Page 104 of Ruthless God

Her breath shudders as if the walls around her are crumbling all at once. And then she snaps.

“You knew the grave was empty! You forced those men, Ms. Blight, and me to stand there for hours! And the text? You know it came from your other phone!” Her words tumble too fast, a frantic mess that doesn’t make any fucking sense. “You swore you were done. That you would let Mr. Gabriel rest in peace.”

I don’t move. I don’t blink.

“What did you just say?”

“You said you were done going after the Brotherhood!” She gasps for breath, tears streaming down her face now, voice cracking under the weight of something I can’t place. “That you’d leave them alone. That you wouldn’t look back.”

Her face twists in anguish, her tears falling freely now.

It’s an almost convincing show.

Almost.

But something about this doesn’t feel right.

Because I don’t remember any of it.

And that means either she’s lying or I am.

And I’m not a fucking liar.

“Get out of my office. Immediately.”

Agnes shakes her head, still trembling, still wringing her hands like she can hold herself together if she just grips hard enough. “Sir?—”

“Now!”

The word cracks through the air like a gunshot.

She flinches, sucking in a sharp breath before she spins on her heel and runs. The sound of her sobs echoes down the hallway, fading with each hurried step until the house falls silent again.

I exhale slowly, my hands bracing the edge of the desk as I lower myself into my chair. What in the fuck was that? Agnes has been by my side for years. She’s been unshakable and steady, never once breaking like this. Not even when shit hit the fan. Not even when I lost everything. So why now?

The question sticks in my skull, refusing to leave, but before I can chase it down, my phone buzzes against the desk.

I glance at the screen. Blanc. I sigh and answer, pressing the phone to my ear.

“This is Irons.”

The response is immediate. Furious.

“Where in the fuck have you been?”

“Hello to you as well.” I glance at the clock, rolling my shoulders as I lean back in my chair. “Or I guess I should really ask why you’re still awake. It’s two in the morning there, right?”

“I’m awake because I nearly died!” Blanc snaps. “And you weren’t there to stop it.”

“What happened?”

“Did you not read any of the messages I sent?”

I hesitate. Just long enough to consider whether I should tell him the truth. That I was too busy drowning myself in Cecely to notice. Instead, I lie.

“I was chasing a lead.” My voice is smooth, measured. “I didn’t have my phone on me.”

Blanc exhales sharply. “Someone broke into the safe house and tried to kill me.”

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