Page 127 of Relentless Sinner

“Somebody did.”

He’s right. Regardless of how hard it is to accept that somebody betrayed me, someone close to me did. Betrayal is a ghost that haunts the powerful.

“I’ve decided to work with the Creed guards for the moment.” I sent some to the house to watch over Gabriella.

Micah nods. “Wise choice. Let's regroup later. I don’t think we’re going to get anything more done for the moment. Go home to Gabriella. I'm sure she's worried about you.”

“Yeah, thanks for your help.”

“Anytime. Hopefully, we can find some more information later.”

I’m grateful for his attempt to give me hope, but I know when I’ve fucked up. As it stands, the situation is that I’ve allowed Salvatore to slip through the cracks and now I can’t find him.

Gabriela flies straight into my arms when I step through the door. I can tell she hasn’t slept and waited up the whole night.

“You’re home.” She presses her face against me and holds me tighter. I hold her, too.

“I’m home.”

“Are you okay? Please tell me you’re not hurt.”

I pull back, hold her face, and stare at her. I’m glad we're together again, but I’m enraged at the situation. “I’m fine. I was looking for your father.”

Her breath catches and slows almost to a stop. “I hate him for this. That man was going to take me, and you should have heard what he said to me. Jaxon, I’m scared.”

“I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I promise.”

I hug her again, and we don't speak, just hold each other. I hope my promise isn’t empty or one I can’t keep.

It’s clear things are getting out of hand.

I can’t slip up and lose her. I couldn’t live with myself if that happened.

When my phone rings in my back pocket, I get my hopes up that Salvatore has been found.

Gabriella and I pull apart, and I retrieve my phone. The moment I see it’s Eric, I know it can’t be the news I was expecting. He doesn’t know what happened to us yet.

I answer it, still eager all the same. “Hey, Eric.”

“Hi, Jaxon. Something’s happened.” His voice takes on a low, terrified tone.

The first thing I think of is my father. I assume if something happened to him, they’d get Eric to call me. I don’t think Éowyn would do it. “What’s happened?”

“Damien and Yuri were found dead an hour ago. They were poisoned.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Jaxon

The room goes quiet as I walk in, every eye shifting to me with a mixture of wariness and curiosity, though not a single one directly meets my gaze. They know things change today and I’m not fucking around anymore.

We’re at my father’s house in the meeting room. Sitting around the long mahogany table are: my father, Levka, Magnus, Eric, our three senior brigadiers, and my personal favorite: five guards from the Creed’s Citadel.

They are who you bring in when people have been murdered. Normally, we’d call in the Bratva senior enforcers, but today, I’m employing my powers beyond the Bratva.

This will be a meeting like none other before.

I glance at my father as I get closer. His eyes hold a silent testimony, speaking to me without words and telling me he was right. Someone did try to poison him weeks ago. They probably didn’t try again because the Creed guards have been stationed here. Come to think of it, my father looks more like himself. The color has returned to his cheeks and the life to his eyes. But he’sthe kind of bastard who would be happy Damian and Yuri are dead so he can stop worrying aboutthemtrying to kill him.

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