Page 127 of Tethered Souls

Ezriel and Enoch don’t need me to find the ledger. They are telekinetic. They could search the whole house from the comfort of their bed. They might need me to get it, but if that was the case, they’d just tell me where it was.

Leno doesn’t want to be Boss. He isn’t keen to have that weight on his shoulders. In all of the coups that have been attempted to overthrow Varius, Leno hasn’t once sided with them.

Rudy. He loves his brother. But he also hates this life, the violence it brings.

Maddox is a little shit, and anyone who wants Marrabelle as a pet is all sorts of messed up. It could be a mere game to screw with me. Cruel but…how far would he go for a laugh?

And then there’s Talon. Does he want the ledger because he wishes to take over? He’s fourth in line though. He’d have to kill Leno and Khalid as well as Varius.

And why now? Why blackmail me after four months?

My fingers drum on the leather of my steering wheel as the car eats up the miles. My rhythm falters as a sudden thought comes to me.

Or is it Sau?

A mother no one would suspect? She loves her kids, and yet...there’s something about what she did to Varius that is not sitting right with me.

I’m an assassin. My profession comes with a lot of people trying to find ways to cheat death, to have a backup plan in case they make a mistake. But not once have I ever heard of a black magic spell that would do what she claims she did.

And how fast would she have needed to work it if Varius had been in as many pieces as she’d claimed? She’s a good healer, but not even necromancers can revive a jigsaw…

“Fuckingdammit,” I growl. We need to figure out who’s behind the number Dayne keeps texting his fake updates to.

If we can figure that out, then I can plant the evidence in their room, make them the prey in their own fucking game.

Or maybe I’ll just kill them so Varius never needs to know about their betrayal. Never needs to know one of his own brothers – or mother wanted to ruin him.

But not kill him.

And that sudden thought makes me pause.

Maybe...maybe this isn’t about the ledger at all. Or even about hurting Varius. Maybe this is about separating the two of us...

My fingers drum faster on the wheel.

I didn’t get the text until we started to be happy.

The ledger is hidden and locked down tight somewhere. I will most likely get caught trying to get it.

But who in his family hatesmethat much?

My chest hurts as I think about any one of them wishing me pain. I like all of them. Have started to see them all as family… Better family than my own.

“Better me than him though,” I murmur as I swallow down my pain.Better me than him.

The wheels of the car turn.

I get closer and closer to home with each rotation.

But it’s suddenly starting to not feel like home…

I pull up onto the garage of the Shadow house. I turn off the car and just sit here for a moment. The hairs on my neck rise as I think about someone coming out to kill me.

Do they want that though? Or do they just want Varius not to trust me? To wedge something between us so we can never have happiness?

But why would that matter to his brothers? Does one have a crush on me?

Or does Sau wish she didn’t pick me after all? Does she think I’m not good enough for her firstborn?