Page 75 of Tainted Love

“Not quite,” she says, spinning her laptop around. “Last week, Fox checked into a Botsford Plaza in Colorado. He arrived with some not-so-mystery woman but boarded the elevator with a man who arrived earlier in the day.”

I peek over at the screen, following the security footage with interest. It shows a golden lobby filled with people in fancy clothes and two men walking together across the room toward the elevators. One has a beard and the other wears thick glasses.

“Who’s the other guy?” Dante asks.

Lilah pulls the laptop back. “His room was paid for with a credit card registered to a Bartholomew E. Carson…” she smirks, “a hacker with a record as long as mine — including some private contracting work with the Army around the same time Fox was stationed overseas.”

“Well, that explains how he managed to decrypt the master file…” Elijah says, chewing on his lip.

“When did they leave?” Dante asks.

“Can’t say,” she answers. “The security feed goes dead a few hours later, just after Mercer and your old squad arrived and doesn’t come back on for a few days due to an unexpected explosion on the roof that shut the place down.” I follow their voices, growing more confused by the second but I’m so drawn in I don’t care. “Trail should still be warm,” Lilah continues. “It’s worth checking out.”

Dante scratches his nose. “Let me know what you find.”

Lilah and Elijah exchange glances. “I guess that answers the next question,” she says, closing the laptop. “You’re not coming with us.”

Dante looks over at me for a second. “No,” he says. “And honestly, you two shouldn’t go either.”

“He’s a traitor, Dante,” Lilah says, her voice firm and cold. “Someone needs to remind him that actions have consequences.”

“You’re going to kill him?” I ask.

The entire room pauses, and every eye falls on me.

“That’s what we do, Lucy,” Lilah says.

“Not anymore,” Dante says. “I can’t speak for the two of you. I never could. But I’m out.”

My heart melts inside, burning with responsibility but it warms me up regardless. I look across the table and the twins stare back at me.

Elijah clears his throat. “Dante, he took out your entire squad—”

“I don’t care.”

“If you hadn’t been undercover in Chicago, that could have been you,” Lilah points out.

“Everything we do is laced with doubt,” Dante says. “I could have been killed at least a hundred different ways before today and it’s the same odds with the two of you. To be honest, I’m tired of living with the deck stacked against me. I say we cash in and move on.”

“You’re just going to let him go?” Lilah asks.

“He had his reasons for doing what he did, and I have mine.”

“Has it not occurred to you that if he never did this then Lucy never would have been attacked?”

His brow twitches with a subtle rage. “It’s crossed my mind.”

“So, what are we supposed to do?”

Dante shrugs with frustration. “Whatever we want to do, Lilah. We have new, untraceable identities. Passports, money. Get your tattoo removed and start a new life. Fox is a fucking prick but at least he left us that much.”

“As tempting as that sounds,” Elijah says, “there’s a principle involved here, Dante. That used to mean something to you.”

“It still does.” He pauses and looks over at me. “But the risk isn’t worth it anymore.”

I look at the table, hiding from their judgmental eyes. They must blame me for his sudden change in personality. I’m officially that woman — the one who seduced the lead singer and broke up the band.

“Dante…” Lilah says with a heavy sigh. “We’re so proud of you.”

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