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We concluded it was an alias and that, for whatever reason, she was hiding her identity or had changed her name.

From there, I spiraled even deeper into this new fixation. I wanted to know why she was using an alias. What was her real name? What was she hiding? Was she running from something? Someone? Had she committed some kind of crime and was living in the shadows? What?

The first day she’d walked into the store, her hair in a neat bun and a plastic smile on her face, my attention had been snared. But it wasn’t because of anything she did, not at first. It was because Thorne hadn’t hired a female employee in years, and the fact that he had was bad fucking news.

Right from the jump, I wanted to save her. She was so small, so delicate, so unassuming. A bunny that had walked right into a den of wolves.

At least, that’s what I’d thought. She kept up the ruse for a few days, until Tom—Thorne’s son and general manager of the store—began to wear down her innocent façade.

The first time he touched her, she’d simply glared at him, warning him with those lovely blue eyes.

The second time, she’d snapped at him, a barrage of verbal barbs that were meant to deter and landed on someone who was incapable of feeling them.

The third time, she’d slapped his hand away so hard that the security camera’s mic caught it. Tom had looked ready to slap her right back, but the other employee, a spineless weasel named Jay, had walked over just then.

Not to intervene because what Tom was doing was sexual assault. No. Just to ask Tom something about the sale inventory.

And every single time, I wanted to go in there and break Tom’s fingers.

After the first week of working with a sexual predator—and she didn’t know the half of it—her front dropped completely. She started slashing at Tom’s hands with her boxcutter if he tried to cop a feel. She snarled and snapped at him, never spoke to him unless absolutely necessary. She was wary and watchful and ready to lash out at anyone who got too close.

But she worked hard. Kept to herself.

She just didn’t know she was working for a monster. Thorne was the most evil man I’d ever known, but we were going to put an end to his empire of suffering.

I leaned back on the bench seat, spreading my legs out and keeping my eyes glued to the video feed. We’d all been sitting in this hot van for hours, a nervous, anticipatory energy crackling in the air among us.

Today was our final day in Marion. We’d spent the better part of two months here, casing the store and gathering every bit of intel we could. This store was Thorne’s primary location. He had two others, but he frequented this one more than the others, and his son Tom managed it.

It was Thursday, the only day neither of them would be at this particular store, which was why we’d chosen this day. Except, for some fucking reason, Tom was here, so that was already going to fuck up our plan.

It was risky. It might end badly, all things considered. And Margot? She was never part of the plan, was an unexpected variable that had become a headache for the others and a thrill for me. But now she was the most crucial part of it. To me, at least.

I was smiling as I watched her for the next few hours, anticipation humming through my veins because today I’d finally get to talk to her.

Maybe.

If she didn’t stab me first.

My smile slowly fell away as Tom strutted over to her.

That fucking prick of a peacock.

My blood began to boil, and I clenched my fists, trying to calm down.

Time and time again, I’d had to watch him harass Margot without being able to do a single fucking thing about it. If Cade had his way, I wouldn’t even be allowed to watch the video feed. Too bad I was the older brother. Five minutes really gave me a lot of leverage in our relationship.

Tom came up behind her with a smirk on his face.

I wanted to carve that disgusting smirk right off him. Wanted to see how much shit he could spew when his throat was full of blood. No, first I’d cut off his tongue and then⁠—

Rage exploded through me when he squeezed her ass. I was out of my seat and had the van’s door halfway open in less than a second.

“Hey!”

Cade grabbed me roughly by the collar, dragged me back inside and shoved me onto the seat. The disbelief and anger in his eyes sobered me somewhat, but I still found it hard to think past the blinding fury that was pummeling me.

Vincent sighed from where he sat behind the wheel. Brooks spun around in the passenger seat to look at me.