Ruthless Games

There’s silence. He stares me down, like a block of steel. But before I can find the words to argue, there’s a knock.

Nero turns. “Fuck off,” he yells.

“No can do,” the voice answers. “I have answers, on your mole.”

Nero swears under his breath and moves around me to answer the door.

It’s Vance.

“What’s going on?” Nero demands.

Vance glances up at me for a moment before turning his attention to Nero.

“I’ve got a lead,” he says. “My contacts got word, there’s a meet going down. The mole and his handler, dockside off Porter Street, in an hour.”

“How do you know this?” Nero scowls.

“I’ll fill you in on the way. We need to get going.”

Nero doesn’t even look my way as he nods.

“You strapped?” Vance asks.

Nero pauses. “I’ll get my gun.”

He goes through to the office, where I know he keeps a safe. Vance stays in the foyer, watching me. He’s Roman’s man, I remember.

Was he the one who pulled the trigger on my mom?

I look away, chilled. Whatever’s going down tonight, it’s made him restless. He’s got a fancy pen in one hand, and he’s clicking the cap, over and over, like a nervous tic.

Click-click.

Click-click.

Click-click.

“Can you stop that?” I snap.

He narrows his eyes, and puts the pen away, just as Nero strides back out. “Let’s go,” he says harshly. He pauses in the doorway to look back at me. Our eyes meet, and I think he’s going to say something, but he just turns to the guard on the door. “Nobody comes in except me.”

The door slams shut behind them, and I’m left alone.

I sag back. I should be glad for the empty house. Getting away from Nero is what I wanted, but now I find myself anxious all over again about this meet of his.

But I shouldn’t be. His safety is none of my concern.

Except…

There’s something itching in the back of my mind. Something I can’t quite put my finger on. Like song lyrics you go crazy trying to figure out, lurking just out of reach.

I shake it off and go back upstairs to finish packing. Nero’s absence gives me the perfect opportunity to slip out. This time, there’s no going back. I’ll have to completely disappear.

And I’ll have to get Teddy to do the same. He’s still technically in witness protection, so maybe the FBI—

Fuck.

Everything screeches to a halt as the pieces slot together. That damn clicking pen in Vance’s hand that I can’t get out of my head.

I’ve seen it before.

At the hotel, the one where the FBI dragged me for our meeting. I can see it so clearly: Lydia sliding it across the table to me. The same insignia in gold.

I sink down on the bed, my thoughts racing.

Because if Vance has that pen, if he’s been at that hotel… It’s too much to be a coincidence.

He’s the mole. He has to be.

Which means Nero is heading straight into a trap.