Page 118 of Devious Corruption

The taller of the two rubs his palms together.

Elana lowers her eyes to the table setting in front of her.

“Marco.” The man sitting beside her, Tony, I assume, tries to get up, but the taller of the new men puts his hand up.

“Quiet, Tony. Just stay still.” He walks across the room to the table and pulls out a chair beside Elana. “Here. The Russian bitch can sit here.”

My muscles tighten.

“She’s not Russian.” Joey says, but he nudges me forward to the chair. “Just sit, Max. It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.”

“What have you done, Joey?” I ask him as I sink into the chair.

Before he can answer me, Keith grabs him by the arm and pulls him to stand along the wall behind me.

I twist, needing to see them, needing to try and figure out what’s happening. And why.

Why would they bring me here?

A gentle hand grips mine, squeezing lightly until I turn back around.

Elana gives a weak smile. “Hey.”

“Elana. What’s going on?”

“Yes, Elana. Why don’t you enlighten everyone about what’s happening here.” A sick grin twists Marco’s lips as he comes to the table. The shorter version of him follows behind, his expression bland.

Like this is any other ordinary day. Nothing strange here. Just five people sitting at a table looking like they’re waiting for the executioner to arrive.

The two men sitting across the table from us don’t meet my eyes. They keep their focus on the center of the table. Where a photograph of a young woman, dark hair and eyes. She’s tied to a pole, her clothes in tatters. One breast hangs loose through a tear in her dress. A bruise covers her left cheek. Makeup ruined by tears stains her face.

They both stare at it.

“Oh, that?” Marco reaches for the photo and lifts it, smiling with satisfaction at it before dropping it back on the table. “That’s Ani. His daughter.” He jerks his chin toward the man sitting across from me.

The older of the two men snaps his eyes to Marco’s, anger brews there, but fear as well. And it’s the terror that is filling the air. It’s rolling off the older man as well.

“You assholes really thought you could go behind my back.” Marco flattens his hands on the table, shaking his head like he’s shocked.

“Marco. Let the women go,” Tony says from beside Elana. “This is between us.”

“No. Not quite,” He sneers. “You, little brother, dragged poor Ani into it when you went to the Armenians. And then you dragged Milo Brankovich in, thinking you were going to be a big man with all the deals to make.”

I look around the room. There’s just us, no one else, so where are they? Where are these other people he’s talking about?

“Well, we took care of them already.” He stands up, slapping his hands together. “Now we just have you.”

Elana squeezes my hand. “I’m so sorry,” she whispers.

I hold her tight. “Why are we here?”

“You.” Marco snaps his fingers and points to my brothers. “Did he follow?”

Keith is the first to speak up. “One of his men was there, I’m sure he let Lev know. He followed us in the car, probably still outside. Afraid to come in.”

It hits me. I’m the bait.

“You brought me here to lure Lev?” I accuse Keith.