Page 105 of Wicked Duty
Though I put on a good front, the guilt roiling in my stomach nearly causes me to spew all over Shane’s pretty table.
As soon as I returned to my house after dropping Lucy off at her modeling gig and leaving her in Ryan’s care, I combed through her belongings with a laser eye. When I finally stumbled on the USB drive, I just stared at it for several minutes, my emotions warring with my logic. I consideredputting the drive right back where I found it and erasing its existence from my memory.
But as appealing as that idea was, I knew burying my head in the sand wouldn’t keep Lucy safe. To improve my odds of successfully assassinating Viktor Roguilin while he’s in prison, I need Shane’s connections, and the crypto wallet is my only bargaining chip. Now that I’ve kept my end of the deal, the Kings’ leader owes me a favor.
That’s the only reason I managed to go through with the theft.
I understand the risks involved. Once Lucy discovers I stole the wallet, her trust in me will fracture. My deception will cause her pain. But I’m willing to sacrifice both to eliminate the man who hurt her in such unfathomable ways. She deserves to stop glancing over her shoulder and to quit worrying about her safety.
Even if she catches me committing the crime, she’ll still be okay.
If removing the wallet from Lucy’s possession leads to her finally finding some peace, I’ll pay that price.
No matter the cost.
Shane’s expression reveals nothing as he scans the screen. Once he finishes, he disconnects the crypto wallet from the computer, setting the device on the table.
He gestures for a member of the Gallagher security team to approach. “Get my nephew.”
“Yes, sir.” The guard disappears.
Whatever he found in the wallet must require Darren’s expertise. I’m tempted to ask but don’t. Shane will share as he sees fit.
He sips from a tumbler of whiskey while we wait for my oldest friend.
A couple of minutes pass in silence before Darren strides into the afternoon light. He lifts his chin at me and stands by my side.
Not bothering with greetings, Shane swivels his computer screen toward us and nods at me, his implication clear. Time for me to fill Darren in on the crypto wallet business.
Upon seeing the monitor, though, I freeze in horror.
Instead of the contents of the wallet—laundered money statements or Viktor Roguilin’s private files—pictures stare back at us.
Paparazzi photographs.
Of Lucy and me. From yesterday.
One image shows us holding hands, the suit she chose for me slung over my shoulders. In another, we gaze into each other’s eyes over an ice cream cone like a pair of lovesick teenagers. My tender expression as I peer down at her requires no caption. I might as well have stuck a Post-it on my forehead withWhippedscrawled across it.
Motherfucker.
Shane leans back in his seat. “Darren, do you realize that one of your security guards is romantically involved with a client?”
I hold myself still, my years as a soldier helping me hide the stress that’s currently flooding my system.
Talk about shit luck. Now’s probably the worst time in the world to own up to my relationship with Lucy. I need them to believe my emotions aren’t compromising my logic when I lay out my plan for offing Viktor Roguilin.
This request can’t sound like a personal favor. I need to spin the assassination as good business.
Lying. That’s my only hope. Even if my feelings for Lucy run deep enough for the lie to ache.
“Negative, sir,” I cut in before Darren can respond. “I assure you there’s no romantic involvement. What you see is me acting,and I only did that to keep Lucy Marlow compliant and gain her trust so I could complete my assignment.”
A sharp gasp of horror cuts straight through my focus.
Dread rams me in the gut. Part of me doesn’t want to look because I’m scared of what I’ll find. I need a moment to steady myself before glancing over my shoulder.
When I see Lucy’s face, the dread sharpens into a spear, slicing my insides wide open.
