Page 47 of Crossover

She had watched me desperately search for answers about why Dad killed himself. She had looked me in the eye, had wrapped her arm around my shoulders, and the whole time, she had kept this from me.

The betrayal cut deep, and I feared it was a wound that would never heal.

Especially with all the dominoes that had fallen because of her deception.

If I had known the truth, I never would’ve gone to the parking garage. Maybe I would’ve questioned Grayson’s role in all this since he was an assassin. Maybe I could have spared my fractured heart from having one final break.

My thoughts were cut short, though, when Red pulled into the police station parking lot, and Mom’s posture tensed.

“That man…” Her tone, previously burdened with guilt, was tight. “I know him.” She narrowed her eyes, studying something in front of the entrance as the vehicle inched closer.

“He’s Steve’s, uh…Daniel’sfriend.”

Red’s grip tightened on the wheel. He looked at the man and then scanned the parking lot before saying, “This is a trap.”

24

IVY

“Are you sure?” I twisted in my seat, peering out the rear window, the lights blurring together as we drove away—the shadowy figure still rooted by the front door.

“Did you see that tattoo on his face?” Mom pressed.

“Yeah?”

“Steve—I mean,Daniel’sfriend had that same tattoo.”

“Daniel hung around men with tattoos on their faces, and you didn’t think that was strange?”

“Half your father’s coworkers have tattoos.”

Fair point. Last time I checked, tattoo parlors didn’t have a sign that said,Bad guys only, please.

“Do you think he saw us?” I asked.

Red had remained completely composed and had efficiently exited the parking lot.

“He gave no indication, but we need to watch for tails to be safe,” Red advised.

“How would that guy know we were coming?” Equally important, how had Daniel assembled him so quickly? I thought Daniel would be hiding in a hole for, I don’t know, a day or so before he’d regroup and come after us.

Then again, what had I been thinking, pulling a timeline out of my ass?

Idiot, Ivy.You never should have left.

Red took a right turn, his attention darting to all his mirrors as he blended into nighttime traffic, the glow of the dashboard illuminating the concern etched on his features.

“Looks like Daniel anticipated you’d come to the police station,” he suggested, his tone measured.

The problem was, until I could safely talk to Detective Mitchell, our only chance of surviving was now in the hands of Grayson and Hunter’s security guy, Red.

25

GRAYSON

The silence in Jace’s sedan was suffocating as he handed me a thick envelope of cash and gestured to the backpack in the back seat, presumably filled with clothes and burner phones. My stomach clenched as I contemplated the severity of the situation, knowing that my next move could be the difference between life and death for Ivy.

I was grateful Red was on his way back with them, but furious he’d left in the first place. I’d chewed him out for not calling me before he’d driven away, but I guess he was right; Ivy would probably have figured out a way to go with or without him, and at least he’d kept them safe.

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