Page 157 of Ruthless God

“Now. Where do I begin?”

He paces in front of us, fingers drawn together as he thinks.

“I got a call that Gabriel was in deep with traffickers and was out of control. That part is true. What I left out is that it was Blanc who directed him to buy the women.” His gaze meets mine. “Your father knew one of the Elite Members had a…taste for young boys. DeLeon was getting sloppy, so Blanc came up with a solution.”

Bile creeps up my throat.

“He let Gabriel handle it. Let Gabriel be the one to buy the shipments. That way, when things eventually went south, guess who would take the fall?” His pause is dramatic. “Gabriel.”

My pulse pounds. Blanc set him up. Used him as a pawn.

And when Gabriel realized it?—

When he knew he was going down for this?—

That’s when he snapped.

Claudius steps closer, his voice darkly amused. “And that’s when he did something stupid.”

I force the words through my tightening throat. “He threatened me.”

“Yes. You were Blanc’s weakness. And Gabriel made the mistake of trying to use you against him.” He leans in, voice practically a whisper. “And that’s when Blanc finally made his choice.”

Claudius straightens. His voice turns casual, like he’s discussing the weather.

“Gabriel was on his knees, unarmed, when Blanc pulled the trigger.”

The room spins. I hear the gunshot in my head. The echo of it. The scream Gabriel never got to finish. I clamp a hand over my mouth. Millie lets out a soft, horrified noise.

“I was making my way up the cliff when I heard the shot. The best part? Blanc never even hesitated. He killed my brother without a second thought and turned to me, telling me I was now a member of the Brotherhood and to clean up the mess.”

He lets out a bitter laugh.

“By mess he meant my brother’s brains that were splattered on the rocks. So I did, and then I spun a tale that Gabriel and I were the ones fighting, letting everyone think I was the one who killed him.”

“But why did you do it? Why didn’t you fight Blanc?”

“Fight him?” His voice is calm. “Why would I fight him when I candestroyhim?”

Claudius’ words hang in the air, thick and suffocating.

Why would I fight him when I can destroy him?

A shiver rolls down my spine. Because I believe him. Because I see it in his eyes. This isn’t about justice. This isn’t about exposing the truth. This is about burning Blanc to the ground. And he’s already started the fire.

I force out the words, my voice hoarse. “What have you done?”

Claudius’ smirk deepens. Like I just asked his favorite question. He tilts his head, studying me, his amusement a slow, measured thing.

“It’s already happening, mama.”

“How?”

“I’ve spent years playing the perfect little soldier.” He steps closer, but I don’t move. “But now? I’ve turned their own game against them.”

I swallow hard.

“What does that mean?”

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