Chapter 23
FREDDIE
Amessage from Daisy flashes over my phone screen. She’s become the middle person between us and Stephanie, which I’m not keen on, but it’s too risky for Queen Stephanie to do it herself.
I fight the urge to spring into action and set plans in motion, remembering I handed over that responsibility.
It’s Seb’s decision to make.
Sacrificing my role as their leader was the right thing to do, but it doesn’t feel right. Everyone else seems to have a place in the group but, without being their boss, I don’t know where I fit in.
Last night, Ivy and Callen seemed to have made amends. It was hard to contain my jealousy at seeing her tousled hair and Callen’s smug smirk. They share a toxic connection and, although it’s lessened the tense atmosphere, Ivy still can’t bear to look at me. I don’t blame her. I’d prefer if she screamed at me and fought, but her cold indifference is killing me. It’s not just Ivy. Bram has only just started acknowledging me again, and even now, it’s clear he doesn’t trust me.
Everything has changed, and it’s all my fault.
“Seb,” I say, holding up my phone to catch his attention. He’s busy typing on a laptop. “It’s for you.”
I throw the phone for him to catch.
I’ve already read the message that contains the address of a house in London on the other side of the city with the words:
Time to move. I’ll send you the address. It’ll have everything you need to get prepared.
We’ll meet you there tomorrow to confirm the plan.
Seb frowns as he reads it.
“What is it?” Ivy asks from the other end of the suite.
Earlier, we pushed the sofas against the walls to make more space. Ivy’s incapable of relaxing, so she and Callen have been treating the room like a dojo by practising fighting moves. More than a few ornaments lay broken in their wake. Bram watches on from a high-backed chair, following their every move, poised to step in if Callen takes it too far. Not that Ivy needs any help. She has a sharp focus, and her professional training is clear.
“She’s given us an address for a safe house,” Seb says.
“I know the place,” Ivy says, reading over his shoulder. “It’s a Killers Club building. I’ve stayed there a few times before. They use it when overseas agents are in the city and need somewhere to stay.”
“So, they operate an assassin network and a B&B?” Callen lets out a low whistle. “Real scary.”
Ivy rolls her eyes. “When are we leaving?”
Seb looks at me for advice, but I bite my tongue.
“Within the hour,” he says, stepping up. “There are three cars in the hotel basement already waiting.”
A swell of pride fills my chest. He’s better at this than he thinks.
Ivy flicks her hair over her shoulder. “I’ll be ready to leave in five. No later.”
She goes to collect a few belongings, mainly the clothes that we picked out together. When we re-group a few minutes later, we’re carrying minimal belongings, and Bram insists on carrying Ivy’s bag for her.
“Is she incapable of carrying her own shit?” Callen asks. “Or have you always wanted to be a butler?”
Bram’s eyes narrow.
“He’s a gentleman,” Ivy says. “Something you’ll never understand. And if you think I’m incapable, we can take it to the mat again.”
Callen’s eyes light up with excitement. “Hell yeah, I’m ready for?—”
“No more fighting.” Seb ends their sparring. “We need to conserve our strength. What if one of you gets hurt?”
“It’s not me you have to worry about,” Ivy replies, making Bram snort in amusement.
“We’ll split up to travel in pairs,” he says. “It’s better to move in smaller groups, in case we face any unwelcome surprises en route.”
We await our allocations.
“Callen, you’re travelling alone,” Seb says. Wise move. “Freddie and Ivy will be in the next car, then me and Bram...”
Bram’s eyebrows lower in disagreement, but Seb holds his finger up. “That’s my final decision.”
“I don’t want to travel with him,” Ivy objects like a sulky teenager. “Why can’t I go with Bram?”
Callen wiggles his eyebrows suggestively. “There’s space in my car, princess.”
“You’re travelling alone, Cal,” Seb says definitively. “I’ve seen you drive. I’m not risking an accident on the way.” His voice takes on a firmer, more authoritative edge. “Let’s move.”
Everyone nods. We walk through the hotel in silence, all on high alert, like soldiers moving through a warzone. Ivy tries to keep her distance, brushing her shoulder against the walls to avoid coming into contact with me.
Once we reach the underground car park, Seb leads us to our getaway vehicles. A shiny red Mustang. A slick silver Mercedes. And a black Range Rover. All bullet-proof and, most importantly, fast.
“Sweet,” Callen admires, checking them out. “Bagsy the red one!”
Seb hurls the key at his head, then hands me the keys to the Range Rover.
“We’re taking three different routes to spread the risk and confuse anyone if we’re tailed,” he says. “Everyone happy with that?”
Bram grunts to show he isn’t. If he had his way, he and Ivy would be joined at the hip. Seb briefed us on the routes before we left. I’m familiar with the route and have memorised the directions.
“Yes, we are,” Ivy says, then turns to Bram. “Daisy and Ivy are all that matters.”
Keeping you safe is all that matters to me, I want to say. I wince as she plants a tender kiss on Bram’s cheek. Each day, she slices away another piece of my heart. It won’t be long until I’m left with an empty hole in my chest, along with the gnawing regret of what I should have done instead.
“Let’s go,” I say, climbing into the driver’s seat.
I don’t attempt to open the door for her, imagining her reaction to chivalry would be less than favourable. In current traffic, it’d take half an hour to reach our destination.
“Fucking drive then,” Ivy orders impatiently from beside me.
I rev the engine and pull away, not bothering to turn on the sat nav. I’ve already made peace with my decision and the consequences I’m going to have to face…