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“So Jeremy’s the one behind this, and Henderson’s his decoy.” It’s not a question. I know now that it’s the truth.
“Yeah, but Henderson’s so power hungry and full of himself that he thinks he’s in charge of it all. From what I can piece together, Jeremy’s on his way up the ladder. Someone high up in the government is named in Henderson’s blackmail documents. If Jeremy gets his hands on that shit, he’s going to command a whole lot of power, more than any Knight.”
“Fucking Jeremy must have shit on Henderson, too. Am I right? Neither one can blow up the other. It’s the perfect system of checks and goddamn balances.” I close my eyes a moment. “Unless someone else comes in to do the deed and then goes down in flames forit.”
That would beme.
“Give the fucking asshole the whole bouquet of flowers.” He lifts an eyebrow. “You’ve got it.”
“Fuck.” My mind trips back to the conversation in the car. “So who the fuck is the client who wanted Henderson dead? Someone working with Jeremy?”
“The client’s definitely a Knight. Not sure which one, there are a few it could be. Jones or Smith, maybe. Could be Lola, but she’s been away for a long time.” He stands up and stretches his arms overhead. “The thing is, killing Henderson is all about stealing back his stash of information. The Jeremy connection is separate. Nobody knows about that other than us. Whatever Henderson has, it’s enough to send the whole fucking organization into a tailspin, and they think the only way to protect themselves is by icing him.”
“I already spoke to Smith,” I say, spooling out a little more of what I learned on my way here. “He didn’t have much information, just thoughts on who and why Henderson was targeted. I don’t think he put the hit out.”
“Did Henderson say anything to you about me?”
“No. You ditched your old identity a long time ago and buried it for good. Nobody knows your history.” I give him a pointed look. “Except me.”
“Everyone involved with this conspiracy will be completely fucked unless you figure out a way to destroy the shit Henderson has on you and whoever else in the Knights. Everyone, including fucking Ivy.” He turns a glare on me, his gray eyes bleeding into black. “Your life will be over. And so will hers.”
The world goes dark inside of me as I piece theories together into an answer I don’t like. “This whole thing has to be a goddamn trap set by Jeremy. I’ll bet my left nut it’s not just information on some of us. It has to expose us all if he’s going to become king. I have to take them both down. Thereisn’t anyone else who can do it. Smith and Jones can’t get into Broken Angel, it’ll raise too many flags. So either I risk my life and everything crumbling around us, or?—”
“Or fucking sell my sister into hell, which was always your Plan B.” Orion, formerly known as Jaxson Gardner, pulls out a gun from the waistband of his jeans. He waves it in front of my face. “But there’s no way I’m gonna let that happen. So maybe the other option is I just kill you now.”
THIRTY-SIX
ivy
A shudder runs through me,the brisk chill of the day seeping through my clothes.
At first, the man’s words don’t register.
I hear “sister,” but I’m still trying to place the familiar feel and tone to the man Mercer’s talking to.
Sister.
It festers in my mind. Burning.
Sister.
I grip the gun tight. It’s loaded, and it would be easy to shoot Mercer and whoever he’s with. I’m a little rusty, but I didn’t win awards at school for nothing. And I’ve used live ammo in shooting ranges with plenty of different guns. I don’t particularly enjoy holding a gun outside of strict competition perimeters, but it’s surprisingly comfortable. Easy.
Yes.
I could shoot both of them.
Sister.
They’re still talking, but I can’t stop hearing that word.
I only followed Mercer here because I was scared for him. I listened in on his phone call earlier. It was an accident. I’dgone to talk to him, and when he left, I actually worried about the lying piece of shit. So I grabbed a gun and the poison from his drawer, then grabbed a cab along Central Park West.
Sister.
My heart jumps into my throat once I round the corner and see the two men clearly. A scream lodges deep in my chest, and it takes every ounce of restraint not to let it shatter the tense air.
“So,” my very-much-alive brother says. “Are you gonna hand her over?”
