Page 6 of Riordan's Revenge

“Unharmed, though fucking confused,” Riordan reported back.

Sin spoke up. “Arran, tell me about your employee.”

“Thought I spotted you there, Sinclair. Any clue what’s happening?”

“None. Tell me what I need to know.”

Arran grumbled but answered. “Riordan’s Gen’s brother. Works hard. What are you asking?”

“Cassie claimed him. Need to know if he’s good enough.”

“She claimed him?”

Riordan’s lips parted. A wash of panic chilled me, and I held up a hand. The last thing I wanted was to scare him off. I’d called him mine, but if everyone else did, too, it could be a bit much.

“There’s a reason I acted like an insane person. Something else I need to tell everyone that might help explain my actions.” From my pocket, I pulled a white piece of paper. “This showed up in my room last night.”

I put it on my lap and sent a photo to Arran, then passed it to my brother.

Arran squinted at his phone. “What am I looking at?”

My heart beat erratically. Sometimes, I did thoughtless things. Like driving too fast because I was hurt and angry. Or moving three hours south to live above a brothel because of the need to find myself. Drugging and kidnapping a man was definitely up there with my best.

Then again, it had been a long time since anyone had threatened my life.

“A message from Deadwater’s serial killer telling me I’m next.”

Chapter 3

Riordan

On what was probably the strangest day of my life, several facts formed from one short conversation.

First, that both Arran and Sin, Cassie’s brother/father, had accepted her so-called claiming of me with barely a blink of an eye.

Second, that I’d heard rumour of Shade, the skeleton crew’s enforcer, doing the same with Everly and everyone taking it as fact.

Third, that the moment Cassie informed us of the threat against her, my focus shifted from my own concerns to hers.

What the hell was up with that?

“Read me the note,” I demanded.

Cassie’s cheeks pinkened. She took the piece of paper back from her brother, who leapt up to stalk to the window, and read it. “Meet me on the river path at five. I need to get you alone.” Her gaze rose to mine. “It’s signed with your name.”

Shock stole another portion of my anger. “I didn’t write that.”

“I know. That’s the reason I ran. And why I took ye with me.”

She peeked at me with such an expression of regret and something closing in on fear that my stomach clenched.

Her brother gestured between us. “Catch me up. I’m missing the connection to that being a threat.”

Arran obliged. “You’re aware that Alisha, a key member of my crew, was murdered. She was the fourth woman killed in Deadwater in the space of a few months, and the murderer lured her away by use of a note. It claimed to be from Convict, who she had an emotional connection to. The last time any of us saw her was with a smile on her face at the prospect of meeting up with him.”

Sin swore. Both his meaty hands were bunched into fists. Mine were, too, I realised, held in front of me with my wrists taped.

He snarled a question. “Where’s that note now? Is it the same handwriting?”