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I unlock my phone and angle the screen toward him, hitting play on the grainy footage my software pulled—Levi walking into the warehouse, before it became rubble, alongside a masked man I know is behind all this bullshit. “This wasn’t easy to get, so don’t waste my time, Levi. Who’s the man with you?”

Wide green eyes filled with terror meet mine. “I-I don’t know. He never took the mask off in front of me.”

Vanya’s grip tightens on his shoulder. “Wrong fucking answer.”

Levi lets out an agonized scream. “I don’t know! I swear!”

Why do they always resist at first? They all cave eventually, so why put themselves through the pain beforehand?

I take a step toward him, but Aleksei’s low “Dimitri” stops me.

The pakhan rises from the sofa and strolls toward us. By the time he stops in front of Levi, the bastard is already shaking and crying, lips trembling. Disgust curls through me.

“You really don’t know his real identity?” Aleksei asks softly, and Levi nods so rapidly I’m surprised his neck doesn’t snap.

“My cousin called me—said her husband had a job for me. Escort a VIP to the warehouse I work at, and escort him back to the drop-off point. That was it. Easy money,” he blubbers.

“Bullshit,” I say, glancing at Aleksei, waiting for his go-ahead. He flicks a finger, and I take a step forward. “Do you know what I’m going to do to you, Levi? First, I’m going to break your fingers. Nice and slow, to introduce your body to pain.”

His sob makes me smile. I continue, “Once you’re out of fingers to break, I’ll scoop your eyes out with a spoon and feed them to you. You’d be amazed how easy it is to do that. Eyeballs are only held in place by a few measly cords of muscles, tissue, and nerves, after all.”

“Please,” he whimpers.

I ignore his plea. “Then I’ll rip out your lying tongue. Maybe I’ll keep it as a trophy I hang on your front door to remind people what happens to liars. After that, I’ll peel the skin from your back, slow enough for you to feel every second of it. You’ll probably be dead by that point from the onslaught of pain and blood loss, so it’s a shame you won’t get to appreciate the final result.”

His eyes squeeze shut, and his knees buckle, Vanya’s grip the only thing keeping him half-upright before he sags to the floor. “I don’t know anything, I swear. But my cousin’s husband, Xavier, does. He’s the one who introduced me to the VIP. I can take you to their house right now so you can get the information you need. I’m telling you the truth.”

I exchange a glance with Aleksei. Xavier is Daniel Salvi’s driver, so that makes the lead worth checking.

Aleksei looks down at Levi. “If it turns out you’re lying, not only you but your mother, your son, and everyone you hold dear will die agonizing deaths.”

He whimpers, hesitates for half a second, then nods rapidly. “I understand.”

Vanya texts the men waiting with the cars to bring them around to the front, and we’re off. Levi rides with Vanya and his men after giving us the address. The place is on the other side of the city, in an Upper East Side neighborhood that earns my sneer. How the hell does a mere driver afford to live there? I suppose I’m about to find out.

Except when we arrive, the house is eerily quiet.

One of Vanya’s men keeps a firm grip on Levi’s elbow as we move through the living room and up to the master bedroom, which has been completely cleared out. Whoever lived here is long gone, every trace of them stripped from the place.

I glower at Levi. “If this is a trap, I swear to God⁠—”

“It’s not!” His voice cracks into hysteria as he takes in the empty room, eyes wild. “This is their house. I was here a few days ago, they didn’t say anything about moving. I don’t know what’s going on!” His voice breaks entirely, and fresh tears spill down his cheeks, his life most likely flashing before his eyes. Either he’s the best actor I’ve ever seen, or he’s telling the truth.

Aleksei nods at one of his men, who steps forward, takes Levi by the arm, and waits for confirmation. “He’s coming back to the house with us,” Aleksei tells him, and the man drags the sobbing Levi out.

Aleksei turns to his second-in-command. “Go get the mother. Now. Before she disappears as well.”

“Aleksei…” Vanya draws out, glancing at the men around us.

The pakhan’s brows knit into a slight frown. “We’re not hurting her. But she’s good insurance to have.”

My brothers and I go our separate ways after leaving Xavier’s house. Aleksei takes Levi back to the castle to keep working him over alongside everything else on his plate.

Vanya volunteers to go along and collect the mother and son, and I’m left with one priority—Daniel Salvi.

I’m close, damn it. I can feel it. I can’t wait to finally get my hands on that bastard.

During the drive to my downtown office, I text Kyle again. He replies within minutes.