Page 84 of Cruel Ice

“Because I do. Don’t get that fool ass of yours blown to hell. Told you already, I don’t want your cash or the creepy house. So stay alive, would you? Stay the fuck alive.”

The limo pulled away.

“I see that you’re on the move,” Royal noted. “Let’s plan to meet at your place later. I’ve got some leads I’m running down. Bet you do, too, huh?”

“I want you out of town, Royal.” Flat. He kept staring at Marley.

She nodded. Then mouthed,good idea.

“Excuse me?” Royal’s voice hardened as it poured into Declan’s ear.

“I want you to pack your bags and get the hell out of town. Now. Don’t run down leads. I’ll handle things. Get out. Go back to Violet. Protect yourself. When it’s safe, I’ll notify you.”

“You mean when you’ve killed the bastard, you’ll notify me.” No judgment. “Don’t you get that eliminating murderous SOBs is literally my main skill set? I’m happy to do the grunt work on this for you.”

Yes, he knew all about Royal’s…hobbies. “Thought you’d given up that life.”

“I can make an exception for this perp. He came after me. He came after my brother. Normal rules of engagement won’t apply.”

“He’s mine, Royal.” A vow. “Get out of town. Get back to Violet.”

“Beau has Violet under careful watch. She’s safe.Always.”

“Then go back to Beau.” Royal’s brother not of blood, but of choice. Beau was not a good man—not evencloseto good. But Beau was a man who would do anything for Royal. “I’ll end this.”

Royal laughed. “It’s cute the way you think I’ll do what you say. Nice try,bro.See you soon.” He hung up.

Sonofabitch. Declan shoved the phone back into his pocket.

“Like…do the secrets you keep choke you? Because there are so many of them.” Marley gripped her phone in her hand. He realized that she’d been holding it…

How long had she been holding it?He tried to replay the scene in his mind. He couldn’t remember when Marley had pulled out her phone.What is she using the phone for? Not to call someone. But to…shit. Shit. To search for info?

Marley had gone silent while he talked to Cade. She’d gone silent because…

He tried to see her phone’s screen.

“There’s some news out of Georgia,” Marley noted. Her voice broke a little onGeorgia.“Sebastian Glass is dead. He got caught in a riot—he should never have been with general pop,never.But there was some sort of glitch. Acomputer glitchof all things. And his guards got orders to take him out and he…” She sucked in a deep breath. “He was killed. Stabbed with a shiv.”

That’s called fucking justice.

“Declan…what did you do?” Horror filled her eyes. Shock.

And he realized that, finally, Marley was seeing him for exactly who and what he was.

Chapter Nineteen

Sebastian Glass is dead.The monster from my past is gone. Killed in a prison riot. Stabbed with a shiv.

Stabbed…the exact same number of times that he’d sliced her with his shiv so long ago.

They were back at Declan’s home. Behind the security guards and the massive gates and all the tech that he had to protect them. Declan and his tech. She was beginning to realize the tech was like a spider web that he’d spread out into the world. It let him do almost anything. Reach anyone.

Destroy anyone.

They hadn’t spoken again during the limo ride. Not since she’d asked her question.Declan…what did you do?He’d just stared back at her, and she’d known the truth.Declan did it. He arranged to have Sebastian Glass killed.

The house felt cavernous and cold as she made her way across the marble floor in the foyer. She knew at once that he’d arranged for all staff members to be away. The better for them to talk in private about the little matter of a murder.

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