Page 26 of Wicked Games

“Even if whoever is behind this thinks that me being the firstborn means something, they’re barking up the wrong tree. My grandfather controls the purse strings in the family, and my uncle has been groomed since birth to take over when Grandpa retires. My dad was the spare, not the heir. And everything he left me has been put into a trust that I can’t even access until I’m twenty-five. I’m about as removed from that world as I can be while still carrying the family name.”

He nods to the phone that’s still on the bed beside me. “Jace put a tracker on your old phone. If whoever took it is dumb enough to power it back up, we’ll know where they are. He also cloned all your data onto that one and wiped the old one.”

“Should I be worried about Jace’s hacking skills?” I ask, unable to stop my smile. “He’s come a long way from breaking into school records to change grades or hacking the local PD to erase a ticket.”

Killian’s lip twitches in an almost smile. “He’s definitely leveled up from those days. Just don’t get on his bad side, and you have nothing to worry about.”

“Noted.” I pick up the phone and turn it over in my hands.

“There’s a separate tracker in it that will stay active even if you take the battery out or put it in a Faraday bag,” he says, motioning to the phone. “And if you shake it three times, it’ll send an SOS text to mine and the twins’ phones with your location. Don’t shake it unless you’re actually in trouble.” He pins me with a look. “Remember the boy who cried wolf? Same thing applies here.”

“Don’t shake the phone three times unless I’m being murdered. Got it.”

“I have to get to the house meeting.” He gives me a quick once-over. “Don’t do anything stupid and make me have to save you.”

I resist the urge to roll my eyes and instead give him my sweetest smile. “Wouldn’t dream of it, big brother.”

Something flares in his eyes, dark and wild and exhilarating, but it’s gone a moment later and replaced with the bored detachment I’m used to seeing on him.

“Don’t be a dumbass,” he repeats, then turns on his heel and stalks toward the door.

I can’t stop my smile as it closes behind him.

8

KILLIAN

Maybe you should askyour girlfriend why she goes to the lower library stacks every Wednesday at four o’clock.

Felix’s words echo in my ears as I hurry down the back stairwell of the library.

I have no idea why I’m even here, or what I expect to find when I get to the stacks. All I know is that stupid voice won’t shut the fuck up until I see for myself what my stepbrother meant when he said that.

I’ve never been in the library basement before, but it’s not hard to navigate my way through the many hallways that snake under the massive building as I head toward the lower stacks. Using the main stairs would be easier since it leads right to where I’m going, but if there is someone there, then I’m not giving them advance warning that they’re about to be caught.

I slow my steps as I approach the end of the hallway that should take me to the rear door to the stacks and glance at my watch. Ten minutes until four.

Being as silent as possible, I push the door open and slip through it.

The room is huge and lined with rickety metal shelves, all crammed full of older-looking texts. Apparently the stacks are where all the books that are pulled from the main shelves are kept, as well as any obsolete editions that have updated versions.

Instead of walking through the mess of shelves to check out the area, I keep close to the walls. The lights are on motion sensors down here, and I’m not about to give away my location if I’m not alone.

At seven minutes to four, the main door to the stacks opens, and a row of lights flicks on as someone walks between the shelves.

So Felix wasn’t lying.

I stay hidden in the shadows as the person makes their way through the stacks and track them with the lights as they flick on. They stop when they’re in the middle of the room, and a moment later, the last of the automatic lights shuts down, plunging the area back into darkness.

I resist the urge to go and see who the fuck is here and instead count my breaths to calm down. Brute force is great in some situations, but not this one. I need to know exactly what’s going on, so that means I have to let it play out.

“Jay?” I breathe, knowing the earpiece I’m wearing will pick up my whispered word.

“Contact?” he asks, his voice crystal clear through the piece.

“Yup. Someone’s here.” I quickly count the row of shelves to my left so I can give him the right location. “Middle of the room, two rows left of center.”

“Roger that.” The line goes quiet for a few seconds as he taps into the security cams. “Well, well, well. Isn’t this an interesting development.”

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