Page 61 of Captive Promise

I sigh and knock away the document in irritation. God, I’m tired.

There’s a knock at the door and I snap my head up. Who on earth…?

“Enter,” I say in my most commanding voice.

My lieutenant comes in, holding a sealed envelope in his hands.

I eye it curiously but also dread sits low in my stomach. I can already tell this won’t be good news.

My lieutenant places the envelope on my desk, waits for me to nod, then he swiftly turns around and leaves.

Standing up, I cross the room and quickly lock the door before I stare at the envelope as if it’s a ticking time bomb.

I sit back down heavily and break the seal on the envelope with my thumb.

A single sheet of folded paper falls out and I examine it.

There’s no letterhead or signature. I unfold it and I start reading.

Russo is down to two names. Here’s where he stands on each one:

1. Stefan Vukovic. Serbian. You used him once, three years back, for a weapons deal that had nothing to do with any of this. Russo’s people are looking at him, but his network’s too small to have pulled off an extraction this clean. He’ll probably get cleared in 5–7 days.

2. You. Russo’s people have identified two of your three guys from the extraction. Dino was one before they got to him. Gio and Raul are now in hiding after Dino’s death. Capturing Dino was how they started pulling the thread toward you in the first place. He doesn’t have hard proof yet but is building toward it. Assume he already has eyes on you. If not now, within 72 hours.

My stomach drops out from under me as I read the letter’s contents then read it again and again.

Fuck me.

One line of text between me and a Serbian gun dealer I barely remember.

I’m on my feet before I decide to stand up.

“Fuck,” I say out loud to the empty room. I push a hand back through my hair and start walking the length of the office, back and forth, because sitting is not an option anymore.

Dino didn’t break.

I glance at the letter again and pause by the window. They had Dino for over an hour and he didn’t break. I know exactly what that hour looked like. I saw what was left of him on that slab. And he still didn’t give me up.

“You son of a bitch, Dino,” I whisper to myself as I grip the window sill. “You fucking son of a bitch.” I shake my head in disbelief. He held onto the one thing that mattered and it didn’t even save his life. And it’s not going to buy me much time either. Russo doesn’t need a confession. He’s already circling.

I look back down at the page. Assume he already has eyes on you. If not now, within 72 hours.

Meaning they could already be watching this house. Watching me. Maybe they were watching me in the kitchen when I fucked Katerina on the counter.

Katerina.

The thought of Russo’s people anywhere near Katerina makes my blood run cold.

Then hot.

My hand isn’t quite steady when I reach for the desk lighter.

I’ve already memorized the required information anyway and I can’t risk anyone stumbling upon the contents.

Especially since Katerina has proven herself to be nosy.

I glance at the letter again.