Page 73 of Seducing Hope (The Hope Legacy)

“Do you honestly think this isn’t related to Khalkaroth?” Duncan asks.

“Archan’s clever at answering questions. He said it wouldn’t help us catch Khalkaroth—not that it isn’t related.”

Two loud raps sound on the door. Aaden jumps up.

“Password?” he asks.

“Nine Inch Nails,” Jeanette’s feminine voice responds.

I punch Zee in the ribs as Aaden opens the door and takes something from her.

Aaden places a single iris flower on the coffee table and hands me a note. The blood drains from my face. My hands begin to shake as I read it. Zee wraps an arm around me, as my hand drops to my lap. Duncan plucks the note from my fingers and doesn’t look surprised after he scans it.

“What’s wrong?” Zee asks.

I glower at Duncan. “Yes, Duncan, what’s wrong?”

Aaden frowns as he leans over Duncan’s shoulder and reads out the note. “See you soon, little Iris, L x.”

“Who’s L?” Zee presses, looking from my face to Duncan’s.

“Hmm… let me think. Who might L be, Duncan?” Duncan’s normally calm blue aura darkens.

Duncan reaches to touch my face. “Locks, I—”

I jerk to the side. “Don’t. You knew. How long? The whole time, or just since he placed a bounty on my head?”

A muscle tics in his jaw. “And how the fuck would you know that?”

I flinch. “Archan.”

Duncan runs a hand through his hair. “And how does he know?”

“At the bar… I had flashbacks. He caught images of Lawrence and knew about the bounty.”

Three sets of eyes land on me. “He broke your shields?” Duncan blinks.

“No. He caught the flashbacks. I wasn’t prepared for them.”

“Can someone tell me what’s going on?” Aaden jumps in.

I uncurl myself from the sofa and stand in front of Duncan. “Lawrence is the demon who killed my best friend in New York before I joined the SIP. He hunted me for my aura, and it seems he never stopped. Except Duncan let me think he was dead.”

Aaden’s eyes flick to my abdomen. “That’s who shot you?”

“Yes, and now he’s found me. How long, Duncan?”

Duncan looks past me. “You were traumatized. You needed to concentrate on your training. I’ve been hunting him for the last five years.”

I curl my fists. “Look at me.”

Duncan’s warm brown eyes flash with fear. At the look on his face, the fight immediately leaves me. I step closer and wrap my arms around him.

“We’ll deal with him like every other bad guy that needs putting down,” I mutter.

The hair on top of my head lifts as he chuckles.

Chapter Twenty-Four

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