Page 91 of The Ice Queen in the Corner Office

“Is it something that’s going to get me killed?” The words were out before I’d thought it through, revealing my hope to both her and myself.

“Only if you talk to the wrong people, Alex. I wouldn’t tell you, but I feel you deserve to know. I want you to understand that you and the people you love will always be safe from me.”

“Safe?” I could hardly believe it. I wondered if I’d been hit on the head and was in some sort of coma-induced fantasy.

“Safe.” She shrugged. “Well, I should clarify. Safe as long as you don’t cross me or any of my people. Hunter doesn’t lead this crew. I do. Nothing happens in this neighborhood, no one is touched, without me giving the word and I give you my word, a word based on my friendship with Willow and my admiration of you, that neither I nor anyone in my organization will lay a finger on you or anyone you love. I won’t order a hit on you, Willow, your father, Bert, Lee, or that pretty woman of yours.”

“And Fin?” I asked, my mind reeling.

She gave me a sad smile. “Fin is one of mine, Alex. He failed to inform me about your retrieval of Willow and he’s been punished. It would be best if you avoided him in future.”

She grabbed what I’d thought was a letter opener, but now realized was a knife, from the desk and gripped it in her hand until blood flowed between her fingers. She smiled and her eyes rolled back, as though she enjoyed the pain. She dropped the knife on the desk and squeezed a few drops of blood onto a paper next to it. “My blood is my word.” She wrapped her hand in a rag and handed me the paper. There was nothing on it but her signature and her blood, but I suspected it was a powerful document.

I took the paper without a word.

She sat behind the desk. “I’m sorry about Willow. And I’m sorry about Rick. He was brought into the organization by Hunter before I was aware of it. I would have forced him out, but he was already in too deep. Willow was the only way to lure him back to town, but I never intended to hurt her.”

I leaned back in my seat, pretending a calm I didn’t feel. I might have known Katie as a child, but this woman was nothing like the girl I’d known. I wanted to rage at her for what she’d done to Willow, to Rick, but the cold calculation in her gaze made it clear she had no time for my emotions. In her world, she’d likely done what she had to and considered the paper she’d given me restitution beyond what I deserved.

“And my money?”

She appeared unfazed. She pulled an envelope from a drawer and handed it to me. “Would you like it back?”

I wasn’t that stupid. “Consider it an offering of goodwill.”

Her smile widened, and she dropped the envelope onto the desk. “So much smarter than your brother.”

“Do you mind if I ask what happened? You had a scholarship to college, the best grades.”

Her smile fell, and anger lit her eyes. “What happened? What always happens to a girl from the wrong side of the tracks when she has the nerve to try and make something of herself. I was going to take over the world, but I wasn’t even able to protect my innocence against four boys who viewed me as nothing more than a toy for their amusement. And, when I did what I’d always been told to do, when I went to a trusted adult, I was blamed for what they’d done to me. I was blamed for the loss of my own innocence, the destruction of my own life.” She leaned in. “For a woman in this world, there is no such thing as justice. There is no prize for following the rules and being a good little girl. So, I got my degree and I ignored the cruel things people said about me. I’m still going to rule the world. Except this time, I get to make the rules.”

“So why not let everyone know it’s you running this crew and not Hunter?”

She grinned. “Oh, honey, the world ain’t ready to know about me. They think men are scary? They’ve never seen a woman with nothing to lose and rage so deep it could light the whole freaking patriarchy on fire.”

Katie might have changed, but she was still whip smart. I figured she had a play for every angle. If she was leading this crew from behind the scenes she had more than one reason.

“Tell me,” she said. “How is Willow? Is she happy?”

“Right now, she’s too scared to sleep at night and refusing to come back to the neighborhood or her home,” I said, unable to keep the angry bite from my words.

“Good.” Katie’s smile was genuine, and some of the darkness left her eyes. “I hope she never comes back. She’s a sweet girl and she deserves to live somewhere as bright and pretty as she is.”

I wondered if Katie was happy, but it wasn’t my place to ask. I stood and reached for her hand. “I promise you that once I step through that door your name will never leave my lips. As far as I’m concerned, Hunter runs this crew.”

She shook my hand with her good one. “If you do, I’ll find out about it. And I won’t be so forgiving the next time I see you. In fact, it’s probably best you avoid the old neighborhood all together.”

“Not a problem.” I turned and started for the door.

“Oh, and Alex,” she said. “Tell your fed friends they’re barking up the wrong ass tree.”

Her words felt like a knife in the back, her last sally, her reminder that she had eyes everywhere and she’d know if I revealed anything about her crew. “I’ll tell them there was a misunderstanding,” I said. “Willow’s home safe, she was out with friends and we didn’t realize it.”

“Such a good boy,” Katie purred.

I limp-hobbled out, letting the door close behind me.

Outside the door, Fin stood, his arms crossed over his chest. The left side of his face was swollen and purple and there was a thick gash near his left ear. I stared at my old friend, wanting to hate him, but feeling only pity for him. He might have helped us out, but he’d still been spying on me and the others for Katie. I couldn’t be grateful to him. The black bag came down over my head again before either of us spoke a word. I had a feeling it was the last time I’d see him.

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