“What's the real target?”
“I don't know. I swear. But it's big. He's been moving pieces into place. Getting people inside. Building networks.” More coughing. “He's patient. Willing to wait years if he has to.”
“Years for what?”
“To destroy the crown. That's what he says in the messages. Not just kill. Destroy. Make it so broken it can never recover.”
Sebastian's hand settled on my shoulder. “Viktor. That's enough. He doesn't know more.”
“He might be lying.”
“He's not. Look at him. He's telling the truth. He's just a foot soldier. They don't tell foot soldiers the real plans.”
I looked at the man. Broken. Bleeding. Barely conscious. Sebastian was right. He'd given us everything he had.
We couldn't let him go. He'd seen our faces. Heard our voices. Could identify us if Ghost Zero found him first.
And Ghost Zero would find him. Would torture him for what he'd told us. Would know that the prince and his bodyguard were hunting together.
Would know we'd crossed every line that should've kept us separate.
I drew my weapon. Fitted the suppressor. The threading was smooth. Familiar. I'd done this before. More times than I wanted to count.
“Wait.” Sebastian's hand caught my wrist. Firm. “Wait.”
I looked at him. “He is liability. He knows too much.”
“He's also barely conscious. Broken. Not going anywhere.” Sebastian crouched in front of the man. “What's your name?”
The man's eyes opened slightly. Unfocused. “Thomas.”
“Thomas what?”
“Miller. Thomas Miller.” His voice was barely a whisper. “Please. I have a daughter. She's eight. I just. I just needed the money. Her mother's sick. Medical bills. I didn't know what else to do.”
The words hit different than I expected. Made him human instead of just target. Made this complicated in ways I didn't want.
Sebastian's expression shifted. Something in his eyes changed. “What's her name? Your daughter.”
“Riley.” Thomas coughed. Blood on his lips. “She likes horses. Wants to ride them when she grows up. Tell her. Tell her I'm sorry I couldn't be better.”
“You're going to tell her yourself.” Sebastian stood. Looked at me. “Put the gun away.”
“Sebastian—”
“Put it away, Viktor.”
I didn't move. “He is witness. He can identify us. If Ghost Zero finds him?—”
“Then we make sure Ghost Zero doesn't find him.” Sebastian pulled out his phone. “Call Adrian. Tell him we need extraction. Someone who can take Thomas somewhere safe. Medical attention. Protection.”
“This is mistake.”
“Maybe. But it's my mistake to make.” Sebastian's jaw set. Stubborn. Final. “I'm not killing a man in front of his daughter's name. Not for this. Not when there's another option.”
I stared at him. At this prince who'd just helped torture a man for information but drew the line at execution. Who could be ruthless when necessary but chose mercy when possible.
“Adrian will not be happy about this,” I said.
