Page 49 of Deadly Obsession

Her fingers shake as she presses the number six and then reaches for the next number.

I grunt, making her stop before she presses the second number. I thought I could, but I can’t… even after what she’s done. She’s as broken as I am. If I make her do this, I’m signing her death warrant.

“What?” Ivy pauses. “I thought this is what you wanted?”

But it’s already too late.

Crashing footsteps grow closer. Her wide, beautiful eyes blink up at me, narrowing in confusion, and I step back, unable to meet her watchful gaze. I had her. For that split second, she trusted me… and I took advantage.

“Bram…” she whispers, her sentence trailing off as the blood drains from my face. “What did you do?”

There’s no time to grab a pen to explain.

Her head whips around to see Alaric standing at the end of the corridor.

“Ivy,” Alaric’s chilling voice booms. “You’ve failed my test.”

“Test?” She tries to hold her nerve, but her voice trembles slightly. If I’ve noticed, Alaric will have too. “What do you mean?”

“It’s against our rules to release a prisoner,” he sneers.

“I…” Her voice falters, fading into nothing. “I didn’t… I didn’t mean…”

“You failed.” His indifferent tone sends chills down my spine. His moods change like the flick of a switch, going from being your friend one minute to an enemy the next. “You’re ineffective.”

Ivy composes herself, throws her shoulders back and draws herself up to full height—even though she’s no match for him, she won’t go down without a fight.

“You lied to me,” she hisses in accusation. “Christopher Trout is one of our clients!”

Alaric’s steps echo. He regards the laptop at Ivy’s feet, then appears next to the cell to goad me through the opening. “It looks like you’ve failed your test too, Bram.”

Eat shit, motherfucker.

“Do you think we’d ever mention a client’s name in front of a prisoner?” Alaric tuts, wagging his finger at me. “I wanted to see whether you were paying attention. I have to give you credit for being observant, but how can I trust someone who leaks information to the enemy? Considering your talents, it’s a shame you won’t ever be a Killers Club agent.”

Ivy charges at him. “You’re a monster!”

“Look around, Ivy,” Alaric replies, unfazed as her fists bounce off his muscular chest without budging an inch. He catches her wrists. “We’re all monsters here. That’s what makes us a family.”

“I want out,” she sneers. “I don’t want to be part of this anymore. I don’t want to be in the Killers Club.”

“Out?” Alaric laughs, letting Ivy’s arms fall to her sides. “There is no out for someone like you. You’re in, or you’re dead.”

“What’re you going to do?” she challenges, raising an eyebrow. “Kill me?”

“Oh no, I have a better idea…”

Distant heels click on the stone floor, growing closer.

“Steph!” Ivy sounds almost relieved to see her. That’s a mistake. “You have to help me.”

“You let us down, Ive,” Stephanie replies like a brainwashed cult follower. “We don’t have a choice.”

“I thought we were friends,” Ivy says, stepping back.

No!I want to scream.Don’t lose your fight now!But she’s losing any hope, becoming resigned to her imminent death.

“We didn’t want it to come to this,” the blonde bitch replies. “But the club comes above all else.”

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