Page 155 of Cruel Romeo

Lev’s shifty act could mean nothing. He could be worried about his own fucking business, or even just about the meeting.

But if he’s really compromised, that means Sima wasn’t lyingto me. She told me the truth about Anatoli’s plans and Lev’s involvement in them.

Which means she might have been telling the truth aboutallof it.

She swore she knew nothing about Dimitri’s attack. That she had no idea what I was talking about. She said she hasn’t been in contact with her family since the day she ran, except for her chance meeting with two of her brothers.

I treated her like a liar, but the truth is, I don’t know. All I have are my suspicions and the odd timing of the attempt on my brother’s life.

But if she really had nothing to do with it…

I don’t want to think about the implications of that possibility. The things I said to her are still fresh in my mind. The look on her face, too, when I told her I’d known all along who she was. I played the villain just so she wouldn’t have the satisfaction of thinking she’d won.

But if she never betrayed me, then she was never playing a part at all.

I shove those doubts as deep as they’ll go. I did what I had to; I’m in the right. Protecting Dimitri takes precedence, always.

If there’s even the slightest chance Sima might be in league with her family, then I have to act accordingly.

For my brother’s sake.

But that certainly slips with every second that ticks by.

Finally, Lev pulls into a spot at the far end of the docs. He kills the engine and turns to me.

“This is where Anatoli wants to meet,” he says, like he’s practiced the words a thousand times. “Neutral ground.”

I lean back in my seat for a long moment, eyes fixed on the dark water. Then I turn to face him. “Tell me again how exactly Anatoli’s man reached you.”

Lev blinks. The glow from the dash lights up his face just enough for me to see it drain. “What do you mean?”

“We aren’t on speaking terms with the Danilo men. If one really had approached you, you would have shot first, asked questions later. That’s our policy.” I level him with my gaze. “Cut the bullshit, Lev. I’m not in the mood for more lies.”

“I’m not?—”

“How long have you been working for Anatoli?”

His mouth opens, shuts. He grips the wheel tighter. “It’s not like that.”

“Then tell me what it’s like. Because, from where I’m standing, Anatoli suddenly trusts you enough to send you his messenger, and you trusted him enough to let him talk. That means you rolled on me.”

Lev swallows hard. “You’ve got it wrong.”

“Is that right?” I lean closer. “You can’t even fucking look at me.”

“That’s not fair.”

“What’s not fair is that you’ve been compromised for God knows how long, and you didn’t even have the courtesy of betraying me to my face.” My tone sharpens. “That’s right. I know.”

“You don’t underst?—”

“Iknow,Lev.”

For once, he doesn’t bother denying it.

Good. I’ve had enough of being insulted tonight.

“You’ve been feeding the Danilos intel.” Even in the dim light, I can see his face pale as I speak. “Maybe scraps, maybe more. But you’ve been in bed with them. I want to know how far back it goes.”