Page 142 of The Quiet Witness

Every man laughed, including the two bulging security guards who were keeping watch over Will, as he too settled himself at the head of the table. Everyone but Lucien. He managed to utter a polite chuckle while swallowing acid. The date the bloodhound had scored would be lucky if she survived the evening. It was a piece of knowledge that had never sat well with him.

“But, don’t let me ruin tonight’s festivities.” Max rubbed his hands together, glee practically dripping from his whole posture. “Last I heard we were here to… catch the latest news, Lucy.” He bumped into Lucien’s chair before taking place beside him. Placing his elbows on the table. “What have you got for us?”

“Cut it out, Max. I don’t feel particularly keen on having your blood cleaned off the walls tonight. We all know Lucien has a temper.” Will said it with mirth in his voice, but the death stare he sent Max was meant to get his point across.

The latter put his hands up in a show of defeat. “Alright boss, just…” He rocked back on his chair, slamming his booted feet down on the table like a child. “Don’t be too sure of who would walk away from that encounter.”

Will smiled cruelly. “As much as I would love to see you go toe to toe, clawing each other’s eyes out is not quite contributive to the cause, I’m afraid. Also, remove those shoes from my table before the night will end with the type of festivities I enjoy.”

Max had the good sense to shudder in his seat, removing his boots from the table as if struck by lightning. Yes, their boss was quite known for his skills with a skinning knife as well as other pain-inducing ‘fun’ tools.

“Now all that is settled.” Will heaved a heavy sigh, as if he was being surrounded by a bunch of screaming kids. “We all know why we are here tonight. A girl, or rather a woman, seems to have disappeared off the face of this Earth. Since we all know that is rather impossible, I do wonder.” Will leaned forward, interlocking his fingers. “What the hell went wrong?”

Lucien saw Max’s mouth open but cut the man off. Ignoring the dirty look thrown his way. “I was informed that the assignment was meant to involve five individuals, all of whom needed to die on Christmas in what had to look like an accident. That is what I orchestrated. Only later was I informed that there was a sixth individual who should have found her death that same night. But there is no need to… question where she is anymore.”

“Meaning?” Will leaned forward even more, eager to hear more.

“Well,” Lucien let the plan float around his mind, mulling over the words in his brain once more before he spoke them out loud. Knowing there would be no going back after. He reached for a cookie on the table and delicately sniffed it. “Anyone know if these are vegan?”

Lucien clocked the tiny smirk that threatened to break through on Daniel’s face. But Will’s remaining eyebrow lifted. “For your sake, I hope you’re joking.”

“Of course, boss.” He put the cookie back on the table, wiping his hands on his black pants before steepling his fingers together in front of his face, uttering his own damnation. “I buried her.”

Silence fell. Trey’s eyelids fell shut the second the words had left his mouth, knowing damn well what his friend was doing. Meanwhile the others turned to Lucien in shock, all but one. Daniel merely tilted his head slightly while remaining as silent and stoic as always.

But all Lucien could see was blue eyes staring up at the sky. No expression was left in them. Sweat coated his entire body as he shoveled and shoveled in the frozen ground. While his heart had been pounding painfully in his chest, not from the hard work but from what he had to do. In order to save the woman still breathing.

For he had been a witness to the machines going black. To a life lost. He’d signed off on her death. Killed her. And… had desecrated her resting place. Had used Isabel’s death to his own gain.

To Kate’s gain.

“You what?!” Max yelled, disbelief raw on his reddening face. “You told me she walked out on the Christmas table!”

“And she did. But unlike you I have done my due diligence. I found her. A couple of days ago, her run from us is officially… over.”

And with that, Kate should be safe.

“Then why, pray tell?” Max was practically fuming now, but Will merely kept his eyes narrowed tightly on Lucien while Max asked. “Why didn’t you just come out and say it?!”

“Because you needed to realize the gravity of your mistake. I simply meant for it to linger longer… lest you forgot.” Lucien leaned back in his chair, knowing he’d unleash the beast. “I hope you’ve learned your lesson.”

The bloodhound was up and in his face within a second, his hand going to the gun by his side on instinct. “You motherf—”

“Enough!” Balled fists hit the table. Will. “Max you will refrain from spouting the first words coming to mind, and Lucien… you… I don’t even know what to say right now. This whole show could have been avoided.”

Lucien hadn’t moved an inch since Max had shot up like a rabid dog. Merely regarding the man with contempt. “It could have been avoided entirely had my loyalty not been questioned.”

He was pushing it now. But there should be no doubt on Will’s mind or she still wouldn’t be safe.

“Your loyalty?” It was a mere whisper crossing his boss’s mouth, lips curling in barely contained anger. “You and you,” he jerked his head to Max. “have been playing around in goddamn pissing contests instead of doing what I pay you for. That girl should have stopped breathing months ago! If you had…” His balled fist relaxed on the table. “I would have been able to sleep at night.”

So that was the reason for the bags under his eyes, the unkempt hair. All eyes were on the boss now, silenced by his outburst.

“Will.” It was the first time Lucien had spoken his name tonight. “What exactly is it with this assignment that has you this ill at ease?” How deep in shit did I bury myself?

“Nothing but a mistake of the past.” He ran a hand through his hair, attempting to flatten it while whispering, “something that I thought handled already. Instead it continued to plague me. But.” He fixed Lucien with a stare. “You say you ended it. Good. I need only hear from one more person. Trey.”

Lucien fought the instinct to shrink back.