Chapter 839
Two days later. The Thorne Group headquarters.
Lucian slammed a thick file onto the mahogany conference table.
“I found it,” he said.
Alistair looked up from his tablet. “Found what?”
“The link between Simon Stone and the imposters,” Lucian said, opening the file. “We traced the encrypted comms used during the gala. They were bouncing off a server in Nevada.”
“Nevada?” Alistair frowned.
“Specifically, a decommissioned military bunker near Las Vegas. It’s a ghost site.”
“So the Blue Phoenix has a nest,” Alistair said. “We need to strike it.”
𝗜ո𝘀𝘵a𝗻t aс𝖼𝖾𝗌ѕ о𝘯 g𝖺𝗅𝗇o𝗏𝗲l𝘴.с𝘰𝘮
“Wait,” I said. I was standing by the window, looking out at the city. “We can’t just rush in. If Simon is right, they have eyes on us. Any move we make, they’ll see.”
“Then we blind them,” Alistair said. “But first, we need to deal with the fallout here. Liam Kensington is going to wake up to a media storm.”
“We spin it,” I said. “He’s a hero. It complicates things for the Blue Phoenix if the public loves him.”
Later that afternoon, I went back to the hospital.
Liam—or Nero, as the nurses had started calling him because of the alias on his chart—was sitting in a wheelchair by the window, staring out at the parking lot. His face was pale, and his hand rested protectively over the bandages on his chest. Every breath seemed to require a conscious effort.
“You’re spoiling me,” he said, turning the chair slowly as I walked in with apple slices.
“Don’t get used to it,” I said, but I couldn’t help smiling.
The door burst open. Victoria Hayes rushed in, holding a bouquet of lilies.
“Hi, hero!” she chirped.
She had bonded with “Nero” during the hotel siege. To her, he wasn’t my evil ex; he was the guy who kung-fu kicked a wolf to save us.
“Victoria,” Liam smiled faintly, wincing as the movement pulled at his stitches. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m okay,” she said, her face falling. “But… I can’t reach my dad. Parker says he’s in a clinic in Switzerland. Heart trouble.”
Liam stopped chewing. He put the apple slice down. His expression darkened instantly.
“Switzerland?” he asked. “Which clinic?”
“The… uh… Alpine Wellness Center?” Victoria guessed.
Liam frowned. “Victoria, listen to me carefully. While I was undercover… I saw documents. Your father isn’t sick.”
Victoria froze. “What?”
“He’s in trouble. Deep trouble,” Liam said, his voice low and concerned. “The Syndicate… they didn’t just disappear. There is an internal purge happening. The new leadership claims your father misappropriated funds and lost key territories. They are holding him accountable.”
Victoria looked terrified. “They’re hurting him?”
“They are using him as leverage against you and Parker. If Parker is telling you he’s in Switzerland, he’s either being lied to, or he’s trying to keep you from panicking.”
“Leverage?” Victoria whispered.
“To force Parker to unlock the old K-Syndicate servers.”
Victoria’s breath hitched. “I have to go. I have to find Parker.”
She ran out of the room.
“You scared her,” I said to Liam.
“I warned her,” Liam corrected. “She needs to be ready, Skye. The Blue Phoenix won’t stop with Bianca.”
Just then, Alistair walked in. He saw the empty apple plate. He saw me sitting on the edge of the bed.
His face turned to stone.
“Skye,” he said. “We have work to do.”
“I’m talking to him,” I said, annoyed by his tone.
“And we are running out of time,” Alistair snapped. “Lucian found something else.”
“Go,” Liam said softly to me. “He’s right. Don’t waste time on me. Focus on the threat.”
He looked so defeated. So selfless.
I stood up, glaring at Alistair. “Fine.”
As we left, I didn’t see the look on Liam’s face.
The moment the door closed, the warmth vanished. His eyes went cold and calculated.
He reached under his pillow and pulled out a burner phone.
He dialed a number.
“Victoria is spooked,” Liam whispered. “She’ll try to run. Make sure your team intercepts them before the Phoenix does.”
“Understood,” a voice on the other end said. “We’ll get them to the safe house.”
“Don’t let Skye know,” Liam said. “She’ll try to be the hero, and that will get her killed. This time, I handle the dirty work.”