Page 46 of Crown of Smoke

For a moment, I wonder what will happen if we succeed in taking the Keans down and restoring the Ifrinn family to power. Aside from sweet revenge, what will we gain? Once the goal is achieved, what is left in life?

Lucy.

“I’ve got to get back to it,” I say, finally opening the door to leave. My brothers' concerns echo in my head as I return home. They're right. Lucy complicates everything. But it’s crystal clear to me that walking away isn't an option anymore. At least not on my end. Lucy, on the other hand, seems to be able to keep her distance. As difficult as it is for me, I need to respect that. Let her go. It will get my brothers off my back and allow me to laser focus on my job. And I’ll avoid the inevitable heartbreak when she learns who I am and decides I’m not good enough.

Even as I think about keeping my distance, I know it won’t work. She’s going to keep digging, too damn stubborn, fearless, and determined for her own good. She’s going to get herself killed if I don’t protect her.

Unfortunately for her, I’m stubborn too. I don’t want distance. I want her. Instead of going the smart route of letting her go, I decide I can have it all. I'll find the answers we need to exact our revenge, keep Lucy safe, and find a way to deserve her trust so that when she learns the truth, she’ll be as in deep with me as I am with her.

I'm playing a dangerous game, trying to balance my family's vendetta with these growing feelings for Lucy. One wrong move and I could lose everything—the chance for revenge, my brothers' trust, Lucy's safety. Her life.

But I can't walk away from either path now. Two worlds, two missions, and I'm caught between them. The wrong move will destroy everything.

17

LUCY

Iscan the list of all the deceased from the fire at the Ifrinn property. The list goes beyond the Ifrinn parents to include many people who don’t have the name Ifrinn. I’m assuming staff. What’s missing are the names of their sons. How had they escaped when none of these people had? Where were they? Could they have been complicit too? If so, why didn’t they take over or now work with Kean? I’m hoping Flynn might be able to shed light on this. It’s why I finally broke down and texted him yesterday about meeting today.

I’m still feeling guilty about sneaking out on him the other night. I’m unsettled by how intense things have gotten between us. But in the last few days, I’ve justified my leaving his bed and avoiding him by telling myself he needed to rest and heal, and not that I’m scared to death of my feelings. I’m not a great liar, especially to myself.

I pull out the old newspaper article with the names of the Ifrinn sons. At the time of the fire, Phoenix was twenty-one years old and the oldest. Ash was nineteen, and twins, Blaise and Flint, were seventeen. Four brothers who vanished into thin air after their parents' deaths. The papers painted them as entitled youth who either met their own demise by the Keans or fled town. They were men, or nearly, but still young.

Four teenagers don't just disappear without a trace, although what do I know of their world? I know what I’ve been able to learn during my research. I’ve seen plenty of Mob movies on TV, although how real is that?

I pull out the arson investigation to review. The official report states faulty wiring, but digging into the investigation, I see multiple fires starting simultaneously. The security system mysteriously failed. And the emergency response was delayed by nearly thirty minutes.

Too many coincidences, I think, circling key details. If the man at the fight is right, someone let the arsonist in. And the slow, practically inept investigation suggests the Keans had the police and an arson investigator on the payroll.

I have to admit, Hampton Kean pulled off quite a feat. The Ifrinns were untouchable for generations, their compound a fortress. Yet in one night, everything they built went up in flames.

A knock on the door interrupts my thoughts. Immediately, my heart quickens and everything inside me goes warm. It’s not the reaction I want to Flynn’s arrival. What is it about him that affects me so?

I go to the door, take a breath, and open it. Steeling myself doesn’t prevent the onslaught of sensation at seeing him. He’s as dangerous and appealing as he ever is in his soft faded jeans, a white T-shirt that molds to his chest, and piercing blue eyes staring at me warily. He must remember that I snuck out on him the other night too.

“Thank you for stopping by. I have something I thought you might like to see or maybe can shed light on.” I lead him to my small table where all my materials are spread out in an organization that only I understand.

“The fire report says faulty wiring, but digging deep, I see notes that suggest multiple fires. Security systems failed, emergency response was delayed.”

Flynn glances over at the paperwork, but he seems disinterested. “Nothing we don’t already know or could have guessed.”

I look up at him, surprised. Is he mad at me for leaving? Or is there something else going on? “I can’t publish guesses, just as I’m sure you can’t convict the Keans on guesses either.”

He shrugs.

"And look at this," I continue, pushing forward the property records. "Within days of the fire, the Keans took everything. There are deed transfers, but it doesn’t appear they bought anything. They just… took over."

Still no reaction. Just those intense blue eyes studying me.

“I found this list of victims. All the people who perished in the fire.”

He takes the paper, and it’s the first reaction I see from him. A quick look of startled pain, quickly covered by his setting the paper on the table. “Again, this isn’t new.”

“I know you must have more information than I do. I was thinking maybe with that list, you’d know who was missing?”

“Missing?” He arches a brow.

“Yes. We know someone let the Keans in. They probably disabled the security. We also know they work for the Keans now. Maybe you can look at the list and know who isn’t on it that could be the culprit.”

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