Page 42 of Sly Like a Fox
The choice of words feels loaded with meaning I don’t like.Is he planning to test us further, or has he already decided we’re threats that need to be eliminated in a more private setting?
We spend another thirty minutes making polite conversation before extracting ourselves from the party with appropriate expressions of gratitude and promises to follow up on various social and business opportunities.The performance continues until we’re safely in the elevator.
“Did you get what we needed?”Jenna asks after the elevator puts a few floors between us and the penthouse, her composure finally slipping to reveal the anxiety beneath.
“Most of it.I got financial records, communication logs, and enough other evidence to destroy his entire network.”I pat the folder tucked inside my jacket.“Plus recorded confessions of his money laundering operations.”
“That’s amazing.We actually did it.”
Her excitement is infectious, but our success has also escalated the danger we’re facing.The way Anklor looked at us before we left suggests he's decided something about our future, and I’m not confident that decision bodes well for our survival.I also think he has designs on Jenna, but he’ll die before touching her.
The elevator reaches the parking garage, and we walk to our car in comfortable silence.As I start the engine and begin driving home, the evening’s revelations settle in my chest like stones.“The weekend invitation… That’s not a social gathering.It’s where he conducts his most sensitive criminal business.”
Jenna nods thoughtfully.“I figured as much.Caroline mentioned the event when we were chatting, intimating the guest list is very exclusive, and her excitement seemed forced.”
“It’s also incredibly dangerous.If he suspects anything about our true identities, that weekend could be our last.”
She frowns.“It’s also our best opportunity to gather evidence about his entire network.Not just Anklor but everyone connected to his operations.”
I nod.The weekend retreat would provide access to information that could destroy corruption throughout the city’s power structure.We could bring down all the corrupt judges, politicians, and business leaders with all of them gathered in one location where they feel safe enough to discuss their criminal activities openly.
It would also require maintaining our cover for an extended period under intense scrutiny with no backup and limited escape options if things went wrong.
“There’s something else,” I say, voicing the concern that’s been growing since we left the penthouse.“I think Anklor is testing us.The timing of this invitation, and the way he watched us tonight… Something feels calculated about his behavior.”
“You think he suspects something?”
“I think he’s suspicious enough to test new associates before bringing them into his inner circle, which means this weekend could be an elaborate trap designed to expose us.”I shudder at the thought of being lured into a trap when there are many shifters among his comrades, and the numbers won’t be in our favor.
We drive through the empty streets while I process the impossible choice ahead of us.Accepting the invitation could provide the evidence needed to destroy Anklor’s entire network and ensure justice for every family he’s hurt over the years, but it could also get the woman I love killed in service of my quest for revenge.
“What are you thinking?”she asks, noting my prolonged silence.
“I’m thinking I’ve already gotten everything I really need.The evidence we gathered tonight is sufficient to ensure Anklor’s conviction and the exposure of his major criminal operations.”I reach over to squeeze her hand.“Maybe it’s time to prioritize our future over my past and let someone else bring down the rest of the network.”
She blinks for a moment.“You’re talking about declining the invitation?”
I quickly shake my head.“It’s more than that.I’m talking about choosing what matters most.Three years ago, destroying Anklor completely was the only thing that mattered.Now...”
She sighs softly, smiling at me.“Now you have something to lose.”
“Now I have everything to lose, and I’m not willing to risk your life for the sake of perfect justice.I’m content with what we have and what will happen to Anklor.”
Jenna is quiet for several blocks, apparently processing what I’m suggesting.Finally, she turns to face me with an expression that combines understanding with something that might be disappointment.“This weekend represents the culmination of everything you’ve worked for.The chance to destroy not just Anklor but the entire system of corruption that killed your parents.”
“And it also represents the highest probability of getting you killed that we’ve faced since this began.”
“That’s my risk to take.”
I shake my head forcefully.“No, it’s our risk because if something happens to you, I’ll never forgive myself for putting revenge ahead of love.”
She gets silent and contemplative.For three years, my identity has been built around the mission to destroy Garret Anklor.Now, I’d rather abandon that mission than risk her.
“What if we compromise?”she says.“Accept the invitation but establish more extensive safety protocols.Backup communication methods, extraction plans, and ways to signal for help if things go wrong.”
“No.”I speak firmly, having decided what’s most important to me.“The problem with backup plans is that they assume you’ll have time to implement them.If Anklor has decided we’re threats, he’s not going to give us opportunities to call for help.”
She hesitates before asking, “What do you want to do?”
