Page 83 of Property of the Hellfire Riders

I turn to see Reynolds step into the room, his face a mask of cold calculation. He moves with a predatory grace, his eyes locking onto mine with a chilling intensity.

“Ah, Izzy,” he says, his voice smooth and unfeeling. “I see you’ve seen some of my creations. Beautiful, aren’t they?”

I clench my fists, fighting the urge to lash out. “You’re sick,” I spit. “Twisted.”

Reynolds smiles, a slow, sinister curve of his lips. “Art is subjective, my dear. What you see as twisted, I see as perfection.”

He steps closer, examining the Laina doll with a critical eye. “Laina was a masterpiece. But you, Izzy, you’re going to be my magnum opus. Though, I never intended to hurt you. Not like this. Your father was a dear friend of mine. You just happened to sort of get swept up into everything, and I’m not one to miss an opportunity.”

Fear grips me, cold and unrelenting. “You’ll never get the chance,” I say, my voice trembling. “They’re coming for me. They’ll stop you.”

Reynolds raises an eyebrow, amusement flickering in his eyes.

“Who? Your boyfriends?” He smiles, walking over to what appears to be his work bench. The wooden limbs stacked on topof one another look more like heaps of body parts. “My men are on their way to that clubhouse, because you and Laina have done a rather wonderful job leaving the right evidence. The final pieces that connect them to the Puppeteer.”

My stomach drops.

Reynolds picks up a delicate wooden arm, inspecting it like an art critic at a gallery. “I’ve been aware of your little investigation for quite some time. The Puppeteer keeps a close eye on those who take an interest in his affairs.” He sets the arm down gently, turning his piercing gaze back to me. “You should have been more careful, Izzy. I didn’t think you’d actually try and infiltrate the Hellfire Riders.”

I glare at him, anger flaring through my fear. “You’re the one who should’ve been more careful. They’re going to find this place, and when they do, you’re finished.”

Reynolds laughs louder this time. “Oh, I doubt that. You see, they’re already preoccupied with the little raid at your clubhouse. By now, I’m sure the three of them are being handcuffed and headed straight to the station. It gets me excited just thinking about it,” he says. “Think of the headline! Hellfire Rider president and top chain in command arrested for the Puppeteer killings.”

“No one will believe it!”

“Come on, Izzy. Yes they will. Laina worked tirelessly to connect the breadcrumbs I laid out. And when they find you and Laina’s little puppets on the property, well, what will they think?”

I stare in silence, sure what he means by that.

“Come on, Izzy,” he chides. “Be smart. I trained you, brought you onto the team.” He taps the side of his head several times. “Here. I’ll be kind. I know you must be fatigued.”

He leans against the edge of his desk, folding his arms over his chest. “I killed one of the Riders a few years back as a testof their new president. Well, he took it rather personally and became hell bent on seeking revenge. He started tracking me, and got in the way of my art.” He gestures to the dolls. “So, I plotted and waited, trying to come up with the best way to plant evidence, make them take the fall for the Puppeteer. I’ll admit, I’m surprised Laina was the first one to put the evidence together, and you just happened to give me more.”

Panic grips me, but I force myself to stay calm.

Think, Izzy. Find a way out.

My eyes scan the room, taking in every detail. The marionettes, the tools, the half-finished dolls. Everything could be a weapon, an opportunity.

“Where is Laina?” I ask, stalling. “Why did you make a doll of her?”

Reynolds’s eyes darken, and he steps closer, the air growing colder. “Laina’s safe. It’s not her time. Not yet. She’s special like you. She had potential. But she got too close to the truth, just like you. So, I turned her into something beautiful, something that can’t interfere anymore. A muse for me.”

The sickening realization hits me. Laina wasn’t just a target; she was a trophy. Rage boils up, nearly blinding me. “You’re a monster,” I spit.

Reynolds shrugs, unbothered.

“Honestly, Izzy. You always were a pain in my ass. Asking too many questions. But now, you’re going to be a big help.”

My teeth grind together as my eyes narrow. I study him in the dim, pale light. He looks like a ghost of the man I’ve known almost my whole life, as though the real version of him has finally emerged from under the sheep’s wool. A monster hiding in plain sight.

"Don’t look upset. You’re going to be the reason that gets the Puppeteer caught! My last piece of evidence to secure the case. I have evidence upon evidence of you at their clubhouse,and when you and Laina show up as the next victims—well, everything will start to add up and the whole case will fall into place.”

“Why the hell are you doing this?”

He sighs.

“Oh, I could tell you my reasons, explain to you the beauty of my art and the symbolism, but you wouldn’t understand, so let’s try it this way. With Gunnar working for me, and Hawk gone, I control the Hellfire Riders and Dead Demons, and you can understand the appeal of the power someone like me would end up with.”

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