Page 56 of Dangerous Promises

This is just what the house felt like right after he died. Littered with memories of him that I carefully filed away. But this place… Well, it's as if he could've been here yesterday. Asif he just walked out the door and I've only missed him by a minute.

"This part isn't Chet," I say. "It's my brother."

Every document in this room is intel he gathered in order to betray the DeMarcos and hand Sage over to Chet. Freddie drops the papers and for once, the attitude, watching me with something that looks like pity. Whatever it is, I hate it.

"Your brother?" Freddie asks, finally taking this in. "This was supposed to be a Chet outpost."

"Maybe it still is," I say, grinding my teeth. "They worked together after all. All this information is useless now though. Vic already used it all to get close to you. To try and..."

I don't have to say anymore to make him get it.

I can't decide whether to break down in pain or anger at the picture this room paints for me. More secrets. More of my brother doing the wrong thing. For fuck's sake, Vic. So much hiding.

I want his revenge.

But I can't stay in this room without seeing every part of my brother that deserved everything he got. And the guilt from thinking that makes me want to vomit.

I stomp out of the room with Freddie close on my heels.

"Rushkoff do you-"

"No," I say, stopping him short.

"We should find Sage and Isla," Freddie says. I scoff, not particularly caring about Sage and not particularly worrying about Isla.

"Let's just get out of here, this is a bust," I say.

We head up the stairs, Fallon following close behind me, and I resist the urge to look again at the space my brother kept from me.

With every step I walk away, I wish that I could burn that room and erase every bad thing he ever did.

Once again, I wish that I could have changed his fate.

Chapter

Twenty-Two

Sage

It didn't seem like there was much to find when Isla and I first slipped through the back door. It wasn't until we made our way upstairs that it was clear we'd just missed a little gathering of Chet's men.

Isla has all the smarts, I'll admit, and she's the one that guesses it's been a week or two since they abandoned this place. Through my eyes, I can only see the signs once she points them out. The sleeping bags on the floor with a light spur of dust over the top. The flame lantern that's cold and turned on its side. Empty food cans creating trip hazards.

It gives me the creeps.

I'll take her word for it but to me it feels like they could be back here at any second.

A rat scurries across the floor and I jump, dropping my flashlight as Isla chuckles at me. If a rat scurrying across the floor scares the shit out of me I'm not sure what I was thinking coming here. Or making a death promise.

I bend down to pick up my flashlight.

The floor creaks behind me, and I grab my flashlight, shrieking when I turn to find a face illuminated in front of me.

A familiar chuckle has my lip curling as I recognize the jet black hair, stormy eyes and mischievous smirk. Alexei laughs as he steps around me and I grab my chest to try and calm my breathing. Freddie is right behind him, a smirk on his face that I'll kill him for later.

"Seems like it was busy here," Freddie says, stepping over the sleeping bags on the floor.

"I'd guess we've missed them by about a week," Isla states, repeating what she told me earlier.