Chapter 33
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Bellamy
She stared at the image glowing in the air in front of her. “What the fuck is this?” she growled, unable to tear her eyes away.
Cedar had produced a little metal communications bracelet. When she tapped it, a misty projection of an image appeared before them. The dark magenta glow of magic around it did nothing to hinder the quality. It was Bellamy, sitting at the cards table just hours before.
She tried to snatch the bracelet off the woman, but Cedar was quick, pulling her arm just out of reach.
“Ah, ah. Watch it. This isn’t my only one,” Cedar warned. She had a low voice, raspy like Bellamy had actually wrung her neck and not just imagined it. Cedar tapped the side of the bracelet, and the image started moving.
Bellamy was shuffling the deck, but even from the recorder’s distance, she could see the moment she’d slipped her cards in.
Effortless, a practiced skill she’d used thousands of times over.
The penalty for getting caught cheating was more than she could afford at the moment, especially with how much she already owed.
She’d lose everything. She’d have to dip into their already meager savings and admit to Ves what she’d been doing.
Staring, dumbfounded, Bellamy couldn’t rip her gaze away until the recording looped. Cedar curled her hand over the bracelet, snuffing out the magic.
This didn’t make any sense. Bellamy had been cheating for years. Everyone cheated. Why now? Why her? It had been a setup, that much was obvious. She hadn’t pissed anyone off that bad… right?
“You set me up.”
“Yes,” Cedar said simply.
Bellamy deflated. There wasn’t anything she could do, and she definitely did not want Vesper finding out about this. Cedar showed no fear, acting as if Bellamy wasn’t a split second away from ending her life and hiding the body.
“My partner has a matching bracelet with the same recording. If I don’t return, they’ll turn it in, and you’ll be dealing with the house. I hear they can be very unforgiving.” Cedar smiled, apparently reading Bellamy’s murderous mind.
“What do you want?”
“Just a little favor. Do it, and I’ll destroy this,” Cedar smiled and the bracelet jiggled on her wrist.
“You said your partner has one too.”
Cedar’s smile didn’t waver. “I’ll destroy all copies.”
Bellamy eyed her suspiciously. She tried to think of a way out.
She could destroy this one and kill Cedar, anyway, but she had no idea what the partner looked like, or how long she had before Cedar reported back.
She couldn’t risk anyone getting hold of those images.
Maybe it would be some inconsequential favor…
Something silly, like assassinating someone for free or stealing something. That wouldn’t be bad.
Mind made up, Bellamy glared at Cedar. “What’s the favor?”
“Your assignment tomorrow. There will be a woman there.” Cedar produced another small bracelet, this one marked with a thin white stripe. She tapped the bracelet. An image shimmered to life—a young woman with dark skin and cerulean hair. “Let her escape.”
Bellamy gaped. She stared at Cedar before her gaze darted back to the image on the bracelet and the seriousness in Cedar’s face. She swallowed. “How do you know this? That could get me killed!”
“Then I suggest you don’t get caught.”
“Who is she?”
“Not important. Will you do this? Or…” Cedar toyed with the bracelet on her wrist, the one with the damning evidence of Bellamy’s cheating. “Should I deliver this to the house tonight?”
“Is she a target?”
“Witness.”
Bellamy ground her teeth. A witness would be easier to let escape, but if she were found out, it would be her head. This wasn’t worth the risk. She should just accept this was the end of her gambling days.
“What if I can’t?” she asked.
Cedar raised her eyebrow. “I think you know the answer to that.” She tapped the bracelet again and the images of Bellamy cheating flared back up to life. Bellamy sighed in frustration, clenching and unclenching her jaw.
Just a witness. Just don’t kill her. Let her go. Shouldn’t be hard. Shouldn’t get caught. She could create a diversion, chaos. Fuck.
“How do I know you’ll keep your word?”
Cedar smirked. The cocky look on her face made Bellamy want to knock her fucking teeth out. “Guess you’ll just have to trust me.” She took a step back and Bellamy reached out to stop her, but then the air was hazy, smokey white, a small change she almost missed, then Cedar had vanished.
What the fuck?
Bellamy whirled in a tight circle. Cedar was gone, and her threat lingered in Bellamy’s mind.