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Figured that out for myself, Zoe.
“Don’t let me stop you.” I continued on, tossing over my shoulder, “See ya.”
I made it as far as the ugly hats when my phone went off. I fished it out. My grin twisted reading the screen.
Web Alert: Brotherhood
“What the hell?” I set up an alert for any mention of the title brotherhood in all of cyberspace. This was the first time I got a hit.
Ducking into my own curtain of clothes, I opened the link.
My eyes narrowed, then widened. My jaw clenched, then parted. My brows snapped together, then rose higher.
All the emotions crossed my face as Vito Bernardi filled my screen, promising Cinco he would blow up a random location unless—
“Half a million dollars to a charity?” I cried. “The only people you give a shit about is yourself and your reflection.”
This was some kind of trick. A game. And I would find this bastard before he got to the end.
MACKENZIE
“It’s not quite there.”
I took a deep breath and let it out slow. Anger wouldn’t help the situation. “Mr. Hollywell, you know I’ve got a direct line to the client,” I said slowly. “He loves these designs as is. They don’t require changes.”
“If he loves the rough draft, he’ll love the polished version even more.”
I bit hard on my lip, penning in the response that flew to my tongue at “rough draft.” I knew exactly what was happening. Hollywell was exploiting his modicum of power over me as an outlet for the frustrations he couldn’t take out on Sunny. I knew why. Didn’t mean I had to fucking like it.
“You’re suggesting I give Sunny something other than what he wants?”
Vance’s back muscles tensed. “Not at all,” he said, trying for innocent. “What I’m doing is reminding you that these designs will wear the Caddell label. While Sunny’s preferences are priority, everything that leaves this building must be on brand. This is not quite there.”
He was having a lot of fun repeating that phrase while he circled my mannequins, frowning harder at each one.
Technically, I still had time on Genny’s deadline, but I did promise her to speed things up. Hollywell didn’t know or care about my promises.
“Can you be more specific with your notes?” I asked. “Which ones aren’t on brand?”
“Oh, dear.” He sighed mournfully. “Well, all of them, to be frank. These two are unsalvageable.” Vance pointed to two blue patterned suits. I chose the color for how deliciously they brought out the blue specks in Sunny’s silver eyes. “This one might work if we raise the cuffs. Write this down, Miss Blaine. We’ve got a lot of—”
The door flew open. “You, out.”
“Excuse me? I—”
Genny propelled the man out the door and slammed it in his face. I stood there in bug-eyed shock, half reaching for my sketchpad.
“Gen, what’s that about?”
“Look at this.” Towing me to the window seat, she shoved her phone in my face. The news anchor prattled on for a bit, then a video came on the screen. “Vito resurfaces and does this? What the fuck is he trying to do?”
“Ah, yes,” I drew out. “There’s something I have to tell you...”
Ten minutes later, I was about to be hurled through the door.
“What did you say?” she hissed. “You and Liam found Vito, and you fucking kept that from me!?”
“We found him last night. It was all so quick.”
“Not an excuse!”
“But there is one,” I cried, throwing my hands up. “Liam didn’t tell anyone else because he wanted me to be the one to torture him.”
Surprise broke through her rage. “Wait, what?”
“He was giving me the cold, hard truth about what it is to choose this life. Honestly, I think it was a test. The point was that it just be the two of us. You, Bane, or Sunny couldn’t step in and help me. I had to do it... or prove I couldn’t.” I blew out a breath, slumping against the window. “Spoiler alert: I couldn’t do it.
“I came up with this video and bomb thing as another way to get him to open up. After that, I asked Liam not to say anything before there was something to tell. If I’m not going to torture him, no one else will either.”
Rage returned fast. “The fuck I won’t! Why the hell am I scaring people out of closets when the person with the answers is kicking back in Astoria? He is in Astoria, isn’t he?” My face twitched. “I knew it. Liam is so predictable.”
“Gen, please.” I grabbed her arm as she shot up. “A news channel ran the story. More will too. My plan is working. Just let it play out.”
“Kenzie, sweetums.” She popped a kiss on my forehead. “Liam obviously threw you in the deep end before you were ready. I’ll be kicking his ass for that promptly. But in the meantime, real shit is going down and real people are dying. Vito knew about my warehouse fire all along, and I know he’s got more information in that dense skull. I’m not sitting around because you can’t stomach doing what needs to be done.”
