Chapter 17
LILY
My cheeks are on fire and my heart is racing like it’s about to explode from my chest as I step into my bedroom with Barrett.
I can’t believe he sprung us. It’s utterly mortifying that he saw me in that private moment, let alone that I was in it with a man seventeen years younger than me, who just happens to be Jude and Ronan’s best mate.
Shit. What the hell am I doing?
“I don’t even know what to say about what I just saw,” Barrett mutters after shutting the door behind him.
“How about sorry for barging into my private home?” I hiss, spinning on him, and he sighs.
“I am sorry for that. But I did it with good reason.”
“Which is?” I snap and he frowns.
“There’s a hit out on you.”
Did he just say…
“What?” I ask, frowning too.
“An acquaintance notified me earlier today about the hit and sent me the intel. There’s a contract out for your death. The hit is for one million dollars.”
“Only one million?” I scoff, and Barrett smirks.
“This isn’t funny, Lily.”
I sigh, dropping my arse down on my bed.
“I know. Only one million for killing the Crimson Angel isn’t much. That’s at least worth six million.”
“It’s not for the Crimson Angel. It’s for the death of Lily Marx.”
Lily Marx…
I think I stop breathing. I can feel the blood draining from my face as Barrett’s words sink in.
“How is that possible? Lily Marx disappeared over twenty years ago.”
“I don’t know. But the job is live. Devon fucking saw it and wanted to come here and get you.”
I shoot off the bed. “He’s not here, is he?”
Barrett shakes his head. “No, but I wouldn’t put it past him to have tracked me somehow. He’s fucking worried about you, Lil.”
I want to be angry about the fact Barrett betrayed me. About the fact my brother, who I was forced to leave behind, and who didn’t come after me all those years ago, was listening. But right now, I have bigger things to worry about.
Like the fact that assassins are going to come after me.
“We need to get you somewhere safe,” Barrett hisses, but I shake my head, not sure what to do.
“I can’t just go. What about Jude and Ronnie? What about Asher?”
“What about Asher?” He rolls his eyes. “He’s not your fucking kid to worry about.”
I charge at Barrett, ready to punch. “He’s not my fucking kid. I…”
“You, what?” Barrett snaps as my feet stall. “You don’t fucking love him. He’s just a temptation, and nothing more.”
“You’d know all about temptations, wouldn’t you?” I snap. “Is that how you feel about—”
“Don’t fucking say it!” Barrett snarls, his fists balling at his sides like he’s struggling to hold in his rage.
Shit…
My shoulders slump in defeat. I shouldn’t have said that. I shouldn’t have compared. That was a low blow.
Barrett’s jaw ticks, and he looks like he has so much to say about my dig, but it never comes.
“Look, I can see you obviously care about him,” Barrett sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Is it new, or something that was happening before he went to prison?”
“It’s new. So new,” I admit, my eyes falling to the floor between us.
“Well, you gotta figure shit out before telling the twins.” He sighs. “If it’s only a fling, then maybe they never need to know.”
I nod, knowing he’s right. Even though I’m embarrassed that he found out, especially the way he found out, I’m also relieved that someone knows.
“In the meantime, we need to keep you alive. I don’t think there’s an immediate threat since no one knows you are Lily Marx…” He trails off, frowning, and I realise I just cringed. “No one knows you’re Lily Marx, right?”
“Well…”
“Well, fucking what?” Barrett snaps, and I throw my hands up in defeat.
“The text stalker knows. Remember?”
“The text stalker suspects. That’s a little different.”
“I’m pretty sure he or she knows.” I cringe, and Barrett’s glare turns so dark, I fear his pupils are about to blow.
“Lily, why are you sure? They just sent a few messages, didn’t they?”
“I, ahhh, may or may not have responded.”
Barrett’s glare drops. “You’re fucking with me?”
“I mean, I’d like to say I am given this turn of events, but…” I cringe again, and he holds his hand out.
“Give me your phone.”
“No.”
“Lily.”
“Barrett.”
“For fuck’s sake, this isn’t a fucking game. Someone wants you dead. “
“Yeah, I’m aware,” I snap. “Probably your dad.”
Barrett stills, his eyes narrowing. “You think my dad wants you dead?”
“He was the one who demanded I abort the pregnancy and return home. He was the one who turned my parents, and the whole fucking family, against me.”
“Not the whole family, and you’d be surprised, Lily.”
“About what?”
“Your siblings didn’t turn against you. They kept their distance to keep you safe.”
“And your siblings?” I snap.
“The same thing, Lily.” Barrett steps forward, taking my hands in his. “If you want to come home, I fucking guarantee they’d all be thrilled.”
“What about Uncle Ewan?” I ask, and Barrett’s face falls. “That’s what I thought.”
Pulling my hands free, I spin away from him, feeling the threat of tears burn my eyes.
“Things in the family have… changed. There’s been a shift over the last few years,” Barrett admits, and I spin back to him.
“But Ewan is still in charge, right?” When he nods, I continue. “Did you know what he demanded after saying I have to abort the pregnancy and return home?”
Frowning, Barrett shakes his head. “I don’t really know any of it, Lily.”
“Oh, my bad… I forgot. You aren’t part of the original line,” I snap, and pain flickers across his expression before he can stop it. “Shit, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”
“It’s fine,” he sighs, moving to sit on my bed. “It’s fucking true. Only Audrey’s children get insider privileges.”
I cringe, hating that I’ve poked that sore spot.
Ewan and his first wife, Audrey, had four children together. She died when their youngest was only one-year-old, which is when Ewan turned from man to monster.
Or so the story goes.
His second wife, Barrett’s mum, had a brief marriage with Ewan, giving him three more children, but his heart never stopped loving Audrey, and after one too many rumoured beatings, Caroline left him and her children, the youngest only two years old.
Selena though? She’s been the wife to stay the longest. She stepped in to take care of baby Cassandra when she was three, already knocked up with Ewan’s children.
Twins.
From there, she’s bred Marx children for Ewan, like she’s adding to his army of soldiers, making him smile whenever a girl is born, but elated when another Marx son graces the Earth. She birthed ten children to Ewan by the time I left, with one on the way, plus a stray they adopted.
Gracie.
Barrett is child number five in the sibling line. He doesn’t get the insider information. He just gets ordered around.
“So, are you going to tell me what he demanded?" Barrett asks, and I contemplate refusing, but then I remember how much Barrett has helped me over the years with the twins. With supporting me after my marriage to Alex ended.
And I can never forget how he helped me with protection for Asher in prison.
“Ewan demanded the pregnancy be terminated, and to make sure I wouldn’t get knocked up again with, and I quote, ‘cross bred mutts,’ that I should also have a hysterectomy to remove my uterus.”
“The fuck!” Barrett launches up off the bed, his frown deep and his face flaring red. “I’ll fucking kill him!”
“Calm down, you know and I know you can’t do that.”
“I fucking loath him,” he snarls, and I step closer, gripping his arms.
“I know you do. But do you see now why I couldn’t return? I mean, it could have been just a threat, but Ewan isn’t known for not following through. I was sure if I returned, I’d wake up strapped to a table with my uterus gone.”
Hanging his head, Barrett takes a few moments to compose himself, and I step back, giving him the space.
“Let’s focus on the hit and your stalkers first. Then, we can talk more about my fucking family,” he grunts. “Maybe you should cut back on extracurricular jobs for a while.”
“No way.” I frown, hating the idea of that restraint.
Sometimes, I really just need to kill someone. To carve them up and hear their screams. And yes, I know that sounds all kinds of fucked up, but it is what it is.
“What are the chances that it’s linked to the Crimson Angel?” Barrett asks. “You’ve been getting those photos for a while. Someone obviously knows that the Crimson Angel is Lily Bennett, so what if they also know you’re Lily Marx too?”
“Oh!” I lurch off the bed. “I received another envelope this morning. I haven’t had a chance to look at it.” I dart out the door, rushing across the hall to the coat stand and rummage through my bag. When my fingers find the envelope, I drag it free and dart back into my bedroom.
Barrett is pacing now, and I tear the top open and pull out the pictures.
“Shit,” I mutter as my eyes take in the scene. “It’s the Omar Bertini kill.”
“Shit’s right. Haven’t you only been getting images from old kills?” Barrett takes one of the pictures and studies it.
“Yes. They are usually months old.”
The first picture is of me standing in front of Omar and the eight girls standing behind me. The second one is of me standing by as I watch the girls attack Omar, and the third is of me, face etched in pure madness as I saw off Omar’s head.
“Fuck.” Barrett’s tone draws my attention, and I notice he’s glancing at the back of one of the pictures. Then he turns it to face me.
I KNOW HOW MUCH KILLING TURNS YOU ON.
What the actual fuck!
“What’s happening?” I whisper, and Barrett shakes his head.
“They’ve changed their routine, which means things are escalating.”
I nod, coming to the same conclusion.
The pictures I’ve been getting are always from past kills. A little outdated. And the message on the back has always been the same until now.
It used to be; I know who you are. Now it’s turned into something… sexual.
Whoever has been sending me these has definitely changed routines, which just happens to coincide with finding out there’s a hit out on me.