Lady Killer (Dead Girls Club #2)

43. Luz

Chapter forty-three

Luz

W ith seconds to spare, I made it out of my room to find a surly Nixon waiting outside.

“I know where Lucian’s office is,” I rasped.

“Already told you, I’m not getting in trouble for you, pet.” He strode away, leaving me behind.

I couldn’t deal with Nixon right now, not with everything else going on. As much as I wanted to call him out on his pissy attitude, I bit my tongue. Conveniently, this also let me ignore my freak-out last night.

Following, I slid my hand into my pocket and wrapped it around my phone for security. I was certain that the killer would be reaching out soon, and I refused to miss it.

As we approached Lucian’s office, it was quiet.

Too quiet.

I wanted to ask Nixon what was going on, but given how far he had hurried in front of me, I’d have to shout at him.

Nixon strode past the heavy oak doors, only to come to a reeling stop. “Shit.”

Coming up behind him, I gave his shoulders a light shove. “What’s going on?”

He mumbled something imperceptible before stepping to the side, opening the room to me.

Lucian was behind his desk, brows tight, fingers steepled, although, like Nixon, he looked tired.

Alister sat in his usual spot, spine straight, face impassive. Unlike his older brother, he seemed to be vibrating with energy, and there was something hungry and wild about him, like the night he hunted me down.

Opposite Ali, a disconcertingly calm-looking serial killer, one foot propped casually on his knee as he reclined in the leather club chair.

“Hello, Starbright. I hear you’ve been naughty while I was gone.”

Merde .

Nixon abandoned me, shuffling over to sit next to his twin. No one else said anything.

Holding my head high, I walked over to Locke’s chair and took his seat, as if there weren’t a scarlet brand around my neck giving me away.

“I’m not sure what you mean,” I said, the phone in my pocket suddenly feeling like a lead brick.

Ever’s eyes zeroed in on my bruises, and I braced myself for the explosion.

Instead, a long, slow, indulgent smile crept onto his face, like a crocodile moseying up to its prey. “There’s a man in the basement with at least ten different broken bones, darling.”

“That’s not that many when you consider how many bones there are in the human body,” I said.

“Alister’s buzzing with energy.”

I deliberately turned to look at the man in question. “Is he now?”

The corners of Ali’s mouth curled up.

To my left, Everest leaned forward in his seat, uncrossing his legs to rest his elbows on his knees. “There’s the mark of another man’s hands around your throat, love.”

“What, this?” I ran my fingers meekly over my neck.

Lucian slammed his hands down on the table. “What is the point of this? ”

Everest’s head twisted sharply as he stared the larger man down. “The point, Lucian , is that Luz almost died last night, and apparently, it was a group fucking project that all of you worked on!”

“Ever, my—?”

“She. Was. Hurt.” The words were delivered with a lethality that scared even me.

Everest never hid his madness, but sometimes it was easy to forget how dangerous he was.

Until he reminded you.

Lucian, unperturbed, stared him down. It was rare, but not unheard of, for two predators of equal strength to hunt each other in the wild. Everest’s reputation was well earned, but Lucian sat at the helm of one of the deadliest families in the world for a reason.

“A known risk that your girlfriend accepted when she proposed the idea.”

“You sent me away.”

“The job was already booked.”

“You knew what she was doing.”

“ Shut up .” My words snapped everyone’s attention to me like a whip.

“How dare—?”

“No, the five, well, four of you interrupt me and talk over me all the time. I’ve sat quietly and listened to you for months, even though it’s my life that’s been at stake!” I said, meaning every word. “Now it’s my best friend’s life hanging in the balance, and we don’t have time for the two of you to argue.”

“Star—?”

“Everest,” I said, turning to reach for his hands.

When he wound his through mine, I released a breath of relief.

“I’m sorry for not being honest with you. I don’t say that often, and I don’t mean it lightly.”

All of the icy wrath that had been directed at Lucian had melted away, leaving only the Ever I knew.

“Thank you, darling.” He pulled my hand to his lips and placed a kiss on it.

“But I’m also not sorry for trying to save Autumn.”

Everest’s lips frowned against my skin, while Lucian made a choking sound.

Before either could say anything, I pushed forward. “What did you learn from Michael, and how can it help us get Autumn back?”

I meant what I said. It wasn’t about them right now.

“You are not in charge here,” Lucian growled.

“Then I’m leaving.” I dropped Everest’s hands and stood up. “And I’m going back to campus until I’ve heard from the killer. ”

The room exploded in protests around me.

Two steps later, Everest’s hand was loosely but firmly wrapped around my wrist, and Alister was in front of me, his hands planted on my waist.

“Let me go.”

“No,” came four different voices.

“Either tell me how we are getting my friend back or get out of my way,” I said, trying to shake off Everest.

“Don’t make me lock you up,” Alister rumbled.

“Va te faire foutre.”

“You are not to leave,” Lucian commanded as if his word was law.

“I will go wherever I—?”

The phone vibrating in my pocket shocked me like a cattle prod.

The killer . . .

Alister’s eyes zeroed in on the sound before looking up at me. We both went for my pocket at the same time.

“Everest.”

My arms were quickly pinned behind my back.

Alister reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone before entering my passcode without hesitation.

“How do you know that?” I gritted out while struggling futilely against Everest’s grip .

“It’s my job to know about you. You know that, demoness,” Alister said as he opened my messages.

“What is it? Is it the killer?”

He frowned.

“It’s Autumn, isn’t it? They’ve killed her,” I said, trying to remain calm.

His brow only furrowed deeper, and I felt all the strength leave my legs.

She was dead.

Autumn was dead and it was my fault.

“Alister, what does it say?” Lucian said from behind us.

My stomach roiled. I was going to be sick.

“Ali, come on man, tell us what it says,” someone else said, maybe Nixon.

“It’s okay, love, I’ve got you,” Ever whispered in my ear as the arms around me wound tighter.

Alister finally spoke. “She’s not dead. Not yet.”

His words sent me reeling. “What do you mean, not yet?”

Lips still pursed, Alister looked from the phone to me. “He said you lied last night, and now, she is going pay the price.”

The taste of bile rose in my throat. This couldn’t be happening. Not to Autumn.

“What else? ”

Alister shot a dirty look over my shoulder as I blinked away tears.

“What?” Nixon appeared next to Everest and me. “What else does the message say?”

Alister stared down his twin, saying nothing.

“Out with it, Ali. She deserves to know.”

Alister clenched his jaw tightly.

“Autumn is dead, unless Luz does what the killer wants.”

“What? Of course, I’ll do it. What do they want?”

“No.”

“No?”

“No,” he repeated impassively.

“You can’t just say no!” I sputtered. “It’s not your decision to make!”

“No.”

“Alister, what does the killer want?” Lucian’s tone brooked no argument.

Alister leveled his brother a dark look. “She is supposed to go to a location, alone. She’ll receive further instructions once she’s there.”

“Where?” I demanded.

“You aren’t going.”

“I am if it saves Autumn. ”

“You’re not—?”

“Alister, the location.”

“Lucian,” he said, “she cannot go.”

“Give me the location or give me the phone. Your choice, brother.”

Alister scowled before throwing the phone over my head.

“Hey!”

“It’s a latitude and longitude, somewhere northwest of here,” he said, ignoring me.

“One of the men can scope it out. When does he want her there?”

“One hour.”

“Nixon,” Lucian said.

“On it.”

“What are you doing?” I yelled, thrashing against Everest.

“Keeping both you and your friend alive.”

“They said to come alone,” I argued.

Everest scoffed. “They always say that. Never trust a killer, darling.”

“So, what we . . .”

Spinning me around to face Lucian, he whispered in my ear, “We scout the location, ambush the killer, save your friend, and then ride off into the sunset together, crazily ever after, my love. ”

The man gave me whiplash.

“You will go where the killer specified, and we will be waiting in the wings. We will do everything we can to retrieve your friend, but not at the cost of your life, Luz. Do you understand?” Lucian spoke as though his word was final.

“I’m already dead if we don’t catch them!”

The leader of the Blackwells bore down on me, pinching my chin with his thumb and forefinger. With Everest still holding my arms, I was pressed up against him.

“Do you understand?”

“It’s my life to lose,” I said through my teeth as he stared down at me with dark eyes.

“Wrong, brat,” he said, leaning down inches from my face. “Your life has been mine since you killed that boy . . . And I say that you live.”