A Matter Of Justice (Grey Justice #4)(13)

He leaned back in his chair, propped his feet on his desk, and smiled. The game had only begun.



Aware that eyes were on her every movement, Irelyn walked out of the house with cool, confident elegance. Anyone looking would see a self-assured woman. One who could charm you with a smile one moment and slice your throat the next.

She was on the first floor, and while every room she passed held memories, none of them was of the dark, bitter variety. The third floor was where her horror lay. The one where punishments were meted out and certain kinds of training took place. Evil permeated the entire house, but the third floor would take every bit of her courage to breach. She had no choice. That floor held the key to everything.

She concentrated on what she had accomplished. Sebastian Dark had taken the bait. She had been sure he would, but it was nice to have that part out of the way. Proving herself was worrying, as she didn’t know what the tests would entail. She had hoped the photographs she had sent would have been enough. What she’d said was true. Killing an innocent, unaware person was an easy feat. Taking out an assassin required an enormous amount of both skill and fortitude. Why, then, did she have to prove herself even more?

She should have known he’d want to play this game out. He was the new leader and was enjoying his moment of power.

The skill testing didn’t concern her. Not only did she have the same ones from years ago, but they were much sharper now. Plus, she had several other talents. One in particular she wouldn’t reveal until the right time and place.

Would he test her with a target to take out, or simply give her tasks to complete? She hoped it was the latter. If not, she would have to improvise and delay.

She’d remembered Sebastian Dark, but he looked nothing like her memories. Back then, he’d been known simply as Pippin, a short, skinny boy with bad acne, protruding teeth, and a weak chin. Sebastian Dark today was a tall, well-built man with perfect teeth and a flawless complexion. Even the chin had improved, though she suspected cosmetic surgery for that.

In some circles, Dark would be considered quite handsome. To Irelyn, he was nothing more than a means to an end.

The giant estate now in her rearview mirror, she drove down the long, tree-lined drive with a mixture of both elation and dread. From here, the mansion looked like just a mass of stone and brick, mortar and paint. But to her, it was so much more. This was the place that held some of her happiest moments as well as most of her nightmares. The place where she’d first learned about love and had become acquainted with pure evil.

There, she had learned that love could be twisted and wrong, manipulated. That it could be used to build up or destroy. Years had passed before the agony of those lessons had dimmed. Though she had replaced that darkness with light, there would be more than physical danger in returning to Hill House. Immersing herself in that darkness again would likely destroy the peace she had fought for so hard. To accomplish her goal, she had little choice.

Grey would be furious once he found out. She hadn’t dared tell him. If she had, there would have been no stopping him from interfering. This was her battle to fight, her war to wage. Not his. Besides, there was always the worry that he could get hurt. When it came to protecting those he cared about, Grey Justice had no limits.

Ending their relationship might have torn her heart out of her chest, but anything bad happening to Grey would be a billion times worse. She had caused him unfathomable pain already. She would not be responsible for more.

This was her task to handle. One that Grey could never know about. At least until it was too late to stop her.





Chapter Five





Dallas, Texas





The event was finally winding down. For the last two hours, his smile had felt as wooden as the uncomfortable chair where his ass had gone to sleep. Being seen was often a drawback to being a high-profile personality. Most times, he dealt with it as just part of the job. Another one of the many things he missed about Irelyn. When she was by his side, he could always count on her for a droll comment or an amusing observation.

Dinner and the drawn-out speeches were now over. He’d delivered his short speech at the beginning of the night, but since he wasn’t the only one receiving an award, others had spoken, too. Many of those had had much more to say than he had.

While most everyone else shuffled into the main ballroom where the orchestra was already playing a medley of popular hits, Grey headed toward the opposite end. He had been as sociable as he could force himself tonight. He was thankful he hadn’t taken up Molly’s suggestion that he bring a date. Idle chitchat was difficult enough. The need to be charming and pleasant to a date would have gone well beyond his capabilities tonight. There was only one woman he wanted at his side. And though Irelyn had made it more than clear that she didn’t want to be with him, that didn’t stop him from wanting.

As if fate had decided to torture him for his thoughts, he heard a soft voice call out to him, “Grey! Wait.”

His heart double-timing, he whirled around and then huffed out an exasperated grunt. When had he become so desperate to hear her voice that he could mistake Lacey Slater’s soft Texas drawl for Irelyn’s lilting Irish accent?

His smile genuine, he held out his hand to Lacey, who looked lovely in a chocolate-brown, lace-covered gown that highlighted the golden tone of her skin and made her dark eyes sparkle. “I didn’t know you’d be here tonight.” His eyes roamed the crowd, looking for a familiar face. “Are you alone?”