Chapter 23 Indie #2
“We noticed all the names belonged to more…powerful families. I don’t know why we thought about it.
” I glance over at Rex, not wanting to mention the real reason.
“Gina managed to hack into the police’s files.
Every single member we had in front of us had been reported to them.
All the reports were women that had been assaulted, and each case was brushed under the carpet.
None went further than the initial reports. ”
I remember that first mark so well. It was a no fucking brainer.
I didn’t feel an addictive rush like I feared I would when I killed him, just a sense of relief.
It’s the run-up I enjoy more, the thrill of bringing them fear, letting them know this is it for them.
It was at that moment I knew I wanted to keep Conrad and George for last.
The feelings the woman described to us, knowing the man who ruined her life was no longer living…that’s the only high I wanted to get when I finally managed to kill them.
We never turned down the kill requests after that; I thought it would give me practice for when the real event arrived.
I’d be seasoned at it by then, and I wanted them to tremble in fear when I got my hands on them. Knowing I hunted them down like prey, wiping every single other man that thought they could get away with harming us.
I then go on to tell him the rest: that I’ve only killed eight; the other four we were only asked to provide blackmail material.
All we could provide was the police files, but some of them had questionable business transactions.
It was enough for them to know if anyone came knocking, they’d have the resources to put that information worldwide, courtesy of Regina’s tech skills.
They’d have no idea who leaked it and likely point to the wrong enemies.
I move on to how the business works through a legitimate company, explaining our cards and how we get our marks through them.
Rex whistles. “Fucking hell, you two could give us a run for our money.”
That seems to pique Dawson’s interest, because he gets up from his hiding spot behind his computer, walking over to join our circle.
“That’s quite genius actually,” he mutters, leaning against the desk to listen in.
Regina gives a faint smile. “I’m quite proud of it.”
And so she should be. Our whole structure would be nothing without her intelligence.
My gaze travels back to Saint, and he patiently waits to hear the rest from me. “We just recently finished a contract; it was a member’s wife. She had a friend who was stuck in a similar situation to her. She’d given her our card, and we looked into it to match up with a name on the list—”
“What was the name?” Dawson asks, but Regina answers.
“John Edwards.”
The guys seem to share a knowing glance at each other, but it’s fleeting.
“The background was different; she mentioned rescuing a kid. Not sure if it was to add in the sympathy vote or not. We’ve never done anything like that before. When we asked the waitress at the diner to get some information on him, things didn’t add up.”
Her conversations still go around in my mind.
We should have stopped right there and then. I acted in haste.
Victoria wanted him dead, and I didn’t want to miss the opportunity, especially seeing as she was connected to Elenna.
I didn’t want to disappoint her either.
Regina fills the gaps. “At first, she would answer immediately, but when we gave her updates after we’d searched the area, she ghosted us for a little bit.
I asked her about the kid, and she said she managed to get him back, but still needed you taken care of.
Then, after you almost shot Indie, we couldn’t reach her.
She somehow managed to plant something on her end, because she tried to hack me.
We haven’t attempted to reach out to her since. ”
I watch Saint as his jaw grinds, flicking a glance up at Rex before it lands back on me. “Anything else I should know?”
I haven’t even mentioned to Regina how I think there’s a connection on how all this went sideways, but if they know about Sumus, maybe they can shed a light on this.
“There is one thing.” I clear my throat. “The friend that gave her the card? It was Clarke White—”
“Jesus fuck,” Rex barks, turning in a circle as he runs his hands down his face.
“What?” Regina and I both say at the same time.
Do they know him?
Saint pinches his nose, a pitiful laugh coming from him.
“You two are really fucking with my blood pressure, and we’ve only been at this twenty minutes.” He looks up at me; his face is drained of colour, but his expression softens when I speak.
“He was an evil fuck, Saint. What he did to his wife…he deserved worse than what he got. I wish I took my time with him.”
Something darkens behind his eyes, and then he does something that used to drive me fucking wild. He runs his tongue slowly over his teeth, his whole demeanour sending goosebumps over my skin.
Shifting in my seat, I try to blink away the unadulterated images and what that look does to me.
“Did you guys know him?” Regina’s voice is scratchy. Saint and I continue this stare-off we’ve been doing since he broke into my house.
Rex answers with, “Not exactly. But we’re going to need details of every single person you’ve ever dealt with, dead or otherwise.”
I look at Regina, and she nods to Rex in response. “The backup files are in my stuff—wherever that is.”
I haven’t even seen where our belongings have gone, and I have a feeling this place is where these guys live, seeing as it’s armed like a base.
Saint looks at Dawson, who asks Regina to go with him to get the USB. They leave the room, leaving me alone with Saint and Rex.
“What’s going on, Saint? Please, tell me. Clarke’s death was reported as dying from an illness. I left that man lying bleeding on the floor from a stab wound.”
There’s no way in hell that could be mistaken for an illness.
Not to mention the drugs that would have been found in his system if they did an autopsy, plus his house lying like a Tasmanian devil on crack ran through it.
A smirk flickers on his lips. “Got quite the blood thirst on you now too, haven’t you, darling?”
My cheeks flare at him calling me darling. It whispering constantly in my mind and dreams is one thing, but to hear it after all this time?
It feels like coming home.
I subtly shake off the shiver. “I don’t know about you two, but I don’t crave it. Just makes me feel better knowing people like that won’t fuck with anyone again.”
Rex chuckles, folding his arms as he takes a seat. “That’s just a nice way to say you’re a killing machine. Don’t be embarrassed, Indigo. Own it.”
I roll my eyes, ignoring him. “Don’t make me ask again, Saint.”
He narrows his eyes on me, dragging his bottom lip in as his gaze rolls over me, feeling like he’s undressing me with his eyes.
“Or what?” he challenges, causing Rex to sigh.
“You two will have plenty of time to take a trip down lovers’ lane. Just tell her what she needs to know, Saint. I need to fucking sleep.”
Saint glances at the ceiling, like he’s conversing with an almighty power.
My face must be splotched in red, watching him drag in a deep breath, his shoulders expanding in an impressive width.
“The person who pretended to be your contact will very much be part of the same organisation that Clarke moved on to. It’s not Sumus, Indie…
They’re called Omnia, and if you think the first is bad, you’ve no idea what makes them capable of forming the latter. ”
I frown, recognising that word, but I can’t think from where. “That’s Latin too, right?”
Saint glares at Rex before coming back to me.
“Yeah.” He rises from the seat. “We’ve mostly been looking into Omnia. They want me dead, hence the failed hit.”
“What happened? And…how the hell do they know it’s me behind the company?” I ask, watching Saint’s fists tighten before he loosens them.
If they’re after Saint, and somehow managed to reach out to me, it has to be someone who knows our history. There’s no other explanation.
“A job gone wrong. It could be a coincidence, but I don’t fucking believe in them. We’ll have a look through the files and work out more tomorrow.” He cracks his neck to the side. “Rex will show you where you’ll be sleeping.”
He gets up abruptly from the chair and leaves the room.
Panic claws at my chest, and I slide off the table, ready to call him back, but Rex stops me.
“Give him time, Indigo. He’s coming off like a mixed bag of assholes; he’s just trying to deal with a shitstorm brewing in the background. Stumbling across you after six years…” He hikes a shoulder. “He sees everything that’s coming…This? He’d never have planned for that.”
My fists tighten. I took too much time before.
Hours turned to days.
Days turned into weeks.
Weeks turned to months.
Before I knew it, I hadn’t spoken to Saint in almost six months before he left for good.
I don’t want to make the same mistakes again. I have so much to say, so much to apologise for.
I thought time would stand no bounds for a love like ours, but I’m scared it really has for him.
Afraid there’s too many cracks for us to ever mend together.
That night ruined my life.
But it wasn’t just a night. It wasn’t just an assault.
I was raped. Drugged.
The lasting impacts cost me who I was, cost me my future.
The whole ordeal made me think I no longer deserved him, and I shattered my own heart letting him go.