Page 76 of Poison Ivy
“Mr Sinclair.”
I jump at the creepy voice next to me and glare at the newcomer. Floating next to me is the liaison with whomever I’m working for, and I need to find out as soon as possible.
“You,” I say. “Got a name?”
“Not one you need to know.”
“Another job?” I don’t take my eyes off the house. I need to find out what is going on with this situation that seems to have dragged Torin in by the balls as well.
“Not yet. I come with a friendly warning.”
I turn my head to stare at the pale-faced whatever he is, not quite a ghoul, not quite a demon. “Yeah? And what would that be then?”
“Be careful who you associate with, Mr Sinclair. Not all is as it seems.”
“Meaning,” I growl, already pissed off with the cryptic shit.
“The girl in that house is called Ivy.”
Ivy. The name rings a bell. Tate said it earlier, but it’s only now that I feel a piece of the Tetras game slot haphazardly into place: “Ivy. Poison Ivy.”
“Oh, he’s smarter than he looks,” the creature jokes, which sounds as weird as you could imagine.
“Fuck you. Why are you giving me this warning?” I rub my arm where the poison ivy vines attacked me, not as floored by this information as I probably should be. I guess somewhere in my brain, I had the dots connecting slowly.
The creature’s face remains impassive as it responds, “My employers have a vested interest in how this situation unfolds. They want to ensure you don’t complicate matters.”
I narrow my eyes, suspicion flaring. “And who exactly are your employers?”
“That’s not information you need right now,” it says smoothly. “What you need to know is that we are competitors to her employers, but she is… noteworthy.”
“So you want her?”
The creature nods. “Among other things. Be wary, Mr Sinclair. Don’t make enemies where you should be making allies.”
“I see,” I say with a smile, turning back to Ivy’s house. “You want me to play nice and not strangle the little bitch with my bare hands.”
“That action would be unfortunate for you,” he says.
“Noted.”
“You shall not be called upon for a while, Mr Sinclair, but be waiting. You are needed.”
“Do I tell my friends about you? They want what you want.”
“And what is that?”
“The Syndicate taken out.”
“Who said that is our angle?”
“Please. I’ve lived in politics my whole life. You think I don’t know a power play when I see one. I can see pieces you haven’t even discovered on your board yet.”
“And that is why you are an invaluable asset to my employer, Mr Sinclair. But everyone is replaceable.”
“Even you?”
“Even me.”
