Page 39 of Devious Truth (Vicious Sinners #3)

T he door creaks open with a hiss of old hinges. Heat rolls out like breath from a dragon, thick and pungent. The air inside is suffocatingly thick.

“Mr. Yakovlev.” Danny Thoms, the owner of the private crematorium, stands beside the furnace.

The casket sits in wait on the cremation rollers.

“Danny. Thank you for opening the doors to us this late in the evening,” I say as we approach the casket.

“Of course. Anytime you need.” He shakes my hand, then turns to Ivan.

“Mr. Nowak here is ready to go. Once you’ve finished, just press this large button over here.

The door will open, and the casket will be rolled inside on its own.

Everything is fully automated. Once the door shuts, the heat begins.

It’s a fast burn; everything should be done in three hours. ”

“I appreciate your help.” Ivan slides his hand into his pocket. “I’ll have my men waiting until it’s complete, to be certain everything has been taken care of.”

“Of course. I’ll be in my office, just on the other side of that door and down the hall. We have an excellent ventilation system. Your men shouldn’t have to deal with any unpleasant odors.”

“You can trust this guy?” Ivan pulls out a small purple velvet bag from his pocket.

“Danny’s done a lot of work with us in the past. He’s solid.” I step around Ivan to the front of the casket. Danny’s already used the key to release the lid.

Ivan steps to my side, peering inside the casket.

“Fuck. How old was this guy?” Ivan keeps his voice down.

“Just put the damn thing in. I hate this part.” I look back at Ivan’s men standing at the entrance we came through.

“You’re creeped out by a dead body?” Ivan laughs.

“It’s different when they’re like this.”

“Like what? He’s dead, just as dead as anyone you’ve put your bullet through.”

“It’s different.” I gesture toward the opening. “Are you going to do what we came to do or what?”

He shakes his head a little, then drops the velvet bag onto Mr. Nowak’s stomach, just above where his hands are clasped.

“This gets rid of it, right?” Ivan asks for the third time since I gave the suggestion of bringing the unwanted ring to Danny’s.

“There won’t be anything left of it.” I drop the lid back in place. “Besides, we already confirmed Declan’s not an issue.”

Ivan nods. “I’d still like to be sure this thing can’t come back to haunt Vee.”

“It won’t.” My phone vibrates from my back pocket.

“Something wrong?” Ivan questions when I’m silent too long, staring at my phone.

Anger boils just beneath my skin.

“I have to go.” I walk around the casket to the large red button and punch it with the side of my fist.

“You need some help?” he calls as I hurry toward the exit.

“No.” I can handle this on my own.

I should have handled it already.

“What’s happening?”

“She was arrested!” I yell, more to get the rage out than to inform him.

“Nicolette?”

I stop at the door, long enough to text back orders on what to do with the unruly woman until I can get there.

“No. Maxine.”

The End

Vicious Sinners continues with Book Four, Devious Corruption…