Page 150 of Ruthless Sinner
God this is not fucking happening. My men are working with my enemy. Borya and/ or Levka. It could be one or both. Either would hurt me because I’ve known them for so long. But people like that make the perfect betrayers.
“This is absolute shit, Virgo. And we’re back to fucking square one again.”
“I know. I’m brainstorming a few ideas. We’ll go back to the drawing board later. Where are Borya and Levka supposed to be?”
“They’re—” My voice cuts as my gaze lands on something in one of Serenity’s boxes that catches my eye and severs the words from my mind.
It’s the opened box on the floor beside me. Inside it, amongst a stack of mini sketchpads and pots of paint is the little square-shaped parchment leather we use in the Creed to assign members for contract killings.
“Dante are you still there?”
“Give me a sec.”
Having only received one of these a few weeks ago I know my eyes aren’t screwing with me, but given where I am I crouch down to check anyway.
The moment I touch it I get the confirmation, but when I look at it,look atthe Russian markings and secret symbols on it with the job of who is supposed to be killed, I get another shock that makes my fucking hands shake.
The translation of the Russian markings and symbols for the job is this:
Assist the team in whatever ways they require to kill Seimone Levitsky, and agree to keep the killing a secret. This is a blood oath. If the contract is broken in anyway, you will be punished and death will follow.
Signed
Igor Levitsky.
“No.” I sputter, feeling like the walls are coming down on me. “It can’t be.”
I don’t understand this
“Dante what is going on?” Virgo’s voice is hurried in my ear but sounds far away.
“I… have to call you back.” I don’t wait for him to answer. I just hang up so I can re-read the contract over and over again. I still can’t understand.
The pad of soft footsteps makes me lift my head and I see her—Serenity.
Jason’s daughter.
“Dante are you okay?” She searches my eyes.
“Where did you get this?” I can’t hold back the rage in my voice.
“Um… it was in my father’s office at his house.” Her eyes flick between the contract piece in my hands and my face. “It was in a box he was sending away for confidential waste disposal. I took it because I thought it looked cool. I was going to do a bigger painting of it, but I never got around to it.”
Jesus Christ. “When did you find it?”
“More than a year ago. It was just before my accident. What is it Dante?”
What is it?
What the fuck indeed?
Everything I thought I knew was a fucking lie.
Igor killed my father.
Things are starting to make sense now. Everything that didn’t before. It’s clear.
The person I was looking for was right in front of me this whole time.