Page 115 of Reaper’s Wrath

When I turn to help Michael, I realize that I’m already too late. Ruban is dead.

“Fuck!” The curse explodes past my lips with the force of months of frustration.

“Shit, I’m sorry. I know you needed information from him.” Michael’s out of breath, and blood seeps from his shoulders. He did what he had to do to stay alive. I’m not going to begrudge him for that.

“No, I get it. Your life was more important than interrogating him.”

“We need to see who he called. Whoever it is sounded like they’re on their way here.”

I nod and grab Ruban’s phone from his desk. Luckily, he’s died with his eyes open, so I use the face recognition to open his phone. When I see the contact's name, my blood runs cold.

“Stavros.” I hiss the word like the curse that it is. “How the fuck did he end up paying Ruban to take me out?”

“Who the hell is Stavros?” Michael asks as he wraps his shoulder wounds. He’s too wounded to be of help. He’s going to get himself killed if he sticks around.

“He’s bad news. I’m going to call in reinforcements. You go to Maximus and get stitched up.” I dial Kairos, who answers almost immediately.

“Yeah?”

“You still in the city?”

“I’m up in Harlem.” It’s too far. He won’t make it before Stavros, but he still needs to come.

“I’m going to text you an address. I need you to get here as fast as you can. Stavros is on his way over.”

“I’m on my way.”

I hang up and text him the address, then notice a text come in on Ruban’s phone.

Stavros: I want proof first.

“Shit, okay. Before you go, I need you to take a picture of me.” I swipe some of his blood that smeared onto his hands and wipe it around my temple, then lay on the floor with my hands behind my back as though tied together. “Use his phone and send a photo. Make sure it looks legit.” I close my eyes and wait.

“Done,” Michael says.

I jump up, and we both stare at the screen, waiting.

Stavros: I’ll be there in thirty minutes. Keep him alive.

“This guy has it out for you. Who is he?” Michael asks.

“One of the men who took Kai and me. We’ll handle it. You should go before you bleed out everywhere.”

“I’m not leaving you⁠—”

“Fucking go!” I roar at him, knowing I can’t afford to face Stavros while worrying about a wounded friend. “Please, I need you to go.”

His jaw flexes and strains with dissent, but he eventually nods. “Good luck.”

“Thank you.”

The second he leaves, I search through Ruban’s phone, hunting for information on the trafficking operation. He must be meticulous about deleting records because, after a cursory search, I don’t see any emails or texts containing revealing information.

When this is over, however, I’ll get the phone to experts who may be able to recover more. I use the little time I have left to prepare. I find zip ties and secure Simeon’s hands and feet so that he doesn’t come to at an inopportune moment. I close the office door and hide Ruban’s body behind the desk, tidying the room as best as I can.

Once I’m ready, I stand against the wall next to the door and wait.

The fluorescent lights overhead buzz.