A beat of silence. Then Robbie asks, “What do you want to know about Milo?”
I set the mug down. “Everything you’ve got.”
Robbie exhales through his nose. “I’ve met him a couple of times… gallery openings, once at the café. Didn’t get great energy from him.Slick. Charming in that fake way. Always smiling like he’s selling something. He’s got money, but he’s insecure. Eddie liked him because he believed in his work, gave him the show. But I never felt like he had his best interests at heart. More like he was…convenient. A shiny new toy to parade around.”
I sip the tea again, letting his words settle. Milo. Nervous at the gallery, sweating when I leaned on him. The building deal. The ambush right after.
Coincidence? Maybe.
But I don’t believe in coincidences.
“Thanks,” I say. “That helps.”
Robbie finishes his tea, sets the mug in the sink. “Good. Anyway… I’m going to bed. But before I do…” He hesitates, cheeks flushing slightly. “Thanks for the spanking earlier. I probably needed it. But I know it’s just you and Eddie. That’s cool.”
I chuckle—quiet, genuine. “Good night, Robbie,” I say.
We might not be friends just yet, but I can see that he’s a good boy who definitely has Eddie’s best interests at heart. Unlike Milo.
He disappears down the short hallway, door clicking shut behind him.
I carry my mug to the small kitchen table, sit, and watch Eddie sleep. The city noise filters through the window—distant horns, a siren far off—but in here it’s quiet. Peaceful. He’s turned slightly in his sleep, one hand curled under his chin, lips parted.
I finish the tea, set the mug down.
The end game is drawing in ever closer. There’s no escaping the fact that everything is coming up to boil. But when it’s over, I need to ensure that I’m the last man standing.
I didn’t get my reputation as the Devil of Downtown for nothing.
And perhaps now it’s time to remind everyone exactly where that reputation came from…
Chapter 17
Eddie
“Wakey wakey!” Robbie says, his voice distant but close at the same time. “Time to rise sleepy head!”
I open my eyes. Sunlight filters through the thin curtains of Robbie's small living area, pulling me from a deep, dreamless sleep.
I stretch, feeling the throw blanket slide against my skin, and for a moment, everything feels normal—safe, even.
“W-w-w-what time is it?” I ask, the whole weight of the situation suddenly crashing down on me. “And where’s Da… I mean, Viktor?”
I roll over, spotting a note on the light stand.
Folded white paper, my name scrawled in bold, precise handwriting. Viktor's…
My Darling Little One,
Gone to handle business. Back later, hopefully lunch time. You must go with Robbie to the cafe. But do not leave the premisesuntil you hear from me. Alexander will be there, keeping watch. Be good or you know what happens…
Yours, D.
I read it twice, fingers tracing the letters.Be good.It sends a small shiver through me—part warning, part warmth. He's trusting me, sort of.
But Alexander watching? That's less reassuring.
Still, the cafe means coffee, cakes, a chance to breathe city air without running for my life. Or it does in theory. And I don’t quite know why Viktor is suddenly so keen for me to be out and about. Still, what choice do I have but to trust his judgement. We’ve come this far, after all.
