Page 85 of By Sin To Atone

“Pocket.”

“When I call you again, you fucking pick up. Stay. We don’t need anyone seeing you like this.” He vanishes and I bend to wash my face, my heart rate normal again. I push water into my hair. It’s sticky with blood. I look down at Hoxton and feel much the same as when I killed my father and his mistress. Nothing. Not a damn thing.

When the door opens again, I turn to find my brother stepping inside holding a trench coat.

“Put this on,” he says, and I take it from him. “Let’s go. We have to leave him.”

I take the switchblade from the sink, close it and casually tuck it into my pocket.

“Did anyone see you?” Jericho asks as he checks the corridor before we step out and walk swiftly down the hall to the exit. We step outside, cool night air feeling good against my skin.

Sirens wail. I pause. Did someone already call the police?

No. That makes no sense. We’re The Society. We have our own police.

We climb into my brother’s car. “Where are Blue and Isabelle?”

“Dex is taking them home. Did anyone see you?” Jericho asks again.

“I don’t care if they did,” I say.

“For Christ’s sake.” He drives out calmly, exiting the compound.

Those sirens grow louder, lights flashing in the distance, traffic building.

“What the fuck was that? What are you, some sort of fucking vigilante now?” Jericho asks.

“I told you he recognized her. It was a matter of time before he put two and two together. We shouldn’t have brought Blue here. That was a mistake.”

“At least we know now. Hoxton would be working for the Councilors. One of them sent him to Lucky’s house to get those files. And I have a feeling it was them who intervened to get Lucky out on parole so early into his sentence. They want those files back. We need to find them.”

“I’ll get it.”

He looks at me, eyebrows furrowed. “How?”

“She has it. I know she does. I’ll get it tonight.” I draw my phone out of my pocket to call Blue as our car slows to join the building queue. There’s an accident up ahead.

The phone rings. Did she bring it with her to the event? Yes. She put it in her bag. I remember that.

“What the fuck?” Jericho says.

I look over at him, disconnecting when the phone just keeps ringing. He opens his door. I shift my gaze up, out of the front windshield.

“Isabelle?” I hear him ask.

I open my door, but this doesn’t make any sense. Isabelle is here?

“Isabelle!” Jericho runs toward the accident scene.

I look at the car that’s been hit. The airbag that’s been deployed. I’m out and running before I can make sense of what I’m seeing.

30

Blue

My head. Fuck. My head.

I squeeze my eyes as my ears ring, the pitch blocking out all other sounds. I hear a groan and I try to open my eyes.

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