “I’m just—this is all so crazy. Titus was the strongest guy here. I still don’t see—getting the jump onhim…”
“Well, we all assumed she was weak and stupid until about twelve hours ago, didn’t we?” I said dryly.
Anthea nodded. “She must have tucked herself against the wall on the fire escape so he wouldn’t see her as he climbed out, and then jumped on him from behind. Once she’d caught him in the right position, there wouldn’t be much he could do. And she’d already set him up to fall by messing with the railing beforehand.”
“Huh. I guess we should start keeping a closer eye on the groupies.” Kaige let out a rough chuckle.
Rowan watched me carefully. He might have had some tie to Mercy I didn’t think he’d fully shared, but he’d proven over and over that he’d do whatever it took to support and defend the Nobles. I wouldn’t have welcomed him into my inner circle if I hadn’t been sure of his loyalty.
As expected, his next words were an offer to be of service. “Is there anything else you need done to tie this all up?”
I shook my head. “Most of it was contained right here. We’ll share the evidence with my father, and he’ll ensure his people know who the real killer was. Some Steel Knights lackeys might miss their cash-cow fighter, but that’s their problem, not ours.”
At my gesture of dismissal, the guys, including Gideon, headed out. Anthea lingered, pushing herself off the desk. “Wylder, a word?”
I spread my hands. “Say whatever you want.” Anthea could sometimes be very stubborn about particular ideas, but she had our family’s best interests at heart no matter what. And from the moment I’d been designated as heir, she’d treated me as if she couldn’t imagine anyone better for the position, unlike… more people than I’d prefer to consider right now.
She sank into the chair Gideon had vacated. “I want to talk about Mercy.”
I raised an eyebrow. “What about her? If you’re going to suggest we kick her out after all this—”
“No,” she said with much more vehemence than I was prepared for. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m telling you that you’d better lay off the games and give her the respect she deserves.”
I blinked at her and pretended to examine her head. “I’m not sure I heard you right. Are you sure you don’t have a concussion after that accident?”
She swatted me. “I’m serious. She saved my life yesterday even though she had no reason to. She could have let it happen—I’m sure Gideon could tell you the chances of my dying if my brakes failed going down that hill are incredibly high—and after the way I’ve come down on her, I wouldn’t have blamed her. But she threw herself in harm’s way to protect me. You can’t buy that kind of integrity.” A hint of a smile touched her lips. “I might even call it ‘nobility.’”
“It’s not as if we Nobles are exactly known for living up to the name,” I muttered, and threw back another gulp of brandy. As it burned down my throat, I considered her point. “I told her I’d crack down on the Steel Knights if she cleared Kaige’s name. She’s done that, and I’m at least noble enough to be good to my word. But it sounds like you’re suggesting we don’t just take up her cause until we’ve crushed those pricks but actually make her one of our own.”
“It sounds like that because thatiswhat I’m suggesting.”
I studied my aunt for a long moment. She wasn’t won over easily. Neither was I, and part of me had been picturing what it’d be like to have Mercy by my side for good ever since I’d seen her in all her bloody glory last night. But that didn’t mean it was a wise idea. There were other considerations.
“It might be difficult for her to fit in, in the long run,” I hedged.
“She doesn’t have to fit perfectly,” Anthea said. “She’ll make her own place, just like I made mine. She’s been a formidable enemy, as much as it was my fault for making her one, and I suspect she’ll become an even better ally.”
Mercy really had done a number on her. I’d never seen Anthea support anyone quite so emphatically—especially after being on a tear to get the same person removed from our lives just a day before.
I groped for another argument and couldn’t come up with any I wanted to say out loud. Annoyingly enough, Anthea read my silence. Her voice softened. “I know why you’re hesitant. But she’s not Laurel.”
I stiffened. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Of course she’s not. Why would I be comparing them?”
“Loss changes a fundamental part of us,” Anthea said, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “I don’t blame you for being wary at all.”
“My concerns about Mercy have nothing to do with that,” I said, but even to my own ears, it sounded like feeble defense.
Maybe it didn’t matter why I was hesitating but only that I could see I didn’t need to. Mercy had managed to hold her own against Gia, who was a seasoned MMA fighter with brutal strength. She hadn’t backed down when I’d asked her to chop up a man, not shying away once despite her obvious disgust.
I’d pushed her and pushed her again, determined to find a weak point, to bring it out into the open while I could still get her out of here in one piece. But she’d always pushed right back.
Until the freezer. I worked my jaw, remembering how Mercy had shuddered and gasped on the floor afterward. Like she was already dying. I closed my eyes.
