A Legacy of Sorrow (A Violent Agenda)

Jude

She strides out of the police station like a mini thunder storm. With her brunette dyed hair and green contacts, she looks nothing like the girl I know, and yet she’s every bit a killer.

“Easy, you’re going to fucking break it,” I say through the open window as she yanks at the door handle until it opens. She glares at me as she slides into the passenger seat.

“Just drive,” she orders. I don’t blame her. It’s early hours. 2.a.m. She can’t have got any sleep in there. Although she doesn’t look worse for wear.

“Dino?” I ask her.

“They’re holding him for another thirty six hours,” she snarls.

“Can they do that?” Duke’s lawyer went in with them as soon as the police picked them up. The gossip was all over the fucking school when I got back from the lab. Someone leaked photographic evidence of Sinner with Tyler giving the police what they needed to make an arrest.

“They suspect him of attempted murder, so yes they can,” she says, shooting me a shitty look.

“Are you going to let him take the fall for it,” I ask, letting her see the malice I have for her in my eyes. I know Sinner, he’s already told her he’d take the hit. With his family’s track record, they’ll put him away for a good while. His race career will be over.

She blinks at me, and then looks away. “I don’t know what I’m going to do yet. I need to think. Why isn’t Lorcan back? Isn’t he supposed to be handling this?”

“He’s taking the next flight back. And he did handle it. His lawyers weren’t expecting those photos to turn up. Any idea who took them?”

She glowers at me, fists clenched and teeth gritted. I take it as my cue to drive us home.

I need a drink. I need a goddamn drink because it’s been nearly a week since I stopped. The moment Viola handed me Aurora’s scarf, I put down my beer and I haven’t had a drop since.

I’m fucking parched.

But when we get back, Viola has other ideas. She immediately bounds up stairs muttering about needing her spare knife. I chase her down, only to find her stripping down to her lacy pants and then dressing completely in black.

She glares at me as she takes her green contact lenses out, flashing a brown iris at me. “Why is Lorcan never here when you need him?”

Lorcan has extended his stay in Turin, something about a meeting with Dino’s family. Which leaves me to babysit the resident psycho. Fuck my life.

“He’s not here but I am. What do you need,” I say, instantly regretting it.

“You can’t help me,” she snarls. Then she straps a nine inch blade to her ankle, and stalks out of the fucking house.

I tail Viola’s beetle until she pulls up in a residential area about ten minutes from Royal Deacon. She gets out and walks for another two miles until the houses thin out, and get older and larger. The ones that haven’t been demolished to make way for new builds have been converted into luxury flats.

I follow at a distance, having ditched my car where she left hers. I’ve no idea where she’s going, although I have a hunch.

Just as she’s about to scale a fucking garden wall, I drag her back. She swipes at me with whatever she has in her hand. It takes a lot to subdue her, and force her look into my eyes.

“It’s me, “ I say in a low voice.

“Jude, what the fuck. What are you doing here? Stop following me.” She struggles in my arms, but I’m stronger. She tries to stab me in the leg, but I rip the blade away.

“I could ask you the same question. Why are you here? Are you planning on fucking murdering someone?”

“Why do you care?”

“I don’t, but another body is not what we need right now.”

“It’s exactly what I need,” she hisses.

She fights me again, harder this time. I end up picking her up and throwing her over my shoulder. She weighs hardly anything. And when she beats her fists into my back, it’s like getting a Thai massage. I tell her as much, which only makes her scowl and try to bite me.

Fucking bitch.