Page 149 of Eternal Surrender

“I need you to find Jacob,” I said, “find out if he’s come up with anything. And check on Catherine. Tell her. . .” Yet the words wouldn’t come.

Marcus’s intense focus was burned through me. “Why did you react like that to the stone?” he sounded fierce.

“She’s familiar. . .” I tried to remember why.

Marcus frowned, his gaze falling on the megalith and lingering there suspiciously.

I turned to Ingrid. “Ready?”

Ingrid removed a notebook out of her handbag. “We found this in Alistair’s briefcase at Sovereign.” She offered it to Alex. “It’s blank, but I bet there’s something written in there.”

“And why are you giving it to me?” Alex asked.

“I know you’ll be able to find out if there’s anything written in it,” Ingrid said. “I doubt it’s blank.” She glanced over at Anaïs. “You’ll help him?”

“We’ll take a look at it,” Anaïs said.

Alex softened and he accepted the book from Ingrid.

This was Ingrid’s way of gaining his faith in her again. Giving up an important clue and entrusting it to him was remarkable.

“Take care everyone,” I said. “I’m counting on you.”

Marcus was desperately trying to hide his alarm from the others. “Don’t do this to me, William,” he said. “We agreed.”

“Nothing’s decided,” I said.

Marcus gripped my shoulder. “You want to look like Paradom, is that it?”

“Is everything okay?” Sebastian called over to us.

“Oh yes,” I said, casually easing Marcus’s hand off. “We were just discussing where to go from here.” I turned to face them. “Marcus is in charge. He’ll guide you. Everyone alright with that?”

Alex gave a signal of acknowledgment, though I doubted he meant it.

I gave Marcus’s arm a pat. “Keep Sebastian safe. Make sure nothing happens to my brother. Watch over Anaïs.”

Ingrid headed toward the door.

I followed her out, feeling Marcus’s stare locked on me until I was out of his sight.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Ingrid and I took a moment of shelter beneath the park trees.

I nudged her up against a tall cedar, avoiding the low-lying branches, making sure we were out of Alistair’s line of sight.

He was heading toward the northeastern corner of Ravenscourt Park.

We seemed to be the only ones taking the night air in this twenty-acre garden located in the London borough of Hammersmith, and it wasn’t surprising considering the late hour.

We’d spent twenty minutes in her Rover, parked opposite Sovereign’s HQ, trying to agree on the best way to enter the building. When Alistair had exited via the front door, heading off down Sloan Street, we’d both breathed a sigh of relief and set off on foot after him.

Within the hour, he’d led us to Ravenscourt Park.

“Ingrid,” I whispered, “you weren’t in the room when I demanded the utmost truth from the others.”

She twisted her lips, showing her guilt.