Fatally Yours

Chapter 56

•INDIANA•

The first thing I felt was the harsh impact as my body hit the cold, hard ground, jolting me awake. A sharp pain pulsed in my head, disorienting me, and before I could make sense of anything, the sack covering my head was ripped away.

I gasped for air, squinting against the sudden burst of light, my vision a blurry mess of indistinct shapes and colors.

Blinking rapidly, I tried to focus, and as my surroundings came into view, dread crawled up my spine.

I was in the middle of a massive room—some sort of warehouse—but what sent my heart racing were the faces staring down at me.

The entire Valahia Syndicate was here.

They were gathered in a rough circle around me, their expressions a mix of disgust and anger. Some glared at me with unfiltered hatred, others sneered as though I was dirt under their shoes.

Whispers echoed through the room, venomous and accusatory, making me feel like a caged animal surrounded by predators.

I swallowed hard, panic bubbling up in my chest as I scanned their faces for something—anything—that might ground me.

But instead, my gaze landed on Lee, Alexa, and Katarina, standing off to the side with their arms crossed, looking smug and satisfied.

I tensed, my blood running cold when I realized Dominik wasn't here.

That meant they were waiting for him—to arrive, to see me like this, to hear the truth that Lee had uncovered.

My heart hammered painfully against my ribs, and I felt my breathing quicken as the weight of it all pressed down on me.

"Let's get this over with, shall we?" Lee's voice cut through the low murmurs, loud and confident as he stepped into the center of the room.

He turned to face the crowd, a smug grin plastered across his face.

"We finally caught the rat," he announced, his voice dripping with mockery. "Someone we thought was one of us. Someone we trusted." He glanced back at me, his eyes gleaming with triumph.

"Turns out, she's been betraying us from the start."

The room erupted with murmurs and curses, and I clenched my fists, my jaw tightening as shame and fury warred inside me.

Lee's grin widened as he turned fully toward me, eyes locking with mine.

"And worst of all..." He dragged out the words, savoring them. "She's a cop."

The crowd's anger intensified, their voices rising in a chorus of outrage. My breath hitched, my chest constricting painfully.

Lee smirked at me, his voice taking on a cruel edge.

"What do you have to say for yourself, Detective?"

I ignored him, my head snapping around as I searched the room, panic clawing at me.

Hailey.

Where was Hailey?

My eyes darted across the crowd, searching for her  everywhere, but she was nowhere to be seen. I tried to push myself up, desperate to find her, but before I could stand, one of the men behind me grabbed my shoulders and shoved me back to the ground.

"Where is my sister?!" I shouted, my voice hoarse with desperation.

Lee just chuckled darkly, clearly amused.