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“How the fuck could something like this happen?” I rage, my fists clenching. I want to kill someone. Whoever is responsible for this is going to pay with their fucking life. And I know for sure it’s not fuckingGarret - he’s already rotting in a shallow grave. But whoever he was working with is not.This thing runs too deep. Too fucking deep for me to see who it leads to. But I’m about to find out.
I brush the sense of dread clenching my gut aside. Somehow I feel like my world is about to collapse, but I don’t have time to think about that right now.
“I’m still trying to figure it out, but it seems the men who missed dinner last night were the only ones left awake,” Ludis says and I focus on his words. It makes sense why Sergei and the men with him aren’t asleep.
“What about you?” I ask Ludis, narrowing my eyes.
“I was busy with the assignments you gave me. I followed a lead with some of the men. By the time we got back, the kitchen was closed,” he replies. “You?”
His question could be viewed as impudent, but I don’t have time for displays of authority.
“I skipped it.” I shrug, not going into further detail. My food was sent to my room, but I didn’t eat because I’d overheard Aurora’s call. It ended up with me spending the night in her bed.
Another thing I don’t have time to dwell upon now. I want to punish the traitor in our midst. I don’t want to imagine what would have happened if I hadn’t sent Sergei and the others out. I’m thinking of this when my men file in.
“Boss, we took them out. We got seven down. The remaining three escaped,” one of them says. I nod before I face Ludis.
“We need to get to the bottom of this,” I tell him. “Get the house workers together. Kitchen staff at the front of the queue. I want to know who prepared that meal and who had access to the food.”
“On it.” Ludis is already leaving the room as he calls back his reply. The other men follow, and I’m left with my thoughts.
Rage fills me as I pace the living room, trying to wrap my head around what’s just gone down.
My mind starts racing as I imagine what would have happened if I had eaten dinner. I’m still on this when Ludis knocks on the door. I glare at him, wondering what he is doing here after I’ve given him an assignment.
“What is it?” I ask him, and he gives me an uncertain look about whatever he wants to say.
“Boss…” He pauses, and I aim a hard stare at him as I wait for him to go on. “I think we found the person responsible.”
“Someone from the kitchen?” I press when he lingers longer than my patience can tolerate. He shifts awkwardly, not meeting my eye.
“I checked the cameras and I’m afraid you’re not going to like the answer, Boss,” Ludis says. I feel myself go tense. It’s as if the sense of dread about the end of my world is slamming its claws into my gut.
“Who is it?” I ask, wondering why he was checking camera footage when my instructions were quite clear.
But my doubts fade away as he opens his mouth to speak again. And then I drop into a chair heavily as the enormity of his words sink in. My breath rushes out of me. A heavy silence descends on us for several seconds.
“You sure?” is all I can say, barely recognizing the hoarse rasp of my voice. The brief snap of his head is all the answer I need, but I still can’t believe it.
No.
It can’t be true…
My heart shatters as I look at the images he’s placed in front of me. It’s the end I’ve been secretly dreading. I knew I should never have gotten so close.
But it’s too late to turn back now.
