Page 122 of Silent Vendetta (Vendetta Duet)

The odds were not in my favor, but they were something.

Alexander touched the tip of a knife, his eyebrows furrowed as he glanced around the room once more. Several tense seconds passed, and then in a low voice pulsing with shocked disbelief, he said, “Hunter’s the Windy City Vigilante.”

A polar frost coated my skin. I shouldn’t have come down here; I should have tried to escape out the front of the house rather than risk exposing Hunter’s secret.

“That’s absurd,” I said.

But his gaze studied a specific blade, drawing his fingertip down the metal that glistened slightly. “The news said this is the type of knife the Windy City Vigilante uses.”

I looked at the tunnel, wondering if I could use this distraction to my advantage, giving me a better chance at getting away.

“Last time I checked, manufacturers produce more than one. You know, trying to make a profit and all that.”

“That was a garage, wasn’t it?” Alexander said. “That room at the end of the tunnel I caught you in.”

I shifted my feet to the side, together, where they’d have enough leverage to hoist me up.

“On the other end of the property.” Alexander continued, “where he could come and go without being detected.”

“I don’t know,” I said. “Why don’t you go check and find out?”

“How could I have not seen this before?” Alexander wandered around the room, talking to himself in a giddy tone, like he was thrilled to solve this mystery. “Mayor Kepler thought it might be somebody in law enforcement or close to law enforcement.”

I eyed the other tunnel, calculating my odds of reaching it before he stopped me.

“I mean, look at this place. It’s perfect, and it’s hidden from the rest of the mansion. I never would’ve found it if you didn’t lead me here.”

Guilt settled into my bones.

“You’re psychoticanddelusional,” I said.

Alexander squatted in front of me, gripping a serrated hunting knife.

“I was going to do this in the office,” Alexander said. “By now, the security guards are probably all over the mansion, but I bet they don’t know about this place.” He shrugged. “So, I guess we’ll have to do it down here.”

“Hunter will come for me.”

“I’m counting on it.” He walked over and retrieved a roll of duct tape. “The security guard will have checked up on you by now and found you missing. I’d imagine it won’t be long before Hunter storms in here to save his girlfriend.”

I mustered my strength and attempted to push myself up, but his powerful grip forced me down with a thud. My tailbone throbbed with pain as it made contact with the cold earth below. He grabbed my upper arm and dragged me to one of the concrete columns that held up the roof.

I thrashed, I kicked, I fought him, but he overpowered me and wrapped duct tape around my core, anchoring me to the column opposite the main tunnel, so it would be the first thing Hunter saw when he came down here. He might be so fixated on me, that he could let his guard down.

“This is working out better than I imagined,” Alexander mused.

“If you kill us, people will know it was you. You’re the only one in this mansion alone with me.”

“I was going to stage a suicide for you,” Alexander said. “You know, grief-stricken with your dad and all that. Same for Hunter, once he found you, but look at this.” He motioned with his hand through the air. “I’ll say I discovered Hunter was the Vigilante, and you lured me down here so he could kill me.”

“I’m tied up, so they’ll never believe that.”

“I’ll untie you before the police find your body. I mean, damn, I had my plan A and plan B, but this, this is so much better. I’ll be a hero.” He pointed the dagger at me. “You were helping the Vigilante. I discovered you, you attacked me, and then Hunter showed up and tried to finish me. I’ll have defended myself. When they see this room, they’ll believe every word of it. I’m friends with Mayor Kepler, so he won’t question me. He’ll have his win, he’ll get reelected, and the city will feel safe again once the Windy City Vigilante is dead. Everyone wins.”

“Hunter’s not the Vigilante,” I lied. “Why kill me? Why him? He’s done nothing to you.”

Alexander’s eyes darkened. “Hasn’t he?”

CHAPTER60

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