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I breathe a sigh of relief at her normal bubbly personality returning. Maybe they won’t kill me after all.
“The Dukes have killed two of our agents!” Alaric slams the steering wheel with his fists. “They won’t get away with it.”
“Patience, my love.” Stephanie places a perfectly manicured hand on his forearm to calm him and stop us from crashing. “All in good time.”
“So, what did I miss at HQ?” I ask. It’s been less than a week, but it already feels like a lifetime. “I heard the Lotus is back in the city—the Dukes were talking about Doyle Jackson’s death, and I recognised her signature. When can I meet her?”
“You know the rules,” Stephanie says. She flips the sun visor down and uses the compact mirror to touch up her pink lip gloss. “It’s safer for everyone if we don’t know each other’s identities.”
It’s a rule I’ve never agreed with. What if we accidentally killed each other? There are other Killers Club buildings dotted across the globe where other agents live, but Alaric keeps us isolated in ‘pods’ of five or six.
“It’s unfortunate that the rest of your pod are dead or in the hospital,” Alaric says. “I can’t decide whether that’s an ill-fated coincidence or if you’re the problem.”
Or perhaps I had the doomed luck of being grouped with incompetent imbeciles. The Tweedles killed themselves by walking into bullets and not following the rules. Jonathon’s better at his job, but I’m not to blame for his inability to beat Bram in a fight.
“I’ve never let you down. And I don’t plan on starting now. I would have killed the Dukes if I had more time.” I decide to change the subject, steering it away from less rocky waters. “How is Jonathon?”
“He can open his eyes and sip a drink through a straw, so it’s an improvement,” Stephanie says dismissively, now touching up her bronzer. “He’ll be fine.”
“Good.” The guy survived getting his throat slashed, so this is nothing in comparison. “And what about our prisoner?”
Although I don’t care what happens to Bram, I saw how much he meant to Seb and Freddie. His death would crush them.
“He’s still alive and kicking,” Stephanie says. “For now.”
For some reason, knowing that makes my chest feel lighter. It’s been a long night. Inhaling the smoke from the fire must be messing with my head.
“It’s good to have you back, Ivy,” Alaric says in a glacial tone.
He grins, but it looks more like a grimace, putting me on edge. I’m not forgiven yet.
“It’s good to be back,” I reply, forcing a smile.
I left destruction in my wake, but I might be heading into something far worse…
CHAPTER2
SEB
Isplutter as acrid smoke assaults my lungs. The rising smog makes it hard to see, and the heat from the flames burns my cheeks as it devours a manor that’s been a British institution for years. Watching it burn would be a beautiful sight if the woman I love wasn’t trapped inside.
“Rose,” I rasp. My throat is hoarse from how many times I’ve screamed her name. “Rose!”
She doesn’t answer.
Other guests tried to drag bodies out of the smoke but ended up leaving them behind because they were too afraid of ending up like them. Five men lie dead around Lord Callahan. There’s no sign of my beauty in a ballgown.
I shield my face from the falling debris. There’s a bang at the end of the corridor. The walls look like they’re shaking as flames lick up their sides.
Where is she?
Why didn’t I follow her?
Fuck! I don’t know why I thought bringing her here was a good idea. Selfishly, I wanted to introduce her to my family and bring her into my world, but I should have known better.
I peel off my suit jacket and hold it over my head as I trudge closer to the flames, pushing against all of my instincts telling me to run. I won’t leave without her. Walking is like wading through quicksand. I struggle to keep my watery eyes open.
“Sebastian!” My mother’s screech rings over the rest of the crowd. “Somebody stop him!”
