Page 93 of Ruthless God

And then, without another word, he drops the shovel. The metal clatters against the dirt, loud in the stillness. He turns and walks away. The air is thick with silence. Claudius stands there, unmoving, shoulders rising and falling with heavy breaths.

“Get your ass back here and dig.”

Claudius' voice is lethal, each word edged with a dangerous promise.

The man doesn’t even look back. His partner hesitates for a fraction of a second but then, with a sharp breath, he drops his shovel and hurries after his friend.

“Fucking cowards,” Claudius snarls, his voice raw with fury. His hands curl into fists. “Fine. I’ll do it myself.”

Without another word, he stalks toward the grave, snatching up a shovel, his shoulders tight with rage. He mutters under his breath, a storm brewing inside him, dark and unchecked.

That’s when Agnes steps closer. Calm. Controlled. Calculated.

“Go after the men.” Her voice is low but urgent. “We’re going to need them.”

I blink. “What do you mean?”

She doesn’t answer. Instead, she reaches into her apron pocket and pulls out a syringe.

My stomach drops.

“Go!” she hisses before I can protest and demand an explanation.

She moves toward Claudius, the syringe hidden behind her back, her expression unreadable.

“Sir, you should take off your jacket before you get in the hole.”

Claudius stops. For the first time since opening the casket, he actually considers something.

His breaths are slow, measured. Then, with a tense exhale, he shrugs out of his jacket, turning just enough to toss it onto the empty casket.

And the moment his back is to her, Agnes strikes.

She steps forward, swift and precise, and shoves the syringe into the side of his neck.

Claudius lets out a deep groan, his body jerking for half a second before his muscles slacken. His grip on the shovel loosens as his knees buckle and then he slumps forward.

I stumble back, heart pounding.

“What the hell did you just do?”

Agnes doesn’t even glance at me. She’s already shifting, trying to brace Claudius’ weight.

“Go!” she snaps. “There’s no way the two of us can get him back to the house alone.”

I don’t move.

I can’t.

Because as I look down at Claudius, unconscious and vulnerable for the first time since I’ve met him, I realize Agnes just made it crystal clear whose side she’s on.

20

Cecely

I don’t know what sets me into motion, but suddenly, I’m running.

“Wait! Please, wait! I need your help!”

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