Page 98 of Ruthless

He glanced down at his watch. “In just a few hours, the stress of everyone thinking he’s guilty of treason will be too much for the old man to handle. Our poor, dear uncle will suffer a fatal heart attack.”

“Surely you can see that people will question how all of this could have happened. You won’t look innocent.”

“Of course I will. We’ve pulled together enough proof to show that Jacques, our father’s brother and closest advisor, was behind everything. Since he’ll be dead, he won’t be able to prove otherwise.” He gave her a beatific smile. “We have it all planned out. I even got shot to make me look extra innocent. Hurt like hell, but it was worth it.”

And she was incredibly sorry the assassin hadn’t messed up and taken his head off instead.

“Why have Chloe killed? You weren’t even married anymore. She was no longer part of the family.”

“I decided she’d lived with me a little too long. I think she might’ve suspected something. Couldn’t take the chance. Besides, did you know she was planning to marry some jackass from the US? She was just one more domino that I needed to fall.”

All those lives destroyed because of one monster’s blind ambition.

“The millions that you talked about. Who are they?”

“That’s not something you really need to be concerned with. You won’t be around to see what happens.”

“What does that mean?”

“Dirk has some scores to settle with you.” His eyes gleamed brighter as he added, “Not sure you’ll live through it.”

“He’s here?”

“Oh yes. He’s waiting just outside the door.”

“You know you won’t get away with this, don’t you?”

“Come on, Lina. You’ve been watching too many detective shows. We’ve already gotten away with it. That giant friend of yours—what’s his name? Gideon? We thought we’d taken care of him by pinning Clement’s murder on him. That was Dirk’s idea.”

“But Gideon had an alibi.”

Alex grimaced. “Yeah.”

“Why kill Clement? Did he work for you?”

“He worked for Dirk on and off as a snitch. Was never very reliable. But when Clement called Dirk and told him Wright had threatened to kill him, it was too good an opportunity to pass up.”

“And it was all for nothing.”

“Not really. The guy was a creep. But we’ve taken care of Gideon permanently this time.”

Her stomach and heart plummeted, but she kept her expression neutral as she said, “What are you talking about?”

“A few hours after you left your little hideout in the Alps, an elite group of killers paid him a visit. He’s lying in a pool of blood as we speak.”

No, that wasn’t true. She refused to consider the possibility. Gideon would have figured out what was going on. He wouldn’t have been caught off guard. She knew that as well as she knew that once she’d learned all she could, she would be bringing these monsters down.

Telling Alex that she had been putting down diseased animals like him and his perverted friend for years would have been satisfying but wouldn’t work with her plan. She would keep that to herself until she struck.

“Well. Nice knowing you, sis. Not.” With a grin and a small salute, he walked away, punched in a series of numbers on the keypad, and opened the door.

She didn’t bother to reply. He wasn’t important right now. First, she would focus on the man who sauntered inside, stopping for a brief moment to exchange quiet words with his friend before heading her way.

A smug grin on his ugly face, Dirk Bennett drawled, “Hello, Lina. Long time no see.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

She was in Marseille, France. While Gideon had been occupied with keeping the helicopter in the sky, Serena had been able to pinpoint Eve’s exact location: a new, as-yet-unoccupied office building on the outskirts of Marseille. One eye on the night sky and the other on the blip on his phone, Gideon zoomed toward his destination. Coincidentally, the building belonged to a wealthy American industrialist named Franco Bass.