Page 35 of Devious Truth (Vicious Sinners #3)

“ I van.” Kaz’s voice breaks through the dense fog I’ve been in for the last twenty-four hours.

“Yeah?” I bring my glass to my lips.

The adrenaline of dealing with Devon has finally worn off. Exhaustion has set in.

The door shuts softly as he enters. “Joann said you were in here.”

He stops short when he gets close enough to see the blood splattered over my face, hands, and clothes.

“Fuck. Is any of that yours?”

“No.” I finish the brandy in my glass, disappointed that it’s done nothing to soften my mood. “What do you want?”

“Rurik’s guy, Sasha, finished going through Kieran’s phone this afternoon. I said I’d bring it by.” He drops the device onto the table beside me. “There’s been no contact between Kieran and Declan in the last three months.”

I look up from my drink, surprised. “None?”

“No. He said it looks like the device was only activated three months ago as well.”

“So, it’s not his real phone?”

“Or, he swapped to an untraceable when he came to town. Artem found where he’s been staying. A shit hole, run down, paid his rent in cash.”

“He’s been in hiding.” I take my empty glass to the wet bar in the corner of my office and pour another drink. Then I think better and make it a double.

“Looks like.” Kaz folds his arms over his chest. “Did you get anything from the asshole who took Caroline? You were down there for a long time.”

When Artem and his team dragged Devon down into the pit beneath Obsidian, I had him tied up and left in the dark.

The first twelve hours he’d been able to hold onto his fake bravado.

He threw threats out into the stillness of the pit.

But when I finally went to him and threw on the lights and he got a good look at the thick metal hook hanging from the center of the room, he changed his tune.

“You know, it shouldn’t surprise me how easily a man folds when he sees his death in front of him.

But I still am.” I take a long sip, letting the crisp burn of the whisky hold my control intact.

“He offered everything he could, hoping we’d spare him.

Told me where two other houses are. Told me Kieran offered him easy pickings. ”

I pause to down the rest of my drink in two large gulps.

“Caroline wasn’t the target?”

“No. Kieran told him about Vee, that she was mine. Devon, in all his stupidity, thought if he got hold of her it would score him points with the DeAngelos. Guess he’s been working for Michael for a while but hasn’t made much of a name for himself.”

“Then how’d he end up with Caroline?”

“Caroline introduced herself to him at that bar. He knew she was there with Vee. At some point he figured a friend of Vee’s would be good enough.

” I pick up the whisky bottle and pour another two fingers.

“I couldn’t understand him that well toward the end.

There was a lot of choking on blood, and it got hard for him to talk after I had his tongue removed. ”

“You going to drink that whole bottle?” He asks as I sink back into my chair, the bottle in one hand my glass in the other.

“I’m thinking about it,” I mutter, swirling the liquor before taking a slow sip.

The burn helps. A little.

“You haven’t mentioned Vee.” He points out, sounding casual, but I know my brother. There’s an edge beneath the question.

“Lev texted. He said he dropped her at her apartment without a problem. There’re eyes on her apartment and two men on the street. She hasn’t left her apartment since.” I lift a shoulder.

“Lev mentioned she seemed confused that he didn’t bring her back here.”

I swirl the liquid in my glass, watching the amber catch the lighting. “She’ll be fine.”

He drops his arms to his sides, titling his head, searching my expression like he’s been asked some question that he can’t understand.

“You don’t care all of a sudden?” he snaps.

I take a long sip, letting the burn settle into my chest. “Caring got me in this mess in the first place. Maybe your way is better. One-night stands, playmates, none of this shit happens when you fuck ’ em and leave ’ em.”

A beat of silence passes between us. It’s heavy, weighted.

“She was crying,” he says quietly. “Lev said she was quiet, but he saw the tears.”

My fingers tighten around the glass. I don’t ask if he means from fear or pain or something else. I don’t ask because I’m not sure I want to know.

I’m not sure I don’t already know.

“She’s not your responsibility,” I say, setting my glass down harder than I mean to.

“No,” he agrees. “But she is yours.”

“I don’t need a lecture from you on responsibility.”

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“Our sister has been staying with you for the last two months, and you didn’t know she dropped out of school? She’s obviously seeing someone behind our backs, but you don’t know or seem to give a fuck who it is.” My voice raises as I get to my feet.

“Elana isn’t a child. I didn’t push about her classes because when shit really goes down in her life, she comes to me. And she does that because she knows I’m not going to get crazy on her. She needs one of us to look out for her without crushing her.”

I put a hand up. This isn’t about our little sister. Nothing about the pain crushing my ribs has to do with my brothers or Elana, or anyone else for that matter.

It has everything to do with a woman sitting miles away from me in her tiny apartment, wondering if I’m going to call, if I’m going to show up at her door, or if I’ve given up on her.

“It’s late.”

He eyes me. “If you’re not going deal with her, then you need to let her go.”

“What?” I grip the neck of the whiskey bottle until my knuckles ache.

“You heard me. If you’re done, let her go.”

“Get the fuck out of my house.” I rage, stumbling slightly.

“Yeah.” He shakes his head. “That’s what I thought.”

He leaves, his steps slow and deliberate, like he’s not at all intimidated by my anger. The door clicks shut behind him, too soft for how loud everything feels in my chest.

I stand there, gripping the bottle like it’s the only thing keeping me tethered to this world. My reflection stares back at me from the darkened window, hollow eyed, jaw tight, blood splatter covering me. I look every bit the monster I am.

She’s lost more than her fair share in her life. People she loved were ripped away from her, leaving deep scars on her heart. She risked everything giving me a chance—giving us a chance.

I’ve repaid her with silence, with distance instead of understanding and love.

I could lose the only good thing I never deserved to begin with. Maybe it’s for the best. Men like me, in my world— we don’t deserve happily ever afters.