Page 120 of Blood and Thorns
A ma Margot, de ton amour, Mael.
To my Margot, from your love, Mael.
I threw it across the room, the brooch breaking into several pieces as it hit against the wall with an audible crack.
“Bas?”
“My father bought two identical brooches.” One for my mother, and one forher.
Caden went to pick up the pieces, reading the back for himself. “What a cunt.”
“Fuck.” I dragged a hand down my face. “Margot’s been silent for almost two decades, so why now?”
Langdon took the brooch from Caden, barely glancing at it before tossing it onto my desk. “Maybe it’s taken this long to infiltrate us?” he signed. “Miles was just a meathead. She’d have needed to find someone else who’d betray us and actually knew something important.”
I leaned back, the chair squeaking beneath my weight. “Someone’s sold us out. Someone important enough to know exactly where we store and distribute the powder.”
Langdon managed a frustrated rasp in agreement, hishands reflecting his agitation. “Our priority should be to find Miles.”
Caden nodded, reaching into his pocket for his phone. “What the fuck? You expecting anything, Bas?”
I went to reply when a ring pierced the air. I answered on loudspeaker.
“Beast, my friend,”Hook’s obnoxious voice echoed in the air.“I heard you’ve been having some… technical problems.I hope that that pretty girl of yours is okay?”
I looked up at Langdon, whose expression had blackened at the mention of Arabella being hurt at his fight.
How the fuck did he–
“And before you get pissy, I can easily explain how I already know,”he mused, clearly enjoying knowing this little bit of information.“Although, it would be easier to show you.”
“Get to the point,” I snapped.
“I’m sending a gift. Make sure you accept the package.”With that he hung up, and Caden turned his mobile to show me the CCTV of someone dressed like a fucking pirate–fake parrot and all–leaving a box just outsideThe Thorn.
“You scan it yet?” Caden asked, arms folded as he frowned at the large cardboard box tied with a giant red bow.
“It’s clean of any metal,” Richard, one of the team members assigned to T, said. “If you’re not in a rush, I’d advise that we take it back to the lab to test for toxins.”
He’d been called in specifically because he dealt with thesecurity of the shipments coming in. Which literally meant he made sure they were safe before they were taken inside the container. He was the one that found the other explosives, securing them safely before they could destroy anything else.
Langdon picked up the card poking out from the bow, finding a handwritten note. He laughed, throwing his head back silently before passing it to Caden, who began to read the note aloud.
“Found this slimy fuck trying to kill me. He was very talkative when I placed a terrapin on his balls.”
Click, snap, click. Lang flicked at his lighter, his eyes alight like the flames as he waited for Caden to continue.
“He was one of the Enchantress’s bitches, so thought you’d appreciate his head considering he was supposed to be one of yours,”Caden continued as I opened the box.
Reaching inside I grabbed a fistful of hair, pulling it out to find it was Miles. I dropped it with disgust. “What else does it say?” I asked.
“He told me what happened with Arabella, so I made sure it hurt before I took his head. You’re welcome, love Hook. Kiss, kiss, kiss.”Caden crushed the note in his palm. “Seriously, the guy’s missing some marbles.”
“There goes our lead,” I grunted, watching as Langdon kicked the head. Richard flinched as it rolled with a squelch, while the twins who stood guarding the door didn’t even blink. They’d probably seen worse in their careers. “I think it’s time we called everyone in for a meeting.”
Langdon frowned. “You think the traitor could be one of them?”
Caden sighed. “Miles was with us for what… a decade? It could be anyone.”
