Page 5 of Deadly Obsession

BOOM!

I spin my head to look through the back window at what we’ve left behind. We have a better vantage point from our elevated position, and an explosion illuminates the sky with an orange glow. Years of history turn to ash in an instant, just like my connection to the Dukes.

Stephanie laughs. “Talk about ending the night with a bang…”

“Why don’t you enlighten us, Ivy?” Alaric says with zero humour. His eyes narrow in the rearview mirror, paying more attention to me than the road. “What happened tonight?”

He’s doing more than the national speed limit through the bendy lanes, and I resist the urge to tell him to slow down. That’d be more dangerous than pouring petrol over the Collingsbrook fire.

I make a snap decision. “Faulty wiring, I guess.” I shrug and keep my voice light-hearted. He’ll see through my inflexions if I’m not convincing enough. “Did you see the building? It was so old, I’m surprised it was still standing.”

“And the Dukes had nothing to do with it?”

“They could have,” I reply, “but if they did, they didn’t tell me about it.”

“Faulty wiring…” he repeats, unconvinced. “If you say so.”

I can’t lose my nerve. If he knew I was involved, he’d think I’m a compromised agent, and I’m not. Am I?

“What was your plan, Ivy?” Stephanie’s usually friendly tone is replaced by the voice of the emotionless killer that everyone fears. She’s speaking to me like a target, not a friend she’s known for years. “We know who the Dukes are. Your mission was clear. You had three days. How much longer were you going to let them live? We wanted bodies, not ballgowns.”

If I give the wrong answer, they won’t take me back to HQ. They’ll leave me to die in a ditch, just like Spencer. There’d be a poetic irony to it, considering that’s where my journey with the Killers Club started.

“Tom ruined everything,” I declare. “If he hadn’t barged in unannounced, I would have stayed on track. The Dukes had to pivot and took me to a safe house in the middle of nowhere. I’ve been earning their trust.”

Stephanie straightens in her seat, and her pouty lips press into a thin line—a micro-movement that tells me they haven’t found Tom’s body yet, even though they have suspicions about what happened.

“What did they do with Tom’s body?”

“Funnily enough, they didn’t show me where they buried it,” I say. “You know, with me pretending to be a journalist and all.”

“Enough with the sarcasm.” Alaric chastises me like I’m a naughty school child. “Where’s their safe house?”

“Erm…” I take a deep breath. “About that…”

Stephanie’s pretty pout vanishes as she purses her lips, making deeper lines appear on either side of her mouth. Maybe she’s had to miss a Botox session because of all the stress. “You don’t know?”

My anger rises. They’re treating me like an amateur. Haven’t I proved myself over the years?

“They blindfolded me for my protection,” I explain.

“What informationdoyou have about them?” Stephanie sneers. “Or were you too busy screwing your new boyfriend to get any information?”

Heat creeps up my neck, and butterflies flutter in my stomach, though I don’t let my nerves show.

“They have a secret room on the top floor of their London house,” I say, choosing to ignore her diggy remark. “It’s filled with weapons and enough ammunition to sink half the capital. Thanks to Tom's interruption, I didn’t have long to look around, but they’re better connected than we thought.”

“Interesting,” Alaric ponders. His eyebrows crease as he takes that in, and his stiff jaw softens slightly. He’ll be questioning how they acquired such a sizable supply and who they bought it from.

“Freddie used to be an arms dealer in Italy,” I explain. “Something happened to his family there. That’s where he’ll be getting the weapons from. He’ll have contacts.”

“What about the other two?” Stephanie asks. “Sebastian and Callen. How do they fit into the Dukes’ operation?”

Stephanie may as well be shining a light into my face in an interrogation room. She takes her job seriously, but she needs to back off.

“Callen used to be a surgeon, but he’s a total psychopath. He’s their wild card, and someone to watch out for,” I say. “Seb’s their networker. He knows people in all the right places and helps with funding. Callen and Freddie use shadow companies to hide their dealings, including a private security firm, but all Seb’s business is legitimate.”

“Smart, but not smart enough,” Stephanie comments. “It’s a shame we’ll have to kill them all, especially Seb. You know I’m a sucker for guys with dimples.”

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