Page 215 of Ruins
I stare at her and her eyes don’t waver from mine. “Miroslav never misses a thing. Not with hisobsession." Her voice drops, almost conspiratorial, before she lifts her chin, feigning indifference. “I suppose Vasilisa’s used to that by now.”
Her words offend me until I catch the rise in her brow and her emphasis on obsessed. She’s giving me a clue, that I immediately put together. I incline my head—just a fraction—in acknowledgment. Her face remains impassive, but her fingers twitch, a small betrayal of tension. I leave the room, locking the door behind me, the key cool in my grip.
Maksim and Vaska are talking by the elevator when I approach.
"Leaving so soon?" Maksim smirks.
"Not yet. Did you check the surveillance at the Popov estate?"
Maksim tilts his head, considering. Vaska answers first. "We grabbed his computer. Footage was wiped."
"The cameras at his residence might have stored data on their memory cards. He could’ve deleted files from the system but not from the source."
Maksim exhales sharply. "He’s as sharp as you, Scythe. He’d know to take those too."
"Maybe. But he left in a hurry—either he was threatened, or he saw the storm coming. When you rush, you make mistakes."
Vaska nods, already moving. "I’ll get a team on it."
"I’ll call Marcus, let him know to expect you at NovaRael," I add. "He and his team can help comb through the footage."
Maksim claps a hand on my shoulder, grinning. "Knew choosing you for Kisa would pay off."
My jaw tightens, but I let it slide.
"Vera told you this?" Maksim asks, more serious now.
"Not outright. But yes."
He mulls it over, expression unreadable. I don’t wait for his next thought—I step into the elevator, already focused on where I need to be.
Home. With my wife.
The city blurs past as I drive, my thoughts fixed on one thing—getting home to Vasilisa. My phone vibrates against the console, Angelo’s name flashing across the screen. I grit my teeth. Whatever this is, it’s about to cost me time with her.
"What." I answer flatly, already irritated.
“You hear Maksim has Vera?”
“I went to see her, Vaska’s pulling memory cards out of the cameras at the Popov estate as we speak.”
“Good, I need a favor.”
“My last favor to the family is sitting at home waiting for me.”
“And what a pretty little favor she is.”
My grip tightens on the wheel. "Watch yourself. What do you want?"
“I need you to take over for a bit,” Angelo says reluctantly.
“Fuck no, why?”
“I can’t say right now, but it will be for a week at most.”
"Not happening. I’m not cutting my time with Vasilisa short."
“You can just bring her around with you, she never leaves that house.”
