“Gunshot wound to the back of the head,” Tristian explains, twisting to take in Killian’s stunned expression. “Execution style.”
My mouth works around a series of aborted replies, because that doesn’t make sense. Does it make sense? What finally emerges is, “He was dead before the fire even started?”
Killian goes back to his chair, dropping heavily into it. “What the fuck.”
Shoulders dropping, Dimitri parrots him perfectly. “What the fuck?”
“Someone shot him,” Tristian says, like he’s hammering it in, eyes bright and full of fire. “Probably just after everyone went home for the day.”
“Who?” I ask, the word barely forming.
“No clue. Around lunch time, the security footage went blank. Someone else turned it off. Probably whoever went in and out set the alarm. It looks like an inside job.” Tristian leans back on the console table, and even though there’s an irritated tightness in his eyes, there’s also a relieved looseness to his posture. This is a man who just dodged a massive bullet. “It reminds me of when that finger was left here. Too easy. No footprints.”
My stomach flutters.
“Well, we know it wasn’t Saul,” Killian says. “But other than that, it’s open season.”
“Could be Lionel Lucia.” Tristian glances at Dimitri, jerking his chin. “Maybe he found out about you interfering with his daughter. Assumed it was a Lord thing.”
“He doesn’t give a shit about that girl,” Dimitri says, eyes fixed to my legs. “Execution style, in his own office? This feels personal.”
“No. You know what it feels like? Really fucking convenient.” Killian shakes his head, looking between Dimitri and Tristian. “This was someone who knew we were going to set that fire, thereby destroying a crime scene, and making whoever set it look like the real murderer.”
The wheels turn behind Tristian’s eyes. “Only five people knew we were torching that building.”
Killian gives him a meaningful nod. “And we know it wasn’t any of us.”
“Oh, that motherfucker,” Dimitri breathes, teeth clenching.
“Wait.” I hold my hands up, trying to find my balance. “Are you saying Pretty Nick killed Daniel?”
Dimitri gives a sharp, bitter grin, his metal piercings catching the glow of the fire. “It’s fucking perfect. He makes a deal with us to get the Kings’ little pet, kills Daniel, gives us the signal, and watches us walk right into his goddamn spider web.” He’s the next to collapse, falling onto the couch with a sour expression. “And I fucking fell for it.”
Tristian says, “Hold up,” making a timeout gesture with his hands. “Nick’s whole thing is mayhem, right? Two-thirty-seven. What’s the criminal definition of mayhem?” He’s looking at Killian expectantly, but I’m the first to answer.
“Destruction? Mischief?”
“No.” Killian sinks back in his chair, eyes clouding over. “The criminal definition is very specific. It means disabling someone by…”
“Amputation.” Dimitri stares between them, eyes darkening. “Like an arm or a leg or—”
My jaw drops. “A finger.”
“Son of a bitch.” Killian shoots to his feet and begins pacing, muscles rippling with every flex of his fists. “If this Ted fucker got to Ugly Nick, there’s no reason he couldn’t have gotten to Pretty Nick.”
Dimitri looks just as pissed, but there’s a rueful undercurrent in his words. “He really fucking sold it. The way he acted around that girl? It was like a dog watching a pork chop. I really thought he just wanted her that bad. Bad enough to turn on Daniel.”
Killian stops his pacing, turning to him. “No. None of this is on us. You understand? All of you.” He looks directly at me, stressing, “This isn’t on us.”
Nostrils flaring, Dimitri reaches behind him, pulling a pistol from his pants. “I’m going to fucking kill him.” It doesn’t matter that he remains sitting, dark eyes fixed to the barrel of the gun. The way he says it—low, calm, deadly—gives me no doubt he means it.
But Killian shakes his head. “We’re too hot right now, Rath. We can’t afford to get caught in a retaliation when we’ve got detectives breathing down our fucking necks.”
“Maybe,” I suggest, watching Rath begrudgingly tuck the gun back into his waistband, “we should just let them take care of each other.”