Page 101 of Malicious Claim

I hesitated, crafting my next sentences with care. "I'm risking my life for you. Makros already murdered your partner. I don't know how you knew to get out of here, but something tells me you got good instincts Dimitri. You're the only one left."

He muttered a curse on the other end of the line. And then, "Why are you telling me this?"

I clenched my teeth together. "Because I want all the fucking Crete members dead. More than you ever will."

He said nothing, and then, at last, he asked. "Who are you?"

I breathed, my patience was wearing thin. "Leila Crawford. The woman he forced to marry him. The woman whose family he murdered."

This time, the silence was longer. When the spy finally spoke, his tone was unreadable.

"You're either very brave or very stupid."

"Both," I admitted.

He gave a cold laugh. "You actually expect me to believe you're betraying him?"

I leaned forward toward the mic, my tone hardening. "Makros has no idea what I'm doing. He still thinks he has me wrapped under his thumb. That's in my favor."

"More like wrapped around his dick." That was my head spouting foolishness.

There was another pause. Then a sigh. "What do you want?"

I didn't hesitate. "To work for Vincenzo."

The tension shifted. Even over the phone, I could tell that his mistrust ran deeper.

"You're asking for direct access to the man who's been trying to kill Makros for years?" he demanded. "That's a pretty outrageous request."

I gulped. "So what are you going to do?"

An eternity-long pause. Then he replied. "I'll see what I can do."

"No," I pressed. "There's no time for that. I need it right now."

He exhaled sharply. "How do I know you're not being coerced at gunpoint to use me to get to my benefactor?"

I hesitated for half a second and seized the quickest way to cut through his suspicion. "Because if someone was holding a gun to my head, I wouldn't be this desperate. I'd be calm. Careful. Trying not to slip up. None of which I am right now."

A raspberry sound. Another pause. It felt like I had spent several hours in the room, but on the timer it had only been under three minutes and I had no intention of going beyond three minutes.

Finally, with a clear reluctance, he said, "Fine, take down."

I held my breath as he dictated the number.

A second later, the call ended.

My heart was pounding in my chest. I had done it.

I had established contact.

I stepped back, ready to erase my track but simply spun around, my heart stopping.

I didn't know how I knew, but I knew.

Someone was coming.

I barely had time to switch off the phone and slide the keycard before slipping out of the door. I made the turn, attempting to slow down my breathing—And collided headlong with Nicolai.