Page 19 of Toxic Vengeance

Eden braced herself for bad news.

“Zack Maguire reported you to his superiors the other night,” Amber said.

“I know.”

“According to Rycroft’s team, Maguire worked several ops with the dead hitter in the past,” Trinity added.

Eden stared at her as cold seeped through her body. “You’re saying Maguire was involved today?” The toast curdled into a gummy ball in her stomach. She’d expected Zack to keep looking for her. But to think that he could have followed her with the intent to kill her, and may have been involved with Chris’s death? That was unthinkable.

“No, just noting the connection for now. The team’s investigating it.” Trinity leaned forward and set her hands on her knees, the others all quiet as she continued. “We need to talk to Maguire. See if he knows anything that might help us figure out why Chris was targeted, and who might be actively hunting us now.” Those deep blue eyes drilled into Eden’s. “What do you know about him?”

The room went eerily quiet, all eyes fastened on her. They all knew some things about Zack, especially Trinity and Amber. Eden wasn’t going to volunteer her past with Zack to them, however, even if they were fellow Valkyries. Not now, maybe never. “He was my way into a circle that included a previous target on an op in St. Petersburg last summer. I don’t know what he’s involved in at the moment, but he’s been a contract officer with the CIA for a few years now. He specializes in gathering intel.”

“He’s former Army intelligence.”

“Yes.”

Trinity nodded. “Rycroft’s going to contact him personally and set up a meeting. Better if he does it rather than us, given Maguire’s ties to the CIA.”

Eden’s insides clenched at the mere possibility of crossing paths with him ever again. Of confronting him face-to-face now, after everything that had happened. “Does Rycroft think Maguire was directly involved in Chris’s death?”Please, God, say no.

“It’s too early to be sure at this point, but Alex is looking into every possibility.” Trinity cocked her head slightly. “You know what our mission here is. You know what the stakes are. So I need to ask you. Do you think Maguire would kill you if he had the chance?”

“No,” she answered immediately. “He’d report intel about me to his superiors, and might assist in trying to capture me, but he wouldn’t kill me.” That wasn’t how Zack was wired. At least, she didn’t think he was.

“You’re sure.”

“Ninety-five-percent sure. He had the chance to kill me in Sevastopol and never even drew his weapon.” Whether it was because she was a woman or because of their past and that he actually cared about her, she couldn’t say. Her gut said it was both.

“Do you trust him?”

“Somewhat.” He could be out for revenge now.

“How much?” Chloe pressed.

“Enough not to shoot me dead on sight,” Eden answered.

“Think he’d help you if you asked?” Amber said.

“I don’t know.” Eden wouldn’t trust him that much now that he knew the truth.

“All right. Then will you meet with him and find out whatever you can about what’s happening to us?”

Seeing Zack again was the last thing she wanted, but saying no wasn’t an option. Chris was dead, there was no one left to help her except these smart, deadly and dedicated women. They each bore the Valkyrie mark on their left hip, a badge of solidarity and sisterhood. Eden wasn’t going to let them or Chris down.

She sat up straighter, glanced at the others before looking at Trinity once more. “Yes. I’ll meet with him whenever Rycroft wants.”

Chapter Six

This would either be really good, or really, really bad.

Zack ordered himself a coffee and a breakfast sandwich at the counter before finding a seat in the busy café in the heart of Covent Garden. This area of London was always busy, but on a Saturday it was even more crowded.

His phone buzzed with an incoming call. He expected to see Rod’s number on the display, but it was his dad calling instead.

Zack sighed. He loved his dad, but he had the worst damn timing when it came to phone calls. It was three in the morning back home in Indiana, so he must be really worried.

Zack wouldn’t normally answer at a time like this, but it had been over a week since they’d last spoken. Zack had texted, but that wouldn’t cut it with his father—his old man always wanted to hear Zack’s voice as proof that he wasn’t dead when he’d been out of touch longer than a couple weeks. “Hey, Dad. I’m just at a meeting right now, so I can’t talk.” He scanned the café as he spoke, looking for Rycroft or anyone paying too close attention to him.

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