Page 86 of Iris

“What does all this have to do with Prince John?” Imani asked.

“What if the whole thing is a way to get an assassin into the game?” Creed said. “You know, access to the prince.”

He’d been so quiet Iris had sort of forgotten he was there.

“What if he’s the target? They already failed trying to kill Imani. Maybe this was plan B. Only Konrad never picked up the information because, you know, Fraser took him out.”

“Please. Stop saying that.”

Creed lifted a shoulder. Sat back, grinning.

The guy had a little hero worship going for his big brother.

“That’s not bad, Creed,” Jonas said. “It accounts for why the drop was never picked up, and also why a hit went out on Iris. And when she disappeared with Hudson, why Abe was next in line.” He looked at Iris. “Did you get a replacement ref?”

“Yeah. Roque Franco, from Spain. But I know him—officiated with him a couple times. He’s a swing official—he’s not an assassin.”

“I wouldn’t have thought Vogel was either,” Hud said.

“He didn’t try and murder me.”

Hud eyed her.

“Fine. But who murderedhim?”

“He committed suicide,” Hud said.

“Did he?” Iris slid her gaze to Ned. “Is that the working theory?”

“No,” Ned said. “His computer was taken.”

“And we’re back to the phone,” Fraser said. He got up. “I’ll get this phone to Coco. Pippa, in the meantime, let Gunner in on what we know. Maybe he can lean on Fredrik and squeeze RECO’s plan out of him.”

Pippa got up from the table. As did Iris. “I need to call Yannick and see if Abe’s autopsy report came back.”

“You can tell him that you’re not officiating in the game too,” Fraser said.

She stilled. Looked at Fraser. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“No. You don’t get to tell me how to live my life.”

“Great. And we’re right back to that, are we? You, diving in without looking, about to get yourself in over your head. Again.”

She blinked at him. “Seriously? You’re talking about something that happened twenty years ago?”

“If Jonas and I hadn’t been there—”

“I never asked you to be there!”

“And you shouldn’t try to be tougher than you are!”

Everyone had stilled.

Fraser’s jaw tightened. He looked at Iris. “Your pride is going to get you killed. And maybe people you love too.” Then he scooped up the papers.

Iris opened her mouth. But Fraser turned to her, something terrible on his face. “I get it, you know? I get not wanting to ask for help. Believe me. But the fact is, it’s just fear behind all that pride. And it’ll make you forfeit the grace that could be yours. Be smarter than that.”

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