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“I’ll give you more power than the Dukes can,” Alaric says. “They’re a bunch of unsophisticated criminals. They’re small fry. You’re made for bigger things. The Killers Club can give you everything you’ve ever wanted. I want you to join us.”
I crack open the Coke with a pop and slug it. The sugary drink and his words make me uneasy. Is this the same speech he used on Ivy and the others he recruited? I tilt my head to the side, wanting him to elaborate. The more he talks, the better my chance of working out his true intentions.
“I’ll level with you,” he says, trying to give the illusion that we’re friends. “I don’t want to keep you down here, tethered like a dog. There’s a place waiting for you upstairs, but I’ll need your word.”
I open my mouth to make a point.Giving my word would be easier if you hadn’t cut out my fucking tongue.
“Still a sarcastic fucker, huh?” He chuckles. “Nod your head if you’re interested.”
I take a long pause, and his eyes lock on mine. Nothing is hiding behind them. He’s barely human. He doesn’t care about his agents, contrary to how he acts. All he wants is control. Getting people to kill for you is the ultimate act of God. But this lifeline he’s giving me could be the only way to survive.
I wipe my mouth on the back of my hand, then nod curtly.
“Good.” Alaric smiles, sliding the custard creams across the floor like he’s giving his pet dog a treat for good behaviour. “But I need you to prove you’re serious. If you want to join us, I need something from you in return.”
Pet or not, I grab the custard creams before he can take them back and gesture for him to keep talking.
“Ivy has been gallivanting with your old friends,” he says. My ears prick up. “I need you to test Ivy’s loyalty.”
I scoff. She seemed pretty loyal when she was ripping my fingernails off.
“I’ll give you the combination to your cell door. If you can talk Ivy into opening it, she fails the test,” he says. “She’ll be watching you for the next few weeks, trying to get information out of you. That’s all the time you’ll have.” He reaches into the takeaway bag and retrieves a notebook and pen stashed in the bottom of it. “You’ll communicate with her in writing.”
I pick them up and write:
What happens if she doesn’t open the door?
“Then I have nothing to worry about,” he replies. “Life continues as normal.”
And if she opens the door?
“That’s not something to concern yourself with.” He grins menacingly. “But if you don’t try your best, we’ll have a problem.”
What will happen to the Dukes?
“To show you my generosity, I’ll let the Dukes live for now. If you follow through with our deal and join us, I’ll negotiate with them,” he says. “I’ll give them a chance to leave the country unless they want to die an excruciating death at the hands of our newest agent.” His eyes glitter. “I haven’t forgotten what you’re capable of.”
I’d rather die than join the Killers Club, but I can buy the Dukes more time.
Alaric stands and brushes himself off. “Do we have ourselves a deal?”
I nod.Well, for now…
CHAPTER5
IVY
Killers Club HQ is the opposite of the Dukes’ kitschy cottage. I gaze through the window into the starkly lit medical room where Jonathon is sleeping. Bandages are wrapped around his head, and Ash and the Basilisk’s music blares in the background.
“It’s an odd choice of a lullaby, right?” Stephanie creeps up behind me from out of nowhere, making me jump. Her outfit choice is fitting: a skin-tight black shiny jumpsuit that makes her look like a spy.
“If anyone’s voice will heal him, it’ll be Ash’s,” I say confidently. “She has the perfect scream.”
I make a mental note to buy Jonathon a ticket to see them when he recovers. After Ash had a baby, the band took a break, but rumour has it, they’re getting ready to do a comeback world tour. Having Ash as a mum and hot masked dads must be the coolest—although Jonathon went into mourning after her pregnancy announcement. He couldn’t handle the thought of her fucking someone other than him in his dreams.
“How are you adjusting?” she asks.
I’m not sure whether she’s asking as my friend or superior. Since day one, Stephanie has had my back, but her loyalty to Alaric supersedes all else. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t tell her what happened during my time with the Dukes. I can’t trust her, or anyone else, within these walls—especially after seeing how she reacted at the manor.
