Page 142 of On Edge

She shakes her head, a spark of defiance flaring in those innocent eyes, despite the fear. “No. Not until you tell me whoyouare.”

But as she reaches into her coat pocket, before she manages to swipe at me, I seize her hand, twisting the glint of metal away from her. Her little blade goes tumbling off into the dark, landing in a puddle. Brave or bloody stupid.

Her audacity almost makes me smile behind my mask.

“Youknowwho I am.”

What little color she had drains away, leaving her pale as a corpse. “You’re him…” Her voice drops to barely a whisper. “Sweeney Todd.”

“Why have you been asking about me, little Nell?”

She shuts her eyes, her lashes fluttering against her damp cheeks. When she opens them again, her hazel orbs are filled with determination.

“I want…” She drags in a shaking breath that makes her whole body tremble against the wall. “I want to hire you…” She takes another breath, composing herself. “…to kill someone.”

Interesting. I cock my head. “Who?”

“Richard Lovett.”

The rain gushes down the alley behind us, and somewhere in the distance, church bells toll the hour. But all I can hear is the pounding of my heart, and all I can see is the terror in her eyes that makes me want to chase her down and do very bad things to her.

“Why do you wanthimdead?”

“Because he’s a murderer.”

Richard Lovett, the man who killed my family, is already on my shitlist, but she can’t know that.

Or can she?

Nell, or whoever she really is beneath that cheap wig and expensive coat, has just become the most interesting little bird to fly into my cage.

The question is, do I let her out of it?

32

SAGE

Late Saturday afternoon, the message from Nola arrives while I’m standing in front of the mirror in my suite, in Troy’s new hotel, trying to make myself look passable for a rehearsal dinner.

But when I read her texts, the words blur together.

Update from Quinn. Severin’s location data has him in Southwark on the date and time your sister disappeared.

Also, if I go dark for a bit, don't panic. Message Quinn if you need anything else. She can track him if he uses his phone.

Is everything okay?

I'm handling something. Old business that should have stayed buried.

Why? What’s going on? Can I help?

From you? You can't even decide if you want to kill your fiancé or kiss him. No, I’m fine. It’s just a ghost from the past that has turned up. Literally.

Who? What ghost?

She doesn’t reply after that, which is not unusual for her. Nola has always been a dark horse. Unlike Laine and me, she has never shared her past or the reason she is part of the group. But I can’t stress about Nola right now, I have my own demons.

Every bone in my body feels like jelly as I stare at the location she sent, trying to make sense of it. I have to sit on the edge of the bed to reread it several times. Eventually, it sinks in.