Page 68 of Poison Ivy
None of it makes sense. I have a sinking feeling I’m caught in the middle of something much bigger and more dangerous than I can fathom right now.
After my shower, I throw on some comfy clothes and flip open the laptop. I sign into the dark web and check in with The Syndicate that the mission is completed.
I hope.
The usual one-word reply comes through, and I sitback, breathing a sigh of relief. I trust Ramsey to have sent the video to them, so all is good here. I slam the laptop closed and flop onto my bed, staring at the ceiling.
My phone buzzes, and I pick it up, staring at the unfamiliar number.
“Hello?” I say cautiously, answering it.
“We need to talk. Meet me at the old clock tower in half an hour.”
The line goes dead, and I frown. Tate. How did he get my number, and what does he want to talk to me about?
My stomach flutters with nerves. What if Torin and Bram are suspicious? What if they’re setting another trap?
But I trust Tate. At least, I think I do. This fated bond thing is still new and confusing as hell. Whatever’s going on, I’ll have to face it. It’s not like I have much choice at this point.
Deciding to just get on with it before I fall asleep and miss the meeting, I slip on some running shoes and grab my hoodie. Shoving my phone into my pocket, I head out into the cool late afternoon air, my mind racing with possibilities. What could Tate want to talk about that’s so urgent? And why meet at the old clock tower instead of somewhere more private?
As I jog across campus, I keep my senses alert for any sign of Torin or Bram. The last thing I need is for them to catch me sneaking off to meet Tate.
The clock tower looms ahead, its weathered stoneface barely visible in the fading light. I slow to a walk as I approach, scanning the area for Tate.
“Up here,” his voice calls softly from above.
I look up to see him perched on a ledge about halfway up the tower. With a sigh, I start climbing. Of course, he had to pick the most dramatic meeting spot possible.
When I reach him, I settle onto the ledge, careful not to look down. “What’s so urgent?”
Tate’s expression is grim as he turns to face me, but he smiles and cups my face. “What, no kiss?”
I smile back and lean in, brushing my lips against his. “Happy? Now spill.”
“Torin’s onto you. Or at least, I think he knows. He was giving me shit about you, Ivy-you, and then he just stopped. It was suspicious as fuck.”
I nod slowly, knowing it was going to happen sooner or later. “Shit. Are you sure?”
“He’s not an idiot, Ivy. To be completely frank, I’m surprised it took this long.”
“What about Aspen?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t think he has connected those dots yet, but it’s a matter of time. How do you want to proceed?”
He gives me a stare that has multiple meanings. I’m just not sure of half of them.
“Are you telling me everything?” I enquire, trying to keep it casual.
“What do you mean?” he asks, also keeping his tone neutral.
“Why did you warn me about earlier? What do they want?”
He sighs and runs a hand through his blonde hair. “Poison. But not just for playtime. Torin has some serious ambitions, and he needs you to have any chance of seeing them through.”
“And that would be?”
He hesitates, and I almost tell him it doesn’t matter. His loyalty to Torin is obviously what’s holding him back, but I need to know. “He is going to try to take over The Syndicate.”
