My hands tremble as I scan the contents. “They lefteverythingto her…”
Wells whistles low. “Even though she wasn’t blood?”
“They didn’t give a fuck about blood. She wastheirs.” My voice cracks under the weight of it. “And now they’re dead. Just like that.”
Wells pulls the will from my hand, scanning it fast. “Money. Power. And a girl who could inherit it all.”
“Still doesn’t explain how they got that rich.” I look to him. “You think Josie was in on this?”
“She’s knee-deep in it, one way or another.” His voice drops. “And this Nikolai? He’s not just a founder. He’s a fucking ghost with his claws sunk into every piece of this puzzle.”
I take a breath. A slow, dangerous breath.
“Get a shot of that will. I’m burning this place to the fucking ground.”
“What about the rest?”
“I’ve memorized every image of her. That’s all I need.” I shove the papers back into the safe and kick it under the desk like it’s nothing but trash. “Now…”
I turn toward the hall. My heart’s a war drum.
“Who else is in this house?”
“Couple guards. Staff. Loyalists.”
“Round them up,” I say. “In the kitchen. And make sure your video’s recording.”
Wells nods, but hesitates. “What’re you about to do?”
I glance over my shoulder. My voice is ice. “I’m setting this motherfucker on fire, with every liar and traitor locked inside.”
Wells nods slowly. “All of them?”
“Not Margret. The girl who helped Athens… get her out. She gets to live. The rest?” I shake my head. “I want them toburn.”
Wells jogs off, already issuing commands.
I turn and stalk toward the garage, every step pulling me deeper into the flame.
Let them scream. Let them beg.
This house was built on blood, and tonight, it pays the price.
I flip the last tarp in the garage and there they are, exactly what I came for. Gas cans. Four of them, full. The Devil must’ve stocked this place himself.
I drag them out, the weight biting into my palms, knuckles white as bone. One slips from my grip, nearly smashing the concrete.
“You need a hand?” Carlos’s voice drips out of the shadows like oil. Of course he’s already here. That silent-footed bastard could be the wind if he wanted to.
“Stealth,” I grunt, tossing two cans his way. “That’s a skill we can use.”
He catches them easily, a wicked smile curling up his face. “That’s not all I’m good at.”
“We’ll find out soon enough. But first, this place? We’re burning it to the fucking ground. Staff, guards, secrets. It all goes.”
He raises an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise flashing across his usually unreadable expression. “You’re givingmethe choice? Burn them alive or kill them first?”
“Yeah. Call it your initiation.” I tilt my head. “Survive tonight, pass your background check… maybe you get a seat at our table.”
