Luck of the Devil (The Forge Trilogy #2)(39)

I flip the suitcase closed, and the luggage tag attached to it flips over . . . and it has my fucking name on it.





39





Forge





“No fucking way.” Indy whispers the statement like an oath.

“What?” I bolt to my feet. I want to go to her, but I don’t want to let this asshole get away like the one Koba is hopefully dragging back right now.

She stands and points, her hand trembling.

“My name is on this suitcase. My address. Everything.” Indy’s voice shakes. “If the cops had gotten here before us, they would’ve arrested me.”

“Not fucking possible.”

“Oh my God. Wait.” She drops to her knees and flips the suitcase open again and grasps a blue piece of fabric. “No. No way . . . This . . . How?” Her voice breaks on the last word as she holds up a shirt. I’ve never seen it before.

“What?”

She shakes the material in her hand. “It’s mine. This shirt is mine.”

“How the fuck did someone get it?”

“I . . . I don’t know.”

She pulls out more clothes. Underwear. A swimsuit. With each item she removes, my need to kill Bastien de Vere hikes up another dozen notches.

“Why would he do this?” Indy whispers, and I can’t stay away from her a second longer.

“Don’t fucking move,” I tell the kid on the floor before I cross the room and pull Indy’s shaking form against me. “He’s trying to prove he can still get to you, even if you’re mine.”

Indy’s blue eyes widen with disbelief. “This is insanity. He would’ve gotten me locked up for fucking life. There’s no way the cops would believe this wasn’t mine. We have to get it out of here. Now. Everything. The police can’t come here until we know there’s nothing else planted or hidden.”

I squeeze her tighter before loosening my grip. “I’ll take care of it. Go back to Alanna’s. Get the girls out of there.”

Indy swallows, and I release her. She pulls the broken door shut behind her as she exits the room, leaving the suitcase with her fucking clothes on the bed. It takes everything I have to shove down my anger and not unleash it on this clueless fuck.

With my jaw clenched, I face him. “What’s your name, kid?”

“Reggie.” His voice shakes like Indy’s, which just pisses me off more.

“Last name?”

“Monk.”

“And who the fuck is your friend?”

“Alfie . . . Alfred Littleton.”

I take a breath, keeping the rage at bay, even though it wants to rise up and crush him now that I know his name.

“Does Alfie’s family have connections? Rich friends?”

Reggie’s head bobs again. “Alfie’s older brother raised him, and he works for a real important guy. Alfie and I came up through school together. He went home with me on holidays because his brother was always working.”

“Have you ever heard of the de Vere family?” I ask him.

The kid’s eyes go wide. “Yeah, but how did you know that’s his brother’s boss?”





40





India





When I get back to Alanna’s, the door is shut. From inside, I hear pounding and yelling.

Oh, Jesus fucking Christ.

I shove open the unlocked door and find the kitchen is empty, and my sister is outside, next to Alanna, banging on the glass door that leads out to the terrace.

I rush over to it, unlock it, and yank it open. “What the hell happened?”

“Those little bitches are fucking awful!” Summer fumes, her chest rising and falling.

“It’s my fault,” Alanna says, patting Summer’s shoulder. “One of them asked if they could take tea out on the terrace, and I said yes. I had Summer help me carry it out and when we were both outside, they locked the door and ran.”

“Little cunts. I swear, I’m going to check every street corner until I find them and give them a lesson in hospitality.”

“Did they steal anything?” I ask, looking around the room. “Plant anything?”

Summer shakes her head. “They didn’t have enough time. My back was only turned for a second when they slid the door shut, and I realized what they were doing. They just wanted to get the fuck out as fast as possible. Fucking bitches.” My sister bares her teeth like she’s gone feral, and Alanna continues stroking her shoulder to calm her down.

“It’s my fault,” I say. “I thought they were innocent victims.”

Alanna comes toward me and pulls me into a hug. “They probably are, darling, but that doesn’t mean they lose their sense of self-preservation. Remember how you were?”

“That’s why I’m so pissed at myself. I should’ve known they’d pull something like that. Because I would’ve too.” Some of my anger fades as Alanna squeezes me tighter.

“It’s very sweet that you wanted to help them. You have their names and numbers. Maybe someday you still can,” she says as she releases me.

“Unless their IDs are fake. Because I sure as shit wouldn’t be out walking the street with my own. You wouldn’t either, Indy.”