Chapter 31: Crown of Smoke: Chapter 31

I blink rapidly, but the darkness remains absolute. The room is cold, almost damp, making me think I’m in a basement. Like Ash, they blindfolded and then tied my hands before we arrived. Now I’m tied to a chair and filled with regret. What have I done? In my determination to expose the truth, I’ve put my and my baby’s lives at risk. Tears sting my eyes as panic fills me. God, why didn’t I listen to Flint?

‘Hello?’ My voice cracks in the silence. No response except the echo of my own voice.

Tears slip down my cheeks as I think about Flint. I never told him about the baby. The guilt gnaws at me, knowing he might never know he has a child. But maybe that’s better. At least this way, he’ll only mourn losing me, not his child too.

Light floods my prison as the door creaks open. I squint against the harsh brightness, making out Ronan’s tall figure in the doorway.

His smile is sickening. “This is a much better place to chat, don’t you think?”

‘Your hospitality leaves something to be desired.’ Maybe I shouldn’t be snarky to the man who can make me disappear.

“You have more balls than brains.” He grabs a chair and sits it in front of me. “I’d offer you a drink, but well, you’re all tied up.” He laughs like that’s funny. “Let’s get to business. Tell me who’s been feeding you information about my family.”

“No one specific. Just connecting dots from my research. Public records and such.”

“Why so many questions about the Ifrinns? They were criminals, you know? They got what they deserved.’

‘Were they? They did a great deal of good in the community. More than your family.”

He crosses his arms. “Why bring up Marshall?”

“Who?”

“Ah, now don’t be coy, Ms. Ketchum. You know who he is.” He leans forward. “Tell me, do you know who really killed him?”

My pulse quickens, but I maintain eye contact. ‘The news said it was a mugging.’

He laughs coldly. ‘We both know that’s not true. Just like we both know you were seen talking to him that night.’

I swallow.

“I’ve been looking at the video footage. You were there the night my men were jumped. What do you know about that?”

“I know your men put you at risk.”

His eyes glint with interest. “Do tell.”

“Well, it’s one thing to break the law for you, but another to do it outside of your orders. Is that why O’Brian is missing?”

He claps his hands. “You are smarter than I gave you credit for. O’Brian was a liability. Not that I care what he does with his women, but I can’t have him making my crew look like pussies. Of course, that fighter… what’s his name, Tine? He won’t be causing me any more trouble.”

He doesn’t know Flint is still alive. Or that Flynn Tine is actually Flint Ifrinn. I’m relieved. I may not come out of this alive, but I know he and his brothers will make Ronan and his family pay.

“You seem impressed with yourself.”

He shrugs. “It’s all in doing business.”

“Was the Ifrinn fire business?” I’m dead anyway. Might as well learn the full truth before I go. He took my phone but tossed it on the table with my purse and other belongings. If the recording is still going, it’s being stored in the cloud.

“What is your interest in them?” His head cocks to the side. “What have you learned? Have you spoken to any of them?”

“I thought they were all dead?”

He watches me again. “The Ifrinns were too soft. The business needed real leadership.”

‘Did you watch it burn? Did you hear them screaming?’

Pride lights up Ronan’s face as he leans closer, clearly unable to resist the opportunity to boast. ‘You want to know how we did it? How we brought down the mighty Ifrinns?’ His voice drips with satisfaction. ‘It was brilliant, actually.’

I realize I’m looking into the eyes of pure evil as he begins his story. ‘The Ifrinns had guards everywhere, security systems, the works.’ He waves his hand dismissively. ‘But I knew that place inside and out. I’d been there before, you know. My father was brilliant too. Made Ifrinn think he was his closest friend and ally. I did the same. Making friends inside the house.”

‘Inside?’

His grin widens. ‘Sweet little Jenna. The groundskeeper’s daughter.’ He chuckles darkly. “She knew every secret passage, every weakness in their security. Her mother had worked there for years.’

I don’t recall seeing the name Jenna anywhere in my research. But my focus had been on business, not the home staff.

“Did she die in the fire?” I ask.

He snorts. “She works for me. Her reward. I could probably have her come kill you. She’ll do whatever I ask. She’s in love with me, you know.”

I shake my head, wondering who could possibly be in love with him. Another psychopath, maybe. “So you and her⁠—”

He lets out a laugh. “Hell no. Sure, it might be nice to tap her, but she’s just the staff.” He says staff like he’s talking about pond scum. “But she did me a solid, so I keep her around.”

“How was she able to get around all the security?” I suppose a groundskeeper’s daughter would know all the ins and outs of the property.

‘She showed us the old servants’ tunnel. Can you believe it? The mighty Ifrinns, brought down by a maintenance passage they’d forgotten existed.’ His eyes gleam with satisfaction. ‘All those fancy security measures, and they never thought to check what was right under their feet.’

The horror of it strikes me. How many innocent people died because of one person’s betrayal? For what? To win Ronan’s heart?

I think of Flint, of the pain in his eyes when he spoke of his family. Now I understand why finding the traitor means so much to him.

“How nice of her.”

Ronan falls silent, his self-satisfied smirk fading as his gaze fixes on me. The air grows thick with tension, and I can practically see the wheels turning in his head as he contemplates what to do with me.

‘You know,’ he says, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper, ‘I almost admire your determination. Most reports are too afraid to go snooping around my family.’

I try to swallow but my throat is too dry. The way he’s looking at me now reminds me of a cat playing with its prey before the kill.

‘The question is, what am I going to do with a nosy reporter who knows too much?’

“I don’t know anything that isn’t already suspected.”

He arches a brow.

“Oh, come on, Mr. Kean. The well-known secret about your family is partially how you’re able to maintain your iron fist on the city, isn’t it? You like people knowing you took out the Ifrinns. It makes you more fierce.”

“You don’t seem so afraid. I could make you disappear.” He studies my reaction.

“I’m resolved that this isn’t going to go well for me.”

“You got that right.”

The door bangs open, making me jump. One of Ronan’s men bursts in, his face flushed with urgency.

‘Boss, we got trouble.”

“I’m busy⁠—”

“It’s outside the house, sir.” Ronan’s jaw tightens. He clearly doesn’t like to be interrupted.

“Deal with it⁠—”

“You should come, Mr. Kean. For your safety.”

“Fuck!” He stands. ‘Put someone on this door. I’ll deal with her later.’

They stride out, the heavy door slamming behind them. I let out a breath, relieved to have a reprieve. This is my chance to think, to plan. If I could get loose, get out of here, maybe I could find one of those tunnels. Do they still exist? Did they burn in the fire? Did the Keans keep them when they rebuilt?

I tug at my wrists, trying to figure out how to free my hands. I’m determined to survive for my baby and for Flint. And maybe, just maybe, to help bring the Keans down once and for all.