“You’re soft,” Vance sneered. “You spent two years pretending to be a regular citizen while the empire rotted.”

“I was cleaning up your messes, Marcus,” Giovanni said.

Through the intercom, I could hear the sound of several pairs of heavy boots moving across the stone floor of the study above.

“Search the rooms,” Vance ordered his men. “Find the woman and the kid.”

“They aren’t here,” Giovanni said.

“We’ll see about that,” Vance said. “You’re alone, Giovanni. Your guards are either dead or running.”

“I don’t need guards to deal with you,” Giovanni said.

“You think those mercenaries behind you are loyal?” Giovanni continued, his voice ringing clear through the speaker.

“They’re paid very well,” Vance said.

“They’re paid with money you don’t have,” Giovanni said. “Tell me, Marcus, did you tell them about the Zurich accounts?”

There was a brief silence on the line.

“Did you tell them that the transition funds were frozen three days ago?” Giovanni asked.

I held my breath, listening to the silence that followed.

“You’re lying,” Vance said, though his voice sounded slightly less confident.