Page 16 of Toxic Vengeance

She wanted justice. And revenge.

“Yeah,” she answered, resolve hardening like steel inside her. “I’ll go with you.”

Chapter Five

Eden roused herself from the mental fog she’d been in for the past few hours and focused on the terrain outside the car window as Trinity passed a slow-moving tractor. Rural England wasn’t the kind of place Eden had imagined the Valkyrie headquarters would be located. She’d imagined a secret location somewhere smack in the middle of London, or maybe Manchester or Southampton. But the Cotswolds?

She and Trinity hadn’t talked much on the flight over, because Trinity had been busy taking call after call from team members here in the UK and some back Stateside. Eden hadn’t wanted to talk anyway, beyond ensuring that Trinity had someone she trusted who would contact Chris’s family, and that her body would be flown back to Washington State for burial once it was released. Authorities were already at work on the investigation into her murder, while Eden and her newfound teammates would do their own digging.

Eden had stayed in her seat staring out the window at the clouds and ocean passing below them, thinking about Chris and the dangers still facing her and her fellow Valkyries. Emotionally exhausted and tired from the long, draining day, she’d eventually fallen asleep and woken minutes prior to landing at Cotswold Airport.

This whole area was like something out of a Beatrix Potter painting. The two-lane road was bordered by tall hedgerows on both sides. In the gaps between them, rolling hills in various shades of yellow and green stretched out as far as the eye could see, dotted by more hedgerows and trees.

“We’ll be there in another fifteen minutes,” Trinity told her, pulling back into the left-hand lane after passing the tractor. They were stuck behind a big delivery truck now, going half the speed limit. “I’m starving. Hopefully Mrs. Biddington has a big spread out when we get there.”

“Who’s that?”

“The cook. She’s seventy-three and only works part time—usually a couple mornings a week and Sunday lunch. The rest of the time we all just fend for ourselves.”

Eden was hungry, but her rumbling stomach could wait. She wanted to find out what was on that thumb drive so she could target whoever was responsible for Chris’s murder. “Will everyone else be at the house when we get there?”

“Yes, for a change. Usually at least a few of us are off doing other things, either in London or outside the UK.”

A few minutes later Trinity turned them off the main highway and continued down into a little green valley. “There’s Laidlaw Hall,” she said, pointing to her right.

Eden followed Trinity’s finger and spotted a large mansion off in the distance, like something from Masterpiece Theatre. A big manor house built of honey-colored stone set in pastoral grounds. “That’s headquarters?”

“Yep. You’ll meet the owner at some point, but he’s pretty private and mostly keeps to himself.”

“Why did he let you guys set up here?”

“He’s a good friend of Megan’s—Amber’s sister.”

Eden whipped her head around to stare at her. “Amber has a sister?”

“Long story, but yes, and they’re both Valkyries. Megan’s our resident ninja thief.”

To Eden’s surprise, nerves danced in the pit of her stomach when they reached the massive gate at the end of the long driveway. Much as she’d dreamed of finding her lost Valkyrie sisters someday, she wasn’t sure she had the energy for this right now.

“Megan and her boyfriend live in the gatehouse here,” Trinity said as they drove through the gate and passed the smaller honey-colored building on the left. “Everyone else is up at the main house.”

It took almost a full minute to reach the house from the road. Just as Trinity pulled up front around the circular end of the driveway, the tall front door opened and four women stepped out.

“There’s the welcoming committee now,” Trinity said with a wry smile. “Come on, let’s get the introductions over with, and then get you settled. I know you’re tired.”

Grieving. She was grieving and angry and emotionally drained.

Eden climbed out of the car, putting aside her grief and unease, hiding everything going on inside her. Chris was gone. This was Eden’s new reality and she had to adjust.

A slender Asian woman with long black hair started down the steps, and Eden breathed a sigh of relief when she recognized Kiyomi. “Hey, it’s been a long time,” Eden said as she approached.

“Sure has.” Kiyomi shook Eden’s hand, her welcoming smile vanishing a moment later. “I’m sorry to hear about your handler.”

“Thank you.” Eden didn’t want to talk about it, however. She was focused on revenge.

“Glad you’re okay, and we’re all happy to have you here. You up to meeting the others?”

Looked like they were all waiting for an introduction, so might as well get it over with. “Sure.”

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