“Miss Costello,” said Flynn’s voice in my ear.
“What the hell, Flynn?” I growled. “Lauren Lockwood told me that she had arranged a face-to-face meeting with you, not your inefficient meatheads.”
Wickes frowned at the insult, but Donovan only rolled his eyes.
“You could not have possibly thought that I would be so stupid as to show up in a darkened alleyway to meet you alone,” said Flynn with a chuckle. “My dear, that is not how the Raptors conduct official business.”
“Oh, I know how Raptors conduct official business,” I spat, turning away from Donovan and Wickes. If my gaze lingered on either one of them for too long, I would certainly lose my cool. “It seems you in particular happen to favor murder as a business technique.”
There was a beat of silence on the other end of the line before Flynn responded. “Nicole, we have been through this before. O’Connor’s death was a complete accident—”
“I’m not talking about O’Connor, you bitch.” The epithet made its way out of my mouth before I could help it. “I’m talking about my father.”
Flynn’s voice hardened. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I know what you did to him,” I went on, ignoring Donovan and Wickes as they lurked behind me. “How could you murder a good man that you claimed to love? Were you that much of a woman scorned?”
“Miss Costello, I can assure you—”
“Did it hurt?” I interrupted, my blood boiling. “When my father told you that he was finished with the Raptors? Did it break your heart to know that he didn’t love the game as much as you did? Were you crushed when you saw him with my mother? When you realized that he would never love you as much as he loved her?”
“I highly suggest—”
“I highly suggest that you shut up and listen,” I hissed into the phone. “I am done playing games with the Black Raptor Society, especially with a woman whose entire motivation in life stems from a breakup with her college boyfriend. My God, woman, let it go. Who holds a grudge for that long anyway? You married someone else! Does your husband know how obsessed you are with a man that you murdered?”
Flynn snapped, which was what I’d been waiting for. “If I couldn’t have Anthony, then your lowbrow tramp of a mother certainly didn’t deserve him. If Anthony hadn’t left me for her, I wouldn’t have to grovel to my brother every time I wanted something from the society—”
“Oh, so not only were you jealous about the fact that my father fell in love with someone who wasn’t psychologically unhinged, you were also bitter about the fact that good ol’ Orson Lockwood pulled ahead of you while you were at school together?”
“I am not unhinged.”
“Could’ve fooled me,” I said. I glanced at Wickes and Donovan to make sure they weren’t planning to move in on me. “Tell me, after you murdered my father and forced my mother to abandon her degree and flee campus, how did you manage to locate the trunk she hid the tapes in? I understand it’s currently in your possession.”
“Your mother was too stupid to hide the footage well,” said Flynn, and I detected a note of triumph in her tone. “As if we wouldn’t check Anthony’s childhood bedroom for it. We’ve had it for years.”
“But you could never open it.”
“No, your mother’s inexplicable death prevented us from ever locating the key,” said Flynn in a sharp voice. “Why do you think I engineered your acceptance at Waverly, Nicole?”
“You… what?”
“That’s right,” crooned Flynn through the phone. “Did you think you were exceptional enough to earn a place at Waverly on your own? Darling, you are just as insignificant as your dearly departed mother.”
“I—”
“When will you realize,” began Flynn, “that every event from the time your parents set foot on this campus to now has been arranged in favor of the Black Raptor Society? You did not see your father’s name in our charter when you so boldly sullied our headquarters with your presence because I personally saw to it that he be erased from BRS history for his treachery. We will not have such blights associated with our organization. You, Miss Costello, are next on my list to be expunged, but I’m offering you one last out. Hand the locket over to Donovan. Leave Waverly University. Speak to no one of the Black Raptor Society.”
“And what about Wes?” I demanded.
“By my watch, it’s seven minutes after twelve,” said Flynn with a chuckle. “It’s past midnight, Cinderella. You failed to meet the demands Donovan laid out for you earlier today. I am under no obligation to release Mr. McAllen to you.”
My teeth clenched together at such an enormous pressure that a tendon in my jaw popped. “Then good luck getting the locket. I don’t care how many goons you sent out here to collect it from me. You can pry it off my dead body.”
“I’m sure that can be arranged.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Donovan and Wickes lunge toward me. I chucked the phone across the parking lot, vaulted over a fallen chain-link fence at the edge of the property, and hauled ass in the direction of the police station. This time, I had swapped Lauren’s cumbersome trench coat for her insulated Waverly University crew team pullover. Unhindered, I flew down the street. Donovan and Wickes had followed on foot, the flat soles of their expensive Italian loafers smacking loudly against the pavement as they hustled to catch up.
Up ahead, the lights of the police station swam into view. I slowed my pace ever so slightly. A backup plan formulated itself in my mind, but if it was going to work, I needed to calm down and get ahold of my nerves.
As I approached the station, I glanced behind me to make sure that Donovan and Wickes were still following
