Page 146 of Filthy Lies

Arkady doesn’t move, doesn’t even look at me. “This doesn’t concern you, Rowan.”

“That’s my husband! Of course it fucking concerns me.”

Vince’s eyes never leave his best friend’s. He’s strangely tranquil, like this is just another day. “Tell her,” he urges Arkady. “Tell her why you’re about to put a bullet in my brain.”

Arkady’s hand trembles. “Andrei has my family. My sister. My niece and nephews.” His voice cracks. “He said if I don’t kill Vince tonight, he’ll make me watch while he— while he—” He can’t finish the sentence.

“And you believe him?” I manage to spit out over my disbelief. “You think after you’ve murdered his son, he’ll just… what? Return your family and let you all live happily ever after?”

“I don’t have a choice!” Arkady roars, gaze still locked on Vince.

“There’s always a choice,” I counter, inching closer. “And putting a bullet in Vince’s head isn’t going to save your family. It’s just going to give Andrei exactly what he wants.”

The gun wavers. Just slightly.

“She’s right,” Vince says. “My father never intended to release them. He’s using them to control you, and once I’m dead, he’ll have no reason to keep them alive.”

The grandfather clock groans past midnight. I watch Arkady’s finger on the trigger.

“If we work together, we can find them,” I promise. “Vince and I, we’ll help you. But you have to lower the gun first.”

Tears stream down Arkady’s face now. “You don’t understand. I’ve tried everything. For months, I’ve been searching—bribing, threatening, torturing—and nothing. It’s like they’ve disappeared off the face of the earth.”

“And Andrei suddenly promises you’ll get them back if you kill me?” Vince scoffs. “Convenient timing, don’t you think? The same day I tell you about the FBI’s ultimatum?”

The pressure on the trigger eases, though only a bit.

“I can’t lose them, Vin,” Arkady whispers. “My niece…”

“What about my daughter?” Vince responds. “Are you going to make her grow up without a father? Make her ask her mother why Uncle Arkady put a bullet in her daddy’s head?”

I take another slow step closer.

“Give me the gun, Arkady,” I say gently. “Let’s figure this out together.”

His eyes finally shift to mine, desperate and pleading. “He’ll kill them.”

“Not if we find them first,” I promise. “But if you pull that trigger, we lose our best chance at stopping Andrei for good.”

A pause.

A long pause.

And then… slowly, infinitesimally… the gun lowers.

I exhale for what feels like the first time since entering the room.

Vince doesn’t move, doesn’t lunge for the weapon or attack Arkady. He just stands there, shoulders sagging slightly with fatigue or relief or both. “We’ll find them,” he says, and despite everything—despite his father’s betrayal, despite Arkady’s gun at his head, despite my own abandonment—there’s conviction in his voice. The same unwavering certainty that once made me believe he could keep us safe from anything.

Arkady hands me the gun, grip first. I take it with shaking hands, flicking the safety on and placing it on the desk between us.

“I’m so sorry,” he chokes out, collapsing into a chair like his strings have been cut. “God, Vin, I’m so fucking sorry.”

Vince crosses to him, places a hand on his shoulder. The gesture of forgiveness is so startlingly gentle it makes my heart constrict painfully.

I watch Vince absorb this fresh betrayal with quiet dignity—his best friend, his brother-in-arms, nearly executed him on his father’s orders.

And yet, there’s no rage, no violent outburst.

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