Page 19 of Vicious Deception

Quickly, I take another gulp of my coffee. It’s not as hot, so the burn isn’t as strong, and I sigh in disappointment.Whatever.I just need to keep working. Who knows how much time we have left?

Were there invoices?

Again, I start going through all of Holloway’s records from the past year. If I can confirm that the amounts he paid to Raymond and Fredrick are off, then it’s a start at least.

If it even matters.

Uncovering that Ludo is lying to at least two of his business partners is . . .something.I’m not sure what we’ll be able to do with the information, but hopefully it can help somehow. Maybe they’ll want revenge, and we could convince them to help us? But what if they don’t believe us, or Ludo finds out what we did and kills the guys—or Benny—before we can get to them?

Maybe Finn will have a better idea when he wakes up. I’m hoping that he’ll be able to help me figure out if I’m right or not since he has a better understanding of how all this stuff works. I’m a barista with an English degree, for fuck’s sake. I don’t know anything about distributing illegal substances or even how to run an above-board business.

It takes me a while, but I’m able to find separate records of payments for the past six months. Thankfully, it confirms my suspicions. Ludo is under-reporting his earnings to Raymond King and Fredrick Burbank so he can keep more than his fair share.

But what can we do with that?

Absentmindedly, I reach for my phone. My actual one is still at the guys’ mansion—we didn’t want to risk Ludo possibly tracking it if he has the ability—so Finn got me another one for temporary use. I pull up Aubrey’s Instagram like I’ve done dozens of times in the past week, except this time, there’s finally a new post.

Straightening, I swipe through the photos. Some of them are of her, some are of things like sunsets and food and little shops, and there’s even one of her and Ludo together. There’s no destination tagged, nor is it obvious from the photos. According to what she told me, they’re some of the pictures she saved up to post to make their marriage look real.

Once I’ve looked through the photos, I expand the caption:We were supposed to have a tech-free week, but my love snuck a camera into his bag. Can’t say I’m upset.

The post already has a decent amount of likes and a couple comments. That’s good—it means Aubrey’s plan is working. However much I wish she was here with me now, I’m glad she’s safe and doesn’t have to worry anymore.

Maggie whines at the back door, so I get up and let her in. I already put food in her bowl, and after she gets some water, she eats it all quickly.

Sighing, I glance at the laptop. There has to be some way we can use this information to our benefit. I’ll talk to Finn when he wakes, but for now, maybe I can come up with something on my own.

“You want to go on a walk, Mags?”

Her ears perk up at my question. I’m hoping that being outside and moving around will help me think better. After grabbing Maggie’s leash, we head out the back door.

We’re not completely in the middle of nowhere out here—there’s a house every half mile or so—but I feel relatively safe. According to Finn, this house isn’t even in his name. If Ludo or his men were able to make the connection between me and him, they still wouldn’t be able to find us here.

So I head toward the woods without much worry. It’s quiet out here—peaceful in a way I’m not used to. Birds chirp, squirrels leap from branch to branch, and there’s even a small creek that cuts through the trees.

I think Rhett would like it out here.

The thought pops into my mind before I can stop it. Immediately, any feeling of calm vanishes, replaced by pain that’s so deep-rooted it’s impossible to ignore. Tears fill my eyes, and I have to stop just as I step onto one of the paths Finn showed me the other day.

Maggie waits by my side patiently, nudging me with her head when I sob. In all my life, I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so empty.

My knees hit the muddy ground, sharp pain shooting through my legs at the impact. “What if I can’t fix this? Oh, Maggie, what if I never see them again?”

With a low whine, Maggie sniffs at my hair. I bury my face into her neck while my tears flow freely. If we can’t rescue the guys, can I go on without them? Can I move on, knowing I’m the reason they died?

I can’t. I can’t do this.

There’s no way I’ll be able to live with myself.

“Wren?”

Finn’s voice is soft, but it still startles me. I jump before turning to look up at him. He’s dressed in his usual attire—dark colors with his leather jacket unzipped. Unsurprisingly, his hair is still messy.

“What are you doing out here?” Embarrassed, I wipe at my eyes.

“Couldn’t sleep. Heard you and Maggie leave and thought you might want some company. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“It’s fine.” Sniffling, I stand. “Actually, since you’re awake, I think I found something that could be helpful.”