Page 66 of The Reckoning
“Holy shit,” Lee says, the first to break the silence. “It’s true. There really are two of you.” A smile plays on his lips like an eager puppy. I don’t even want to know what he’s thinking.
“Astute observation,” Arson drawls, closing the door behind us. “I can see why you keep him around.”
Drew steps forward, eyes cataloging the changes in my appearance all over again. “Aries.” A nod to me, then to my twin. “Arson.” His gaze lingers on Lilian. “Lilian.”
Sebastian, ever the diplomat, breaks the tension. “Perhaps we could skip the pleasantries and get to why we’ve been summoned? But first…what the fuck?”
Drew sighs, and Sebastian flicks him a glance. “You told us, but I mean…I guess I didn’t see it until right now.”
Sebastian laughs gleefully and pats the bed. “Come sit, Lilian. You look a little pale.”
Lilian steps closer to Arson. She knows of Lee but hasn’t interacted with his particular brand of crazy, so it makes sense she’d be leery.
“Some things never change,” I mutter, moving farther into the room.
It feels surreal, standing here with my twin, my girl, and my friends—the collision of worlds I’ve tried to keep separate.
“Nice outfit,” Lee says to Arson, gesturing to his clothes. “Enjoying the perks of being Hayes 2.0?”
“Lee,” Drew warns, but Arson just smiles, cold and predatory.
“I’ve found certain aspects of Aries’s life…educational,” he says. “The privilege, the deference, the unearned respect—it’s fascinating what people give you when they think you’re someone important.”
“Enough,” I snap, patience already fraying. “We’re not here for a philosophical debate on identity. We need your help. And we don’t have time to go into all the details. TL;DR version: after graduation, Arson kidnapped me and locked me up in revenge for the years he spent in a mental institution, through no fault of his. We are now working together to bring down my asshole father and his asshole company. Any questions…?”
Lee sits up in bed and grins again. “So that time in the bathroom…” He eyes Arson and blinks, perplexed by his statement.
Sebastian straightens his already perfect cuffs. “With what, exactly? Your message was rather vague.”
Wait…I glance at Arson, too.
What the fuck happened in the bathroom?
Arson wraps his arm around Lilian’s waist, and I shake myself back to the present.
I look at Lilian, silently asking permission to share her situation as she meets my eyes. She nods, a barely perceptible movement.
“We’ve got two problems. Patricia is planning something,” I begin, keeping my voice low despite knowing the walls of Mill House are practically soundproof. “Something medical involving Lilian. Something that requires donations—money. We need to find out what it is and stop it. All they gave us was some kind of procedure. Additionally, we need to determine who is behind Arson’s revenge against my family and why. And finally, we need to bring my father down for good. If we can do all three without any of us getting killed, all the better.”
“And this concerns us, how?” Sebastian asks, ever practical. “Family disputes are hardly our area of expertise.”
“It concerns you because I’m asking for your help,” I reply, an edge creeping into my voice. “Because when you needed me—all of you—I was there. No questions, no hesitation. And family disputes are all we seem to fucking handle,” I snap.
Drew has the decency to look uncomfortable at this. Lee just shrugs, unaffected as always. Sebastian maintains his poker face, but I know him well enough to see the calculation behind his eyes.
“What do you need?” Drew asks finally.
“Information,” Arson answers before I can. “Access to Patricia’s medical research, her communications, her schedule. The location of David Harlowe’s original will. And a secure place to operate from that isn’t my warehouse or this fishbowl.”
“That’s a substantial ask,” Sebastian observes. “Some of it is potentially illegal.”
“All of it is potentially illegal,” Lee corrects with a grin that doesn’t reach his eyes. “Which is where I come in, I’m guessing? And I’ll have you know this is a very secure fishbowl. No outside observers. You gotta be inside the bowl to get a good view.”
“Your particular skills would be useful,” I admit. “But we need all of you. Sebastian, your family has connections to every law firm in the city. We need to find that will. Drew, you have security contacts, people who can help us stay off Patricia’s radar. And Lee?—”
“Can hack anything with a circuit board,” he finishes for me, echoing my earlier words to Arson. “Yeah, I got it. Digital B&E is my specialty.”
“What do you need?” Sebastian asks, always the point-blank businessman.
