Page 144 of Konstantin

“Then what the hell is going on? It can’t be worse than me being framed for Tim’s murder.”

“Debatable…”

“Alright, Em, you’re scaring me. Tell me what the fuck is going on.”

My gaze drifts toward my bodyguards, stationed on the benchyards away, watching me closely. I whisper the next words, just loud enough for him to hear.

“I’ve had Riley help me try to clear your name, and I found out some shit.”

“Em,” Nate interrupts, the frustration sticking to his throat. “I told you, I don’t want you doing this shit for me. How many times do I have to tell you to let it go? Whatever happens, I’ve made peace with it.”

“Well, I haven’t. I’m gonna get you off, because you didn’t do it.”

“I know,” he says, the fatigue in his tone matching mine. “The lawyer will help me. Gerardo set me up with a good one and?—”

“Wait,” I cut him off. “Did you sayGerardogot you one?”

“Yeah…why?”

The pulse in my head thuds, the words feeling like a slap to my face. “I thought you had a state lawyer.”

“I did. But he got me a better one. What the hell is this about?”

I pinch the bridge of my nose, struggling to breathe. I can’t hold this back anymore.

“This is hard.”

“Just say it. Whatever it is, I can handle it. You know that.”

I swallow hard. “When Riley was digging into things, she found a connection between your partner and the Russians, and also some small-time gang called the DeLuca crew. Ever heard of them?”

“Yeah, I have…” He pauses, the realization starting to hit him. “Wait, are you saying Tim was dirty?”

“Yeah, Nate. He was definitely dirty.”

“Shit…” He huffs, his frustration clear. “I never saw him do anything shady.”

I exhale slowly, gathering my thoughts. “There’s more.”

“Yeah?”

“Gerardo, he?—”

“No.” Nate interrupts sharply. “Don’teven go there.”

But I have to. He has to understand the depravity of the situation.

“Believe me, this is just as hard for me to say as it is for you to hear, but you have to know the truth, Nate.”

There’s a long silence, like he’s giving me permission to go on.

“Riley found payments to Gerardo from the DeLucas, stretching back years—and not small amounts, either. He’s been hiding evidence for them and using the system to protect them for a long time.”

For what feels like an eternity, there’s nothing but silence on the other end of the line. I can’t hear him breathing, can’t hear him moving, just the steady hum of my own thoughts filling the quiet. Then, finally, his voice breaks through, sharp and full of disbelief.

“There’s no way, Em. No damn way!”

“I know this is hard to accept. Trust me, it’s tearing me apart. But it’s the truth. I had hypnotherapy to unlock that memory from when I was a kid, and it was him, Nate.”