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Seb nods in resignation. “Okay, but we need to take precautions.”
“Like what?” I ask incredulously. Am I the only one immune to the hypnotic powers of the Penrose pussy? “We don’t have access to our usual weapons. All we have is what’s left from Torean’s kill kits. They’ll out-armour us.”
“I don’t think she’ll hurt us,” Freddie says confidently. “She didn’t kill us at Spencer’s when she had the chance, and she let Seb go.”
“She did a pretty good job of trying to kill me,” I grumble under my breath.
Freddie checks his watch and grimaces. “We have thirty minutes to prepare.”
This keeps getting better and better…
CHAPTER 17
DAISY
“Mummy?” Ivy tugs at my t-shirt. “Where are we going?”
“We’re taking a little trip, sweetheart,” I say. “Go and pick your favourite toy, then pack it in your unicorn bag.”
“But I don’t have a favourite toy,” she says. “I have lots of favourites.”
“Well, why don’t you choose your top three then?” I suggest. “I know you can do that.”
She nods seriously, like an immense responsibility has been placed on her tiny shoulders, then trots away diligently. As soon as she returns to her bedroom, Hale closes the door gently behind her and turns on me.
“You shouldn’t have called him,” he says. “Why didn’t you speak to me first? We’re supposed to make decisions together. That’s how we’ve always worked.”
After my conversation with Stephanie, we have no time to spare. We need to move fast. I sigh in exasperation, stomping into our bedroom. I throw open the wardrobe and grab a few essential items off the hangers.
“Can you pack some of Ivy’s clothes?” I ask. “I have ours covered.”
“I’ve already done it,” he says. “The suitcase is already waiting downstairs. Are you sure about this, Dove?”
“We have to act now.”
“You could have talked to me about it at least,” he says.
He’s hurt. Maybe he’s right, and I shouldn’t have acted without consulting him. As soon as Stephanie left, our clock started ticking down, and contacting Freddie seemed like our best way out.
I stuff uncoordinated outfits into a suitcase and zip it up, touching the inside of my jacket pocket to double-check that our passports are safe. Hopefully, we won’t need them, but it doesn’t hurt to prepare for every eventuality. In our early Killers Club days, we spent most of our time travelling. Sometimes we moved around the UK; other times we stayed in Europe and beyond. We were on one constant holiday. Everything was simple when all we had to worry about was Ivy and completing one kill after another without juggling Spencer’s expectations.
“I’m sorry, okay?” I place my hand tenderly on his inked muscular forearm. “I did what I thought was right for our family. You know I’d do anything to protect what we have.”
“I don’t trust them,” Hale says. “How can you be sure Freddie won’t shoot us the moment we walk through the door?”
I can’t say it hasn’t crossed my mind, but my instinct tells me we’ll be okay. Ivy is with them, and despite everything I said, she won’t let them hurt us.
“You don’t need to trust them,” I say. “You need to trust me. Can you do that?”
“Of course I can.” He wraps his arms around my waist and draws me into a tight embrace. His beating heart calms me. “I trust you with the world, but I still don’t like it. We’ve never relied on anyone before. It’s the three of us against the world, remember?”
“This is the only way I see a way forward,” I say.
Whether our plan comes together depends on the Dukes.
“Whatever happens, know that I love you and Ivy more than anything,” Hale says, kissing the top of my head. “I’d die for the two of you.”
“You won’t have to,” I say, hoping I’m right.
