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Callen grins, his white canines sparkling in the sunlight. His victim’s blood drips from his elbows to his wrists.
“What can I say?” he says, licking his lips. “Watching Ivy with Trout whet my appetite.”
Upon approach, we see a smashed window. Callen clambers inside through the empty pane while I try the front door. Surprisingly, it’s unlocked, and I opt to take that route as opposed to risking spearing my balls.
Muffled voices float from a room at the end of the corridor.
“Down here,” Seb calls out.
“How did he get here?” Callen mutters, echoing my thoughts. “He’s supposed to be partying at the wake.”
I quicken my pace. I hate the Bexley’s mansion as much as I did on my first visit. I don’t know how Ivy used to call this place home. The ancient decor and musty smell remind me of the crypt.
As we walk in, we see Spencer slouched in an armchair, unconscious, but breathing. Bram, Seb, and Ivy are standing in a tense face-off against a blonde guarding Spencer. A woman who looks just like Ivy. Ivy being on my mind had the potential to morph every woman’s face to resemble her, but their similarities are too striking to be the product of my imagination alone.
“You were supposed to stay behind,” I say to Bram through gritted teeth.
Bram’s lip curls, and he purposefully turns away to snub me. A pulse in his forehead ticks, showing his annoyance.
“At least one of the Dukes knows what loyalty means,” Ivy hisses.
Bram must have been the one to pick her up in the silver car. Judging by his frosty reception, he must know about what happened in the crypt. He’s pulling away from us, and it’s my fault. I fucked up. Badly. And now I risked not only losing Ivy but my men too. The only family I have.
Callen looks the stranger up and down. “Who are you?”
“Someone who will try to kill you again if she gets the chance,” she replies coldly. Her voice has a similar candour to Ivy’s but is slightly higher pitched. “We’ve already met, but haven’t been formally introduced.”
“She’s the Lotus.” Seb fills in the blanks. “The hooded figure. Remember?”
A storm cloud rolls over Callen’s face, and his hands curl into tight fists. “You little?—”
“Enough!” Ivy shoves Callen in the chest, her gaze burning with fury. “That’s my sister you’re talking to. Show her some fucking respect.”
“Your sister?” I say under my breath. “But she’s…”
“Not dead,” Daisy cuts in. “Obviously.”
“Is someone going to tell us what the fuck’s going on?” Callen asks.
“We don’t owe you an explanation,” Ivy says. Her red hair seems to have grown in volume, rippling around her face like hissing snakes. Hate radiates off her in droves. “My deal with the Dukes is off. Over. Freddie made sure of that.”
“I made a mistake,” I say. A mistake is an understatement. “I tried to explain before you left. If you’ll listen?—”
“Listen?” she scoffs, popping her hand on her hip. “I owe you nothing. And from where I’m standing, none of your men seem to give a flying fuck about what you have to say, either. You need to leave.”
“What about Spencer?” I ask. “I know I fucked up, but we made a deal. Let me help you kill him. It’s the least I can do.”
“No!” Daisy steps in possessively. “Anyone who hurts him will die.”
“Looks like the killer gene runs in the family.” Callen gleefully rolls his sleeves up. “I love a woman who can challenge me. I won’t lose this time.”
“You’ll need to get through both of us,” Ivy says.
“Even better,” he purrs with a wink.
“Stop, Callen,” Seb says. “You heard Ivy.”
“You all need to go,” Daisy orders. “Now.”
