He was a monster. He always would be. I turned to walk away for good, but his voice, now a low, dangerous growl, stopped me. "She's a spy," he said, the words hanging in the air like a poisonous fog. "She's been a plant for months. She has been giving us inside information on the Ivanov family."

I froze, the words not making any sense. "What?" I asked, my voice a strangled whisper.

"Tatiana is not my girlfriend," he said, his voice now calm and controlled. "She is a pawn. A tool. I have ...