The Story of Blood and Roses

Guilt flashed in her eyes. Her shoulders sagged in defeat after she had failed to find an exit. Her lips trembled as she searched for the words that would be sufficient to answer the life-altering question. Her mouth opened as if to say something, but then she closed them shut, tightly, so that she would not speak.

The need to rip the truth from her swam through my voice. I wrapped my hands around my chests so that I could stop myself from wrapping them around her neck and wringing the words out of her.

"Mia-"

"Marie," I snapped. "You were the one who made that identity," I hissed at her. She flinched, taking an unconscious step back.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, finally. "I didn't mean it to come out like this..." her voice was pleading, trying to make me understand.

"Why didn't you tell me yourself, save yourself the trouble?" I asked her.

"They would have killed me." My sneer disappeared, and a frown plastered itself on my face. "I mean... the day I came to the club to warn you... I had gotten a call from the chief," she gulped. "He gave me full access to the server and told me to take care of some things. I was so scared and worried..."

"And you warned me about it?" She nodded earnestly in reply.

"I tried my best to make you understand the level of danger you were in, but..." she shook her head as if to shake an evil thought from her mind.

"What was the plan? Tell me... I need to know." My voice was strained. My eyes were narrowed as I openly glared at her.

"The chief was involved with... your father." I should have known. "The plan was formed a few months before the mission was assigned to you."

They had always been close friends. I am not surprised that they plotted together.

"Did Jacob know about this?" she shook her head.

"He would have never let it happen if he knew. His father never told him about the plan. He didn't even know that you were being sent in until you were actually involved. He would have never allowed it." She looked up at me from under her lashes, trying to gauge my reaction. I knew that I was calmer than before, but I was still angry at her. She had gotten the chance to tell me in the last few months.

"Continue," I told her.

"The Chief thought that you were becoming a threat to the organization. Your power was increasing and you had gained quite a fan following while you were working for them. Cain wanted you gone. The alliance with Anthony was bringing in money, but his ego had been bruised when he had lost to Anthony all those years ago.

"The Chief also wanted a portion of the money Cain would gain after overthrowing Anthony, so he played along," she said. The hesitance in her voice added to my irritation.

"What about Anthony? Why would they include him in this plan? He was the enemy!" That part made no sense.

"The easiest way to take out Anthony was by assigning you the task. You hated him, and you wanted revenge. They were counting on it to do the work. The only way Anthony would take you in was if they concocted some plan to make you seem useful." I cocked my brow at her.

"Anthony remembered you from when he saw you at your mother's funeral, and you look a bit like her, so... it was pretty easy. They told him that they would help him in the feud with Luke Darcy if he took you in. It was a win-win situation for them. If you failed and let your identity out, Anthony would be forced to kill you. If you killed Anthony they would get someone from his mob to take you out. If Luke had the upper hand, both of you would have died. They had nothing to lose!"

"Anthony is not that foolish. He must have had another motive." She nodded, a smile playing on her lips.

"He wanted Luke out of the way. You devised a brilliant plan to do it. Everyone knows you, Mia. You would have never let the chance go. He would have used your knowledge to his advantage when he had to." So, he hadn't gone into the deal blind. That was better.

"And if it worked out in Anthony's favor?" I prompted.

"He would have to kill you when the job was done. That was the clause."

"And he agreed," I whisper.

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