by Nana Malone
She shook her head. "I only told my cousin. And I don’t know. She wasn’t much help. I think maybe she had it worse than I did. Afterward, we didn’t really talk anymore. She got into drugs and stuff."
I bit back a curse. "I'm so sorry. Were you able to leave after that?"
She nodded. "That woman, she came back and gathered us all up. She told us we were to report back in two months for the next initiation, and she’d give us a new file. I knew I was never going back. She tried to threaten us. Told us we'd all signed a contract. But I knew she was lying because I was underage and she couldn’t make me do anything, contract or not.”
My heart was breaking for her, but we had to hear the rest of her story. “What happened then?”
"I don't think mum really knew what was going on with me. Why I changed and became so sullen.”
"Okay." I didn't know what to say. I had to keep her talking. I chanced a look at Amelia, and her face was ashen. Her dark brown skin had taken on this gray ash pallor.
"Anyway. I thought it was over and I didn't have to think about him again. I thought I could go back to school and live my life. But he found me. I don’t even know how. I hadn’t given him my last name, but he still found me and said I had to meet him.”
Amelia leaned forward once again. "Did you meet him?"
She shook her head. "No. I refused. And he told me he was going to ruin me. There was a video."
My stomach turned.
"He said he was going to post it everywhere, and my friends and my father would see it. He said that I shouldn't have been such a slag."
I squeeze her hand again. "I promise you, Chantal, none of this was your fault."
"He wouldn't leave me alone. He kept calling. So I ran away to Australia. My aunt and uncle have a farm there, mostly off grid, and they let me stay with them. I changed my name, just desperate to have a new life, I guess.”
"Of course. That makes absolute sense."
"Maybe a couple years afterward, Mum said that boy that was looking for me had finally stopped calling. I didn’t dare come back though. I was too worried, too scared.”
"Of course. When did you come back?"
She licked her lips. "Two years ago, and I've been back and forth between here and Australia since. So I missed it when the news reports about his father came out, but when I found out, I knew I had to say something."
I squeezed her hand. "You are so brave. Thank you for doing this."
Amelia added, "Thank you for your statement. If you think of anything else or you know anyone else who may need to come forward, bring them in or tell them to talk to us."
She nodded as she gathered her things, and she swiped the tears off her face with the meaty part of her thumb. It was inelegant and raw, but it was the truth. "Thank you for listening. I didn't think anyone would. For so long, everyone told me I should just forget about it. Take the money he offered."
Amelia dropped her notepad. "He offered you money?"
"Yeah, apparently that's why he'd been trying to reach me in the first place. To sign paperwork. He tried to make my mum sign one too, some kind of NDA or something."
If there was one word to describe the look on Amelia's face, it was haunted. Like she'd been at the brink, looked over and seen the horror scape below.
When Chantal was gone, I stood at the doorway trying to catch my breath.
Amelia called out to me. "Nyla—"
"I need a minute." I couldn't talk to her now. Not about this. My focus was on putting some space and distance between myself and what I'd heard from that poor woman, Chantal. She was never going to be the same because of a man like Bram Van Linsted. And I felt ill at the idea that I was at all connected to him.
And I wasn't ready to hear it if Amelia was still willing to work with him, even after everything she knew. I just wouldn't be able to deal with it. So I did the only thing I could.
I ran.
Nyla
The following day, on my way to meet my new team about the Theroux situation, I opened the door to find Amelia on the threshold. I lifted a brow. "Is this urgent? I have somewhere to be."
She took in my attire in one quick glance. I might have worn a little makeup, and perhaps brushed my hair even. And fine, I had on earrings. Not that this was a date, but East always seemed to see me mildly frazzled. So I'd tried to put in a little effort. Not that I was ever going to admit that to anyone.
"Oh, sorry. You look like you're going out."
"I am. What's wrong? Is it the case?" Thus far, she’d only talked to me when it pertained to the case.
She winced. "Actually, can I come in?"
My stomach flipped. The last thing I wanted to do was get in another shouting match with my best friend. She might not consider me her best friend anymore, because apparently, I was the worst best friend on the planet, but she was still mine.
Stop being melodramatic. She had a couple of good points there.
And maybe I was just always used to following my gut instincts. They were rarely wrong. But maybe I didn't give her enough credit. Maybe all the years working under me had made her resentful, and maybe she was entitled to be so. She hadn't had the same opportunities I had. She’d come from Scotland Yard. All her colleagues and professors loved her, so why was I the one who had moved up, and she the one who had stalled? I'd never thought of it before, But maybe I should have. But I still, under no circumstances, ever wished her harm. We eyed each other as I stepped back into the flat. "Um, yeah, what's up?"
She indicated my earrings. "I always loved that pair. You would never wear them."
The threaders I'd stuck in my lobes were stunning. Silver, with the bottom portion encrusted with diamonds. They were thin and delicate though. And you would only notice the glam factor when I was in the light. "Thanks. I never really have much cause to wear them."
She nodded slowly. It was like we were strangers instead of having spent the last three years working cases together.
She rocked back on her heels and ran her hands through her braids. "Look, I'm just going to say it. I'm sorry about our argument."
I nodded as I watched her warily. "The thing is, Amelia, I'm not entirely sure you need to apologize, but maybe I do. Maybe I'm not directly at fault for the way that you've been feeling, or maybe I am. Maybe I've always sort of automatically taken the lead and didn't give you enough opportunity. Trust me, your words sit with me every day. So just know that I'm thinking about what you said."
She nodded and shifted her gaze down to her feet. "Yeah, thanks for at least acknowledging that."
"I never said you weren’t capable, Amelia, I just want you to know that I always wanted you to have everything you deserve. Even if things were unfair, I will always be rooting for you."
She nodded and shoved her hands into her pockets.
"Okay, what gives? You're acting weird. What's going on?"
"I would very much love to eek an apology out of you, but unfortunately, this time, I'm the one who needs to give it."
"Why?"
"Bram Van Linsted."
I groaned. "Oh God, what now?"
Her brow furrowed and she chewed her bottom lip, as if trying to figure out the right words to use. "You were right about him."
I narrowed my gaze. "Okay, but why do you suddenly think I'm right?"
"Well, for starters, that statement we took from Chantal Anderson yesterday. And what you said last time… I couldn't let it go. It was just in my head over and over again. His own corruption, what he gets out of this, etcetera. But then, I spoke to some of his father's victims, and while we can't connect Bram to his father's activities, we most certainly can look at Bram's own victims. There were a number of women besides Chantal who referred to him as the devil incarnate, and not in a good way. He's corrupt, ruthless, and will ruin people at the drop of a hat, and I should have listened to you."
"Um, okay, apology accepted, I guess." Something she was saying didn't ring correctly though. "But you knew this before
even speaking to him, so why now?"
Amelia sighed. "Well, not that this affects you at all, because I doubt that you were in Grimwald Square, and I seriously doubt that you and your boyfriend were there to meet, oh, I don't know, a notorious thief, because that's not something you would do."
I could feel the bottom drop out of my stomach. "What are you talking about?"
"Right. I have a good resource that would swear men working for Bram Van Linsted took shots at who he thought was East Hale and my agents in Grimwald Square four nights ago."
I held my breath. "Shit."
"Shit is right."
"He's in prison. How did you get this information?" I sputtered.
She sighed. "Okay, let's just cut the shit. I had a guard in holding with him. He found a piece of paper that showed the layout of Grimwald Square. And on it was written the names of the London Lords and one other name, Valter Kinnick. A little research turned up the fact that Kinnick is an assassin and former German KSK. Dishonorably discharged. He’s a sniper for hire now."
My mouth fell open. "Oh my God, he wants to kill them."
Amelia rocked back on her heels. "It would appear that way. So I went to Grimwald Square with Denning and the team."
I tried desperately to keep my face impassive. Showed no emotion, gave nothing away. But she knew me better than anyone. She had to know I was withholding something. "Okay, so you went there to work the assassination tip?"
"Something like that. But while we were there, apparently Denning got a hot tip that Francois Theroux was on his way to maybe meet someone. So Denning has it in his head that Theroux was there to meet the London Lords, so he's coming for them."
I nodded slowly. "All right. That's interesting news, I guess."
I was desperate to get out of there, to reach out to East and the lads and let them know what I'd heard. If it was even useful information. But Amelia was still talking.
"Fuck. I'm sorry, okay? I fucked up. I wanted my shot so bad I was willing to ignore the fact that I had an unreliable witness. And something tells me you're in the crossfire of something dangerous, and I just want to help. I know things are weird with us right now, and I'm sorry. You've never been anything but amazing to me. All the other shit really has to do more with Interpol and my career than anything else."
I studied her closely. "You don't have to apologize for all the other shit because there's truth to it. When I'm on a case, I can't even hear anything else, so there might have been times you were trying to talk to me, let me know how you felt that I wasn't listening. That makes me a shitty friend."
"You're not shitty."
"Well, sometimes I am."
"Well, if you wanted to maybe notify a certain Englishman, let him know who was behind taking shots at him the other night, not that I'm saying he was the one who he took shots at, but just in case, because you know, reasons."
I could barely hold back my smile. "Right. Reasons. Ah, thank you for the heads-up, I guess."
"Yeah, of course. I'll just, um, get out of your hair."
She turned to leave, but I couldn't let her walk away like that. "Wait, Amelia, wait."
She halted and turned. "Yeah?"
"Stop being so sad. Do you want to come with me? I'll fill you in on what I'm working on."
She frowned. "Shouldn't I already be in on what you're working on?"
"Yes, you should. But this is important Amelia. And we haven’t been exactly chummy these past few days, so…"
"Because I refused to listen, was absent, damn near got you killed probably… not that you were there."
My lips twitched again. "Not that I was there."
"What's happening? What are you up to?"
"There's a lot going on that I really haven't exactly shared with you. I just want to make sure first that you trust me. And if you do, we can go. But be warned, your whole world might turn upside down."
Her gaze met mine and searched it, waiting for me to reveal that I was lying or joking, or that something else was going on, but all she saw was the truth. "What's going on, Ny?"
"We’re getting closer to closing the Theroux thing. Do you want in?"
Her eyes went wide. "Are you shitting me?"
"No, I'm not. Come with me, I'll tell you on the way."
Chapter 19
Nyla
Since we had a problem with trust, I opted to text East before I headed over to Bridge's house. No doubt he would lose his shit when he saw Amelia. But if she'd come to warn me, they needed to know that.
The car service dropped us off in Belgravia Square in front of Bridge's house, and Amelia gawked. "Wow, you've come up in the world."
"Nope. It's not my house."
She nodded with a laugh. "Okay, good point. But still, nice friends."
"Yeah, well, the jury is still out on whether or not they're my friends. I think East and I are back on track, but Ben and Bridge will probably take more time to convince. Actually, just Bridge. Ben will go the way of Livy, and she likes me."
"Even after we pretty much turned her life upside down?"
I winced as I rang the security gate. "Do you have to say it out loud though?"
"Well, we sort of have."
"I know. And she's been nothing but gracious. Which is almost worse. She's so nice."
"Well, maybe if we catch the arsehole who's trying to kill us all, they won't be mad at us."
I turned and gave her a wide smile. "I like the sound of 'we.’"
"Yeah, me too. And can I just say, it felt weird not having you and me being a team effort. Don't quit again, okay?"
"Is that what they told you? I didn't quit exactly. I would never quit. What, and give Denning the satisfaction?"
"That's a good point. I should have known something was up when you told us that you would no longer be on the team, per your choice. I guess I interpreted that as you quit, but now I think your choice was to tell him he was an arsehole to his face."
I grinned. "Well, I still have my mouth."
"And what a mouth it is."
We were buzzed in the gate and marched right up to the front door.
She fidgeted nervously, shuffling from foot to foot. "Are you sure this is okay?"
"Well, East knows you're coming, so I'm sure he's warned the others. If Bridge brings out the pitchforks, I'll protect you."
"At least I can count on you for that."
"I know, right?"
When the door opened, Bridge's gaze went straight to Amelia. "Great, more coppers. None of the mates I grew up with would ever believe any of this shit. But since you're here and are apparently saving our lives, come on in."
I had to give Amelia credit. She didn't falter in the least at Bridge's stern gaze or at his dark words. She gave him a wide smile and stuck out her hand like we were strolling into a business meeting.
Reluctantly, her complete indifference forced him to be polite. He shook it as she said, "Agent Amelia Jansen.”
”Welcome to my humble abode."
She coughed at the word humble, but nonetheless she followed him, and I trailed behind.
When we walked into the study, everyone had a drink. Livy and Telly gave me warm smiles and Amelia curious glances. Ben, well, he scowled. But more at Amelia and less at me. Completely untrusting this crowd.
But don't they have a good reason?
I sought out East, who came over from the bar and held out a drink for me. "Vodka tonic. For the nerves."
I took it and then handed it to Amelia. "Something tells me, I'll need all my senses tonight."
"Yeah, by the time Bridge is done with you, probably."
Amelia sighed. "If me being here is a problem, I'll go. But at least let me tell you what I know first, and then I'll be out of your hair. And for the record, I'm the one with the murder wall. Not Nyla."
He nodded slowly. "Right. I suppose you were just doing your job."
She shrugged. "Yeah, but getting in bed with the devil is never a good idea."
&nb
sp; East seemed to ease up a little as he grinned at her. "Well, it depends. How good is the devil in bed?"
Amelia studied him for a long time, and then her lips quirked into a smile. "I can see why she likes you."
"Well, I am pretty brilliant."
I could only shake my head. "Yes, and so modest."
When everyone was seated, I saw that Prince Lucas and Bryna had joined us. Ben gave Amelia the floor. "Everyone, obviously, we have a special treat. We have a real live Interpol agent with us."
I frowned. "Hey, I'm an Interpol agent too."
Ben rolled his eyes. "Sort of. If you get suspended, then people start to squint at you when you say you're an agent."
I muttered under my breath. "I got suspended one time."
Ben ignored what I said and nodded at Amelia. "This is my family. I understand that you're Nyla's family?"
I gave him a firm nod, and winked at Amelia.
She sighed. "Yeah, I am. Look, whatever you dragged her into, I don't love it. But I also trust her and her gut, and she wouldn't believe you so passionately if she wasn't on to something. And I'm inclined to believe you now because of what was found in Bram Van Linsted's cell."
Everyone leaned forward. She pulled out her phone and passed it around. "Obviously, I couldn't get the original, but that's a note from his cell. Someone, we suspect Garreth Jameson, passed it to him from the visitor's lounge somehow. There was no touching allowed, so we’ll have to watch the tapes to see how it happened. But it's a confirmation of an attempt on your lives at Grimwald Square.”
Everyone was dead silent and so still they could have easily been mistaken for statues. But it was East who spoke first. Ever watchful, ever vigilant, the most concerned about safety. "Theroux? But why double cross us?"
I frowned at that. "I don't think so. He had to run just like us. If anything, he would have tried to take us out himself. And he would have gotten the job done, and we would never have even seen him."
Bridge leaned back in his seat, clinking the ice cubes in his glass together. "She has a point. Theroux can get to any of us. We're not hiding. We're easy to find. If he wanted to take us out, he could have. Besides, he's made it clear that he needs us for something."