Sharpest Sting: An Elemental Assassin Book

by Jennifer Estep

  “Then you’re as foolish and shortsighted as Fletcher was.”

  “For seeing through your lies and bullshit?” I snorted. “Well, then, you can call me foolish and shortsighted any day of the week and twice on Sundays.”

  Another amused look filled Mason’s face. Once again, my insults didn’t bother him.

  “Where are my manners?” he drawled. “Thank you ever so much for retrieving the ledger, Gin. You don’t know what this means to me. Or what I’ll be able to do now, thanks to your doggedness and ingenuity.”

  The thought of Mason using the money in those accounts to hurt people turned my stomach, but I couldn’t stop that right now any more than I could stop him from using his Stone magic to reduce the restaurant to rubble and kill everyone inside.

  Mason plucked the ledger off the tabletop and got to his feet. Tucker pushed back from his table, Emery slid off her stool, and the other giants scattered around the restaurant also stood up. This plague of locusts was finally leaving.

  “And so our business is concluded.” Mason loomed over me, a pleasant smile fixed on his face. “And I won, the way I always do. Fletcher never quite learned that lesson. Don’t make the same mistake he did, Gin. I’m giving you a reprieve, and you should make the most of it.”

  Mason braced his hand on the tabletop and leaned down, his face inches away and his cold gray eyes level with mine. “Our business might be concluded, but my terms remain the same.”

  “What terms?” I asked.

  He leaned a little closer, his warm breath brushing my face. “From this moment forward, if you interfere with Circle business, with my business, in any way, shape, or form, I will kill you,” Mason purred in his smooth, silky voice. “But only after I’ve made you watch while Bria and the rest of your friends meet the same grisly fate as Tristan. So think on that, Gin. Think what the price will be before you start shouting revenge and plotting against me.”

  His threat delivered, Mason straightened up, tucked the ledger under his arm, and strolled out of the Pork Pit.

  Chapter Twenty

  I made sure Sophia was okay, helped her with the last of the food and the customers, and closed the restaurant.

  Silvio, Owen, and I followed Sophia back to Jo-Jo’s house. Finn and Bria were waiting on the front porch with Jo-Jo, who was pacing back and forth. The Deveraux sisters had a tearful reunion, and Jo-Jo thanked me for keeping Sophia safe. I smiled and nodded and said all the right things, but I was angry, bitter, and seething inside.

  Mason fucking Mitchell had gotten the better of me.

  I didn’t know what to do about that. I didn’t know what I could do without putting us all in even more danger. He had the ledger, and he could still reach out, kidnap, and kill us anytime he wanted.

  My uncle was right—he had won.

  “What do you want to do now, Gin?” Finn asked, interrupting my dark thoughts. “Start digging into the ledger accounts?”

  Despite the cold, we were still standing on the front porch. I looked at everyone. Finn, Bria, Owen, Silvio, Jo-Jo, Sophia. Once again, my friends were waiting for me to give them some direction—but I didn’t have any.

  Not now, not tonight. Not after I’d worked so hard to find the ledger, only to end up turning it over to Mason. Even though I had kept my friends safe and we had the account numbers, I still felt I had let Fletcher down. He had kept that ledger safe and hidden for years, and Mason had pried it away from me after only a few hours. I hadn’t just let Fletcher down. I had completely failed him—and myself too.

  “Gin?” Owen asked.

  I forced myself to smile at everyone. “No more work and bad guys tonight. It’s late, and we have a big day tomorrow. Let’s concentrate on Mallory and Mosley’s wedding. I want everything to be perfect for them. Once the wedding is over, then we’ll plan our next move.”

  Everyone nodded, accepting my decision. I smiled again, but their trust made me feel like an even bigger failure—and worse, a fraud who was going to get them all killed.

  * * *

  The night passed by quietly, and the next morning, Saturday, Valentine’s Day, dawned clear and bright. It was still bitterly cold, but the cheery sunshine made it the perfect day for a winter wedding.

  Just before noon, Owen pulled his car up to the front of the Five Oaks Country Club. He handed his keys off to one of the valets, while Silvio and I grabbed garment bags and more out of the trunk. Owen retrieved his own bags, and we headed for the entrance.

  Five Oaks was made up of five circular buildings, and the main center structure had been decked out with white, blue, and silver ribbons, along with white paper wedding bells and hearts, just like all the other wedding venues I’d been to this week. An enormous royal-blue banner, bigger than any of the others I’d seen, was hanging over the club’s main entrance, and its shiny silver letters screamed out Congratulations, Mallory and Stuey!

  A couple of giants were stationed by the entrance, checking people’s invitations and IDs and ticking off the names on their clipboards. Their navy suits, light blue shirts, and silver ties marked them as Liam Carter’s men. According to a text Liam had sent me last night, Mallory had decided to color-coordinate the security guards with the rest of the wedding, and she’d even found white orchids for each guard to pin to their suit jacket.

  Owen, Silvio, and I showed our invitations, stepped inside the country club, and walked down a long hallway that was also decked out with ribbons, bells, hearts, and banners. At the far end of the corridor, Roslyn Phillips was standing behind a podium, a clipboard in her hand, directing several giants and dwarves who were carrying tables and chairs into the grand ballroom behind her. A couple of Liam’s guards were standing nearby, keeping an eye on things.

  Roslyn checked something off on her clipboard, then looked up and smiled as we approached her. My friend was wearing a lovely royal-blue cocktail dress, along with sapphire chandelier earrings.

  “What do you think?” I drawled. “Are you going to branch out and make wedding planning part of your business?”

  She let out a rueful laugh. “I don’t think so. I was happy to help Mallory since her original planner got the flu, but I’ll stick to handling Northern Aggression. C’mon. Everyone else is already here.”

  Roslyn led us through a couple of hallways and over to a wing that featured several private rooms. She knocked on a door, and we stepped into a large suite to find Mosley standing in front of a full-length mirror. The elderly dwarf looked quite handsome in his classic black tuxedo, although he seemed to be having a bit of trouble with his black bow tie.

  “I can never fix these stupid things,” Mosley growled.

  “Here,” Finn said, going over to him. “Let me.”

  My brother was already dressed to impress in his own tuxedo, complete with a perfect bow tie. The black suit jacket and white shirt brought out his walnut-colored hair and green eyes, and he looked so much like Fletcher it made me want to cry. I always missed the old man a little more on special occasions, and he would have loved being here to watch his friend Mosley get married.

  “My, my, my,” I drawled, trying to mask my sudden sadness. “Don’t you two gents look handsome?”

  Finn finished with Mosley’s tie, then preened at his own reflection in the mirror. “You’re absolutely right. We do look handsome.”

  Mosley rolled his eyes at Finn, then came over, grabbed my hands, and gently squeezed my fingers. “Gin,” he rumbled, his hazel eyes bright and happy. “I’m so glad you and everyone else could be here for our special day.”

  I smiled at him. “I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.”

  I left Owen and Silvio with Finn and Mosley, so the two of them could don their own tuxedos. Roslyn led me to another suite down the hallway, then headed back to her post to make sure the ballroom was set up for the reception.

  “There you are,” a low voice called out.

  I turned to find Liam Carter striding down the hallway toward me. Like the rest of his
security staff, Liam was sporting a navy suit, light blue shirt, and silver tie, although a blue orchid was pinned to his lapel, marking him as the boss.

  Liam stopped in front of me, his face full of concern. “How are you? And Sophia?”

  I’d left him a voice mail last night, telling him what had happened at the Pork Pit. Liam had texted back and apologized for not being at the restaurant.

  “I’m fine, and so is Sophia. How are you? We haven’t had a chance to talk much in person the past few days.”

  “I know. You hired me to protect you, and I wasn’t there when you needed me.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Gin.”

  No, Liam Carter hadn’t been around when I’d needed him. Not at the Posh boutique and not when Mason had come to the Pork Pit last night. Some of that was my fault, for keeping Liam at arm’s length, for not letting him get physically close enough to do his job, and for trying to handle things on my own like I always did.

  Still, the paranoid part of me wondered how much of Liam not being around was his fault. So far, Liam had done everything I’d asked, and I had no real reason to be suspicious of his motives or loyalty. But try as I might, I couldn’t ignore those sharks swimming around and around in my watery tank of worry, just waiting to tear me to pieces.

  But I forced myself to plaster a smile on my face. “Don’t worry about it. You couldn’t have done anything to change the situation. How are things here? I saw your men out front and at the ballroom. Everything seems to be going smoothly.”

  “It is—so far.” Liam glanced up and down the hallway, as if making sure we were still alone. “My people have this place locked down tight, but I’m still concerned. Especially given what happened between you and Mason last night.”

  “I gave Mason what he wanted, so he should be busy with his precious ledger today. But I appreciate you looking out for Mallory and Mosley. I’m sure everything will be fine.”

  I gave him another fake smile. I would be ecstatic if things went merely fine today, since that would be a marked improvement over everything else that had happened this past week.

  A shadow flickered across Liam’s face, but he nodded. “I’m sure you’re right. Anyway, I need to make my rounds. See you later.”

  He spun around and strode back down the hallway.

  I watched Liam until he vanished from view, but he seemed to be going about his job, just like he said. So I knocked on the door, opened it, and stepped inside.

  The luxury suite was twice the size of Mosley’s and decked out with everything a bride-to-be could want, from champagne chilling in a bucket in the corner, to a tray of chocolate-covered strawberries, to still more trays of drinks and snacks on a long table by the windows.

  Mallory was sitting at a vanity table in the living room while Jo-Jo fluttered around and teased the older dwarf’s white hair into a fluffy cloud. Jo-Jo was wearing a royal-blue dress, along with a string of pale gray pearls, but Mallory was clad in a blue silk robe.

  Jo-Jo had already finished with Lorelei, and she’d made my friend look even more stunning than usual. Lorelei’s black hair hung in loose, pretty waves around her shoulders, while smoky shadow enhanced her blue eyes and plum gloss highlighted her lips. Her royal-blue maid-of-honor dress brought out her beautiful skin and strong, toned body, and silver stilettos glittered on her feet.

  Bria and Sophia were also here. Bria was in her royal-blue bridesmaid dress and silver stilettos. Her blond hair also hung in loose, pretty waves around her shoulders, and Jo-Jo had given her smoky eyes and plum lips to match Lorelei’s look. In a nod to her Goth style, Sophia was sporting a royal-blue pantsuit with chunky black heels, and a blue crystal heart dangled from a black velvet ribbon around her neck.

  “Gin! There you are!” Mallory waved me over.

  I put my bags on a chair, then bent down and took her hands in mine. “Thank you for letting me be a part of your special day.”

  Mallory blinked a few times, tears gleaming in her eyes. “No, darling. Thank you. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be here, and neither would Stuey. We owe you so much.”

  Now I had to blink back tears. “No more than I owe you,” I rasped, my throat tight.

  Jo-Jo finished with Mallory’s hair and doused it with roughly half a can of hairspray. While Mallory’s hair set, she snacked on some champagne and strawberries along with Lorelei, Bria, and Sophia.

  I took a seat in front of another vanity table. Jo-Jo stepped up and rested her hands on my shoulders.

  “How are you doing, darling?” she asked in a soft, sympathetic voice. “I know handing over the ledger to Mason was hard for you.”

  More tears stung my eyes, betraying my frustration and disappointment, but I ruthlessly blinked them back. “I’m fine. I’m just glad Sophia is okay.”

  “Me too.” Jo-Jo smiled at me. “Now, let’s get you gussied up.”

  She gave me the same look as Lorelei and Bria—smoky eyes, plum lips, loose hair curled into soft waves. I studied my reflection. Jo-Jo had done an excellent job, as always, but no amount of makeup could hide the worry flickering in my eyes and creasing my pale face, and no pretty hairstyle could cover up the high, tense set of my shoulders.

  Mallory, Lorelei, Bria, and Sophia were still laughing, talking, and gulping down champagne and strawberries on the other side of the suite, but Jo-Jo stayed next to me.

  “You look like your mind is a thousand miles away. What are you thinking about?” she asked. “Fletcher?”

  I let out a breath. There was no use denying it. Not to her. “Yeah. I can’t help but wonder why Fletcher hid the ledger in Tucker’s grave. It just doesn’t make sense. Mason might not have thought to look there, but Tucker would have sooner or later.”

  Jo-Jo patted my arm. “Well, I’m sure you’ll figure it out. But for now, everyone’s safe, and you gave Mason what he wanted, so maybe he’ll leave you alone. This is Mallory and Mosley’s day. We should enjoy it as much as possible.”

  She was right. Today was about Mallory and Mosley and their love. Not me and my incessant worry and paranoia.

  I squeezed her hand. “Thank you for talking some sense into me.”

  Jo-Jo squeezed my hand back. “Anytime, darling. Now, I need to do the bride’s makeup.”

  She winked at me in the mirror, then went back over to Mallory.

  Bria helped me zip up my bridesmaid dress, and I checked in the mirror to make sure the long skirt hid the two knives strapped to my thighs. I might have given Mason the ledger, but I was still wearing my weapons, along with my spider-rune pendant and matching ring, both of which were filled with my Ice magic. I wanted to be prepared in case something unexpected happened.

  The mood in the suite grew more and more jovial. Soon I was drinking champagne, and we were taking selfies. I snapped more photos than Lorelei, Bria, and Sophia combined. Jo-Jo was right. This was a good day, and I wanted to always remember it.

  “And here comes the bride,” Jo-Jo called out several minutes later.

  Mallory stepped out from behind a dressing screen in the corner of the suite. “Well? What do you girls think?”

  She was wearing the silver-blue sheath dress with cap sleeves and silver sequined waistband from the Posh boutique, along with matching kitten heels. Silver shadow made her eyes seem bluer than normal, while a soft pink gloss covered her lips. A pearl-and-diamond choker sparkled around her neck, while a matching pearl-and-diamond tiara glinted in her fluffy white hair.

  “You look stunning.” I grinned. “I should have known you had a diamond tiara.”

  Mallory preened, reached up, and patted the tiara. “A girl can’t possibly get married without one, now, can she?”

  I laughed. “No, she certainly can’t.”

  We hung out in the suite for another half hour, laughing, talking, and sipping champagne, before Roslyn knocked on the door.

  “It’s time,” she said.

  Mallory nodded and threaded her arm through Lorelei’s, and we all grabbed our bouquets
of white, blue, and purple orchids and left the suite. We followed Roslyn through the country club and over to a long hallway. A set of closed double doors stood at the far end.

  “All right, ladies,” Roslyn said. “It’s go time. The groom, his best man, and everyone else are waiting inside. Are you ready to get married?”

  Mallory gave a firm nod. “I was ready the moment Stuey asked me.”

  Roslyn smiled. “Good. You guys know what to do. Just wait for the music, and follow the cues. Gin, you’re up first. Then Bria. And finally, Lorelei will escort Mallory.”

  We took our positions. A few minutes later, classical music started drifting through the closed doors. The music got a little louder, and the doors opened. I clutched my bouquet even tighter and strode forward.

  I had attended weddings at the country club before, but Roslyn and the staff had really outdone themselves. The ceremony was being held in a glassed-in ballroom that overlooked the club’s gardens. White, blue, and silver ribbons had been strung up around the room, along with paper wedding bells and hearts, and dozens of white and blue candles bathed the area in golden light. Guests dressed in tuxedos and ballgowns relaxed in comfy white wicker chairs on either side of the center aisle. White, blue, and purple orchid petals had been strewn over the pale blue carpet, adding a sweet vanilla note to the air.

  The carpet stretched for about fifty feet before ending at a raised dais that featured a white trellis covered with white and blue orchids and tiny white fairy lights. Mosley was standing on the dais, along with the minister who was going to perform the ceremony.

  Finn, Owen, and Silvio were also on the platform. They all looked quite handsome, but my gaze locked on Owen, who was truly stunning in his tuxedo. His black hair gleamed under the lights, and his violet gaze was soft and warm on mine.

  I slowly walked the length of the carpet to the dais, and Owen moved forward, bent down, and held out his hand. I took it, and he helped me step up and onto the dais.

  “You look beautiful,” he murmured in a low, husky voice.