Page 91 of Mutual Obsession (Rivals of Blackthorn #2)

Kian then holds up another image beside the first, which he’s taken from the folder he was holding. Gregg’s eyes widen, clearly terrified of what he sees.

Kian’s face lights up, and when he speaks, his excitement is evident.

“We used the images to run facial recognition software against anyone you have been in contact with over the last couple of months.

Although you were very careful with where you held your meetings, we have a world-class hacker on our payroll, who can get into any security system.

“This image, which you refused to look at, is the one that got us this hit. It looks to me like you were meeting The Count just two weeks ago. Unless you’re telling us this isn’t him?”

There’s a challenge in Kian’s tone, and Bree shuffles anxiously as she waits to see if Gregg has realised how fucked he is. Will he just accept the situation, or is he going to go down fighting?

For a few minutes, as the deafening silence drags on, making the tension in the room grow so thick you could cut it with a knife, we’re all on tenterhooks waiting for him to decide. Finally, he drops his head, his shoulders sagging in defeat.

“It’s him. I can also give you everyone that I know of who works for him. I have a ledger,” he says, sounding exhausted.

“Thank you,” Bree says cheerfully.

Gregg’s eyes snap up, confusion at her tone written across his face. Kian chuckles, drawing Gregg’s attention over to him. He pulls a small black book out of his back pocket, and Gregg’s eyes become almost comically wide as his brows fly into his hairline.

“We already have your ledger. We just needed you to confirm our suspicions,” Kian taunts him, flicking through the book for dramatic effect.

Jake shuffles beside me, looking over at Liam, who is watching his wife with adoration on his face. “If you have all the information, what’s the point of this?”

“Those four mock-ups could have all been him. We found real people that Gregg met with who looked similar to each of them, so any could have been The Count. We hoped he’d just confirm which mock-up was accurate, but this was a good back-up plan.

We knew he’d give him up eventually, this was just the harder way,” Liam explains.

“Couldn’t you have found him from the ledger?” I ask, my brain ticking over all the possibilities of what could be in that little black book.

“We would have found him eventually, this just speeds things up,” Liam replies.

Another scream turns our attention back to the room, where Gregg now has another slice on his opposite cheek.

Bree is glaring at him, looking furious.

“I said, don’t be disrespectful or our deal will be over.

I need to know where to find The Count. The faster I find him, the sooner we can verify your information, which means our deal will be complete. ”

Gregg shakes his head violently. “I can’t tell you that. He’ll kill me.”

“If you don’t tell us, we’ll kill you. At least with him you have a chance to run and hide,” Bree replies, twirling her knife once again.

I’m not sure if she’s doing it for visual effect, or because it’s a nervous gesture, a way of keeping calm. She’s very at home with the knife in her hand, which only makes me more wary.

Gregg lets out a sigh that turns into a huff. “If I tell you, do you promise to capture him before you let me go? I need to get far away from him before he’s released.”

Bree throws her head back and laughs loudly, startling both Gregg and Kian, who hadn’t been expecting it.

“I can assure you, once I have The Count in my custody, he will not be going free. I’m certain none of The Aristocracy will be open to negotiations.

Therefore, I can’t allow them to continue flouting my rules and denying my leadership. ”

“You’re going to kill him?” Gregg asks in disbelief.

Bree nods. “Surely that’s not a surprise.”

He pauses for a couple of seconds, which is all it takes to consider the life of a man who has been a father figure to him for most of his life. “Fine, I’ll tell you where to find him, as long as you guarantee he won’t come after me,” Gregg states, his shoulders dropping in defeat.

“You’re really going to give up the man you view as your father?” Kian blurts out, sounding disgusted, as he shakes his head at Gregg. He ignores Bree glaring at him, though he can read her hidden message clear enough.

Without waiting for his response, Kian turns around and leaves the room, joining us at the window once he’s closed the door. He shares a look with Liam that suggests he was thinking the same thing. Kian just had the mouth to voice it.

Although Kian is no longer in the room, Gregg answers his question anyway. “I do see him as a father figure, but I’ve never forgotten how he earnt that role in my life. I was only a child when he got me, and I know nothing about the family I had before.

“I’ve never been able to bring myself to look. As if they’re still alive, it would only put them in danger. I’m loyal to him because he’s been loyal to me, but he also taught me how to survive against the odds. Now it’s my survival or his, and so the answer is obvious.

“Does it hurt me to turn my back on the only person who has ever given a shit about me? Of course, it does, but my desire to live overshadows that.”

Bree nods her head, like she might understand. “I killed my father, and the man I saw as a father figure…though the circumstances were very different.”

I turn to Liam, who nods in confirmation, though he doesn’t elaborate, and I’m a little pleased about that. This fiery redhead already scared me, but now I’m fucking terrified, knowing what she’s capable of.

“So, where can we find him?” Bree asks.

Only now does Kellan look away from his screen, his gaze fixed on the couple in the next room as we all wait for his response. The silence stretches on for longer than it should, while Gregg’s breathing increases.

His skin is so pale it’s almost translucent, and it’s clear he’s lost a lot of blood, though the pause in conversation is more due to him being in his own head than his health.

Eventually, he makes eye contact with Bree, no doubt to show her he’s telling the truth, and an address rolls off his tongue. As he says it, Kellan inputs it into his computer, and we all wait for a response.

“It’s one of the destinations we had as a possibility.

Gregg’s been seen arriving there frequently, as has the man from the mock-up.

I’ll need time to do a full dive, but I’d say it looks good.

There’s a level of security in and around the property that put it high on my list before he named it, so my guess is he’s telling the truth,” Kellan explains, his fingers continuing to click away, as he works on the computer at a faster pace than I can keep up with.

Jacob turns to Liam, his eyes wide as he asks the question I was just thinking. “Does that mean we can have him now?”

Liam looks over to Kian, who shrugs his shoulders in response. Liam lets out a sigh. “We need to confirm with Bree, but I think so.”

My heart races as excitement oozes through my veins. The rage tingling just underneath the surface grows at the possibility of finally being let out.

Kian opens the door, signalling to Bree. She stands and makes her way over, ignoring the questions and protests Gregg is shouting behind her.

Once the door is closed, Liam fills Bree in on everything Kellan just said, before pulling her against him. He wraps his arms around her waist, nuzzling into her neck as she smiles up at her husband.

“Is it our turn with him now?” Jacob snaps impatiently.

Bree turns in her husband’s arms, so her back is against his chest, and fixes her gaze on Jake.

After a few seconds, she lets out a long sigh.

“I think we have everything we need. Kellan is confident it’s the right location, and even if it isn’t, we have enough information with the photo ID and the ledger to find him. ”

“So, we have your permission to kill him?” I ask, making sure to clarify that, as I know once we step foot into that room, I won’t be able to hold back.

Bree nods, the sadistic smile of hers growing. “You have my permission. I can’t wait to watch.”