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The guys nod along. They believe me.
Being part of the Killers Club is better than any witness protection. The ability to defend yourself beats being a sitting duck. I don’t need to wait to be saved.
“As part of the deal, I had to cut all ties with my old life,” I say. “A year later, the case fell apart when Matteo was murdered. After that, I left the country to start over.”
“If he wasn’t already dead, I’d kill the fucker myself,” Seb growls.
He’s serious. His shoulders shake in bloodthirsty fury. The charming guy who is in line for the throne is long gone. I press my thighs together. I think I like the murderous version of him better.
“I never wanted to lie about who I was or my past,” I say to Seb. Another lie. What’s another to add to the long list? Lying is part of my job. It’s how I survive and gets me closer to delivering Spencer the punishment he deserves. “But I made a new life. I even changed my appearance.” I pause to take out my blue contact lenses and make the point. “No one can find out who I am. What if one of Matteo’s friends found out I worked with the police? He’s dead, but his connections aren’t…”
A dog barks from another room, and I turn my head toward it. “You have a dog?”
“She’s not normally this loud.” Freddie smiles apologetically. “She must be excited. Let me bring her through.”
I expect him to return with a vicious guard dog. Instead, my mouth falls open.
All the air is kicked from my chest.
No, it can’t be…
CHAPTER4
IVY
Igasp. “Pippy?”
Daisy’s puppy—well, not so little now—bounds over. She jumps onto my lap, licking my hands and knees. She recognises me.
How many sleepless nights have I spent worrying about what happened to her? My sister loved Pippy more than anything. Daisy’s belongings, including our house, got sold at auction, but I never found out what happened to Pippy. Tears blur my vision as I stroke her soft fur. She’s bigger now, clambering all over me and nuzzling my cheek.
“She remembers you,” Freddie says.
“How did you find her?”
“You may think I’m crazy,” he replies, “but I went looking for answers…”
Pippy licks my face in reply. I hug her, remembering how she enjoyed curling up at Daisy’s feet and chewing her slippers to shreds. Daisy used to rant about it, even though she could never stay mad at her for long. She was a mischievous puppy who’d already been rehomed twice before Daisy took her in. Few people could tame Pippy’s wild energy, but Daisy never gave up on her… and neither did Freddie.
“When I found her,” he says, “I had to take her.”
Guilt stabs at my chest like a machete plunging into my heart. He cared enough about a random woman he met at a bar to take in her sister’s dog.
“Hey, Pip,” I coo, stroking her in that sweet spot behind her ears. “You’re not so small anymore.”
Pippy tilts her head to the side. Her big brown eyes look at me inquisitively, like she’s asking a question.Where’s Daisy? Is she coming back too?I think back to our cosy nights at the cottage and walks on the beach. The lovely few weeks we should have had before Spencer took it all away.
“You should call Bethany,” Seb says, cutting through my chaotic mash of emotions. “Tell her you won’t be home tonight. You don’t want her to worry.”
He scratches Pippy’s head fondly. Her tongue hangs out excitedly, and she rubs herself against his palm, loving his attention. They’ve taken good care of her. How is this fair? The Dukes are supposed to be criminals, not doggy babysitters with perfect muscles.
“It’s fine. She’s staying with friends for a week,” I say, pulling myself together and remembering why I’m here. This is a job, just like all the others.
“I think we’ve talked enough for one night,” Freddie says. He stands and smooths down the crinkles in his trousers. “You can stay in our spare room while you’re here. I’ll show you around.”
Seb opens his mouth to speak but says nothing as I stand. I follow Freddie out of the living room, and Pippy trots along behind us. We reach a winding staircase. It’s industrial steel—very cosmopolitan. Pippy whimpers, patting her paw on the bottom step.
“She normally sleeps in my room,” he explains, scooping her into his arms like a baby. “Although I’m sure she’ll prefer staying with you tonight.”
