“I believed my sister wouldn’t lie to me.”
The simplicity of that response has more impact than bravado.
“If this man is connected to the individuals who assaulted you tonight,” I continue carefully, “then your sister is involved with organized crime.”
He studies my face, searching for anger, threat, or accusation, finding none.
“You think she’s mixed up in something shady?” he says slowly.
“I know she’s not at home.”
His head lifts sharply.
“What do you mean?”
“She’s unreachable.”
The metal legs of his chair scrape slightly against the concrete as he leans forward despite the pain.
“What do you meanunreachable?”
“She hasn’t been located,” I answer matter-of-factly.
The color drains from his face.
“She told me she had it handled,” he repeats, his voice thinner now. “She wouldn’t disappear. She’s not irresponsible,” he insists.
“Responsibility doesn’t stop someone from using you,” I tell him.
His breathing turns uneven, cold air leaving his mouth in visible bursts.
“You think this is because of me?” he asks, voice lower now.
“You gave them a way in,” I reply. “They used it.”
He lowers his eyes again, his shoulders curling inward.
“I didn’t know,” he says quietly.
“No,” I agree. “You didn’t.”
I watch him absorb that. There’s no deception in him. No rehearsed narrative. He believes this began and ended with money.
He doesn’t know about Rowan. He doesn’t know about Ivan beyond the image his sister presented.
If Lila believed Ivan could erase this debt, she either misjudged his power or never understood it. If Ivan is working for Arkady, and Lila is with Ivan, then taking her doesn’t make sense. A man doesn’t remove someone who’s aligned with him unless he doesn’t control the decision. So either Lila never knew how deep this ran, or Ivan doesn’t have the authority he presents.
“You won’t be harmed further,” I inform Jonathan quietly.
He looks up quickly.
“Why?”
“Your debt has been transferred.”
“To who?” he questions, his eyes narrowing.
“To me.”
