“You think Roman Vescari is going to save you?” Marcus asked.

“He is a cold fish.”

“He views you as an asset, nothing more.”

“A tool to balance his ledger.”

“And Declan?” I asked, my eyes searching the darkness for another weapon.

“Declan Rourke is an animal,” Marcus said.

“He only understands violence.”

“The moment Roman tries to take control of the audit, Declan will pull his trigger.”

“They will destroy each other, and Victor’s empire will crumble.”

“That is the plan, isn’t it?” I said.

“To break the alliance before it even starts.”

“Exactly,” Marcus said.

He stopped right in front of the gap between the cabinets.

I could see his polished leather shoes in the dim red light.

“But they won’t destroy each other,” I said quietly.

“Why is that?” Marcus asked, stepping closer.

“Because they both know that if I die, the state gets the ledgers,” I said.

“And if the state gets the ledgers, they both go to prison for life.”

“They are smarter than you think.”

“They will realize what you did.”

Marcus scoffed. “They are rivals, Maeve.”