Page 137 of Fallen Empire

But the longer I sat with it, the more it twisted in my gut.

In Aleksei’s eyes, this wasn’t a message for Jaxson at all.

It was a message to him—one he didn’t even know who had delivered.

And now he was flailing, leaving bodies in his wake, threats hanging in the air, and blood on his hands as he scrambled to figure out who was coming for him.

He thought it might be Jaxson, and hoped throwing her in here with me would force the truth out. After all, Jaxson had already cost him millions, shut down Sinclair, and burned everything Bruce built, according to him.

And yet, here he was. Lost in a war where he didn’t even know who the real enemy was.

And that was the part he couldn’t stand, the not knowing.

But while Aleksei was slipping deeper, Jaxson was already in the game.

Already making moves.

I wasn’t sure Jaxson fully understood the type of man he was dealing with, but that didn’t mean he was idle. If he’d sent this woman out on some mission, then Ben and Nic were damn sure in on it, too.

The realization hit fast, crashing into me all at once: Jaxson was trying to stop Aleksei—quietly, carefully—moving pieces into place before anyone realized there was a strategy.

I know Jaxson would never intend for this to happen, but maybe he didn’t realize the game he was playing yet.

She had become a pawn.

Sacrificed before she ever had the chance to reach the other side of the board.

But Aleksei… he was guessing. Reaching.

And that little bit of knowledge meant I actually held more power than he thought.

If I could hold my nerve, just long enough to use that… maybe I could shift the balance.

Maybe I wasn’t just a hostage.

Maybe I was a variable.

So I gave him the one thing I knew he couldn’t ignore.

One thing I already knew was a fact he wouldn’t try to deny.

“She said you’re Russian Mafia.”

The silence that followed wasn’t empty. It was charged.

“Liar.” His voice turned lethal, but the way he said it… there was something underneath.

Fear.

“I’m not lying,” I answered calmly. “She didn’t say your name. Just said, ‘He’s Russian Mafia.’ That was all shecouldsay.” I paused, letting it hang in the air as I let out a deep breath. “Even if she wanted to say more... she’s dead.”

I let the words sink in before adding, “And if that’s true, and judging by the state you left her in—it is, then I don’t understand what you want with Savannah.”

It wasn’t just a challenge. It was bait, a statement he’d already explained earlier. And he took it.

“I already told you,” he snapped. “It isn’t just about her.”

His tone changed. It was darker now, bitter.