Page 16 of Marked By the Devil

“Oh.” I pushed off the wall. “So you’re under the illusion that since you’re telling me the supposed truth, I’ll let you go with the good faith that you’ll let this incident be swept under the rug and no consequences for capturing you last night will follow?”

Her throat flexed as she forced a swallow. “I just want to take my contacts out.”

That was a nonanswer and we both knew it.

Her willingness to talk would probably wane with her concern about her eyes, though. I could drag this out for as long as I wanted.

I tilted my head for her to get up.

She did, frowning at me.

“This way.” I gestured for her to approach me, beckoning her with a crook of my finger. She walked closer like I was a bomb about to go off.

I gestured for her to turn to the left out the door. The hallway out here wouldn’t give her any chance to escape. The doors were locked to the corridor leading in here. Even if there weren’t more locks, she wouldn’t get past the guards on my property. Even old Paul would stop her from running.

I followed behind her, revisiting that same thrill of stalking her as she went down the short hall. Only one door was there, and when she glanced back at me over her shoulder, I gestured at it.

She went in and closed the door—to a small bathroom without any windows or objects to use as a weapon—and I waited in the hallway.

Viktor: Run a full check on her.

Paul didn’t delay with a reply.

Paul: With Trojan’s assistance?

His reference was to the hacker we used for many things.

Viktor: Yes.

Last night, Paul had looked her up on his own. But with her talking about her being targeted, I had to wonder if someone on the inside of the law enforcement side of things could be manipulating things.

Wren didn’t take long, and when she exited the bathroom, I indicated with another tilt of my head for her to return to the holding cell she’d woken up in.

I didn’t make eye contact as I locked her back in. As soon as she was secure, I headed upstairs where I found my older cousin Alexei waiting with my younger brother Nikolai.

“She thinks she was supposed to be assassinated?” Nikolai asked.

They’d both listened and watched the beginning of my interrogation via the minuscule camera anchored in the room.

I shrugged. “Has anyone found evidence of the sniper in that building? Or snipers, if she’s correct?” I stood in the large great room as I crossed my arms.

“Wait, you believe her?” Alexei scoffed. “She’s only saying that to fuck with you.”

Nikolai answered me, though. “Nothing so far. Crews have searched the area. No evidence was left by the sniper.”

That had to mean it was the work of a pro.

“They’re still looking into it,” Nikolai said, getting his phone from his pocket. “But I’ll update them about this potential development.”

“You were there,” Alexei said. “You didn’t notice another shot?”

I gave him a look. “All I noticed was that Adrik needed to be covered. And when I scanned the area, I saw movement on the balcony where they were supposed to meet. That’s when I saw her and pursued her.” They already knew all this from when I spoke more at length with Adrik and Maksim. “Maybe another shot was fired. Maybe not. It means there are more questions for her, though.”

“If she’ll talk.” Nikolai shoved his hands in his pockets since he’d texted the crew who were handling the investigation and cleanup on the Strip. “She seemed like she was getting more scared, like she regretted saying anything at all.”

I nodded. “I agree.”

“Maybe Markus and Rueben⁠—”