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Chapter 74

ROSALIND

After sharing the formula for mercury nitrovolucite and its instructions with the team, Cesare takes me to another set of elevators that lead directly to the shopping mall. It's just before the lunchtime rush, and the place is filling with shoppers, all oblivious they're standing above a secret laboratory.

A fragrant mix of cuisines from the food court fills the air and makes my stomach rumble. My gaze darts toward a vegan café that produces fresh wheatgrass shots.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"You need new clothes," he says. "I'm taking you to the Dolce Vita boutique."

"Never heard of it."

He flashes me a smile. "The owner is a distant cousin."

We reach a store front with windows adorned with mannequins displaying designer clothes that wouldn't look out of place on a Paris runway. I can only guess that the price of the garments would exceed a month's salary.

"Are we going to a high-end place that needs me to blend in?" I ask.

He turns to me and frowns. "What do you mean?"

"These clothes are very nice, but I only wear them for work when I'm trying to infiltrate upscale events."

"You've got to wear something," he says.

"Follow me."

I take Cesare to another side of the mall to a large store that sells walking boots, outdoor gear, and practical clothing with no frills. The mannequins are dressed in khaki and flannel, with backpacks slung over their shoulders.

He glares at a green fleece jacket and scoffs. "You going camping?"

Leaning into his side, I murmur, "I sure as hell don't want to hunt down the Galliano brothers in a body con dress and heels."

He snorts a laugh. "Get what you want here, but I'm taking you back to the boutique for something that doesn't make you look like a hiker."

I roll my eyes. If the Moirai wasn't monitoring my bank account, I would walk away from him and spend my own money. Since that isn't an option, I endure Cesare's running commentary about my poor taste in fashion.

"Call me a hobo all you want." I hold up a pair of trekking pants to my waist. "But sometimes, a woman just needs to deliver a flying kick."

He snickers. "Point taken, but khaki?"

"I prefer to wear black."

The image of me decked out in black tactical gear must finally register because he shakes his head and grins. "Fine, but we're going back to the boutique."

"After stopping for something to eat," I say.

His eyes narrow. "I'll take you to one of our restaurants."

"Do they sell shots of wheatgrass?"

His lip curls. "Why the fuck would anyone want to drink juiced grass?"

"Don't knock it until you've tried it." I walk toward a row of tactical boots, leaving him cursing under his breath.

After buying two changes of clothes, we stop at the vegan café. It's empty, save for a red-haired woman with freckles, who greets us with a warm smile.

I order two shots of wheatgrass, a spirulina smoothie, and a kale salad. Cesare glares at the menu as if it's personally offensive. I take pity on him and order a portobello mushroom burger with sweet potato fries.

"First time here?" asks the red-haired assistant.

His lip curls. "And hopefully my last."

She gives me a sympathetic smile and scurries over to the kitchen. I elbow him in the ribs for being an asshole. "You might actually like the burger."

His cold eyes roam over the café's green decor, his lips tightening with disapproval. "We'll see about that."

When he folds his arms across his chest, I see glimpses of the boy in the photo album. Sometimes, it's hard to reconcile this version of Cesare with the creature in the leather butcher's apron who tortured me for days.

The assistant returns with our drinks, and I pull him toward a nearby table.

Cesare takes a sip of his vegan strawberry mylkshake. I wait for him to gag or whine about the lack of cow's milk, but he simply grunts.

"Thinner than I would prefer, but not bad," he says, his tone gruff.

I knock back my shot of wheatgrass, letting the green liquid infuse my body with a surge of energy. Cesare watches, his lips turning downward with thinly veiled disgust.

"Your turn." I slide the second shot across the table.

"Peer pressure won't work on me, pet," he mutters without even sparing the wheatgrass a glance.

His phone buzzes. He pulls it out of his jacket, checks the screen, and scowls.

"Problems?" I ask.

"It's nothing." He shakes his head, his features smoothing. "Are you satisfied that the mercury nitrovolucite will penetrate the Moirai's lower levels?"

"Yes and no," I reply.

"What does that mean?"

"We're going to need someone to place crystals at strategic points along floors three, six, nine, and twelve, to create a domino effect."

He gives me an eager nod. "Britt?"

I shake my head. "She's already left town."

"Then who?"

"There's a man who was in the academy the year above me, who disappeared with half the class during the graduation run."

He leans forward, resting his chin on his steepled fingers. "I thought leaving the Moirai was impossible."

"This guy is special. They say he joined already fully trained and had already completed a hundred missions by the age of fourteen."

"Child assassins?" Cesare shakes his head, his nostrils flaring. "I'm not surprised he left them."

"He's always at the graduation runs, picking off the weakest candidates."

"Killing them?" he asks with a frown.

"Saving them," I reply, my mind dialing back ten years. "Xero appeared at my graduation run when I was trying to pull Britt out of a pitfall trap. Someone tried to kill her, and she broke her ankle."

Cesare nods, his eyes narrowing.

"It was chaos. I was fighting off other candidates while pulling out my friend and then Xero chased them off with a gun."

"But you didn't run?"

"I took advantage of the opening to get my friend," I say with a shrug. "Xero offered to take Britt, but she refused."

His brows rise. "Take her?"

"People who fail the graduation runs end up indebted to the firm for the cost of their education. Her injury would have added to the amount she owed, so he offered Britt a place in his gang."

"Why did she refuse?" Cesare asks.

My emotion surges, gripping me by the throat. I glance to the side, fighting back the urge to cry. Everything about my daughter's conception and birth still hurts, as does the time we were separated. Most nights, I couldn't sleep, not knowing if she was safe, not knowing if Matteo was sharing her with his twisted lackeys.

"What is it?" Cesare asks.

Forcing down the lump in my throat, I meet his gaze. "I told her my plans to take Miranda after I graduated, and she wanted to help. We completed the graduation run and walked through the finish line together."

"Sounds like a good friend," he says, his eyes softening.

"The best." I take a long sip of my spirulina smoothie, barely tasting the creamy concoction.

Cesare picks up his burger and takes a bite, looking contemplative. We eat without speaking, and I appreciate the silence he's giving me to control my emotions.

My recent captivity has left me more sensitive than ever. I don't have the mental bandwidth to rebuild the protective layers I usually keep around my trauma. It's worn down, leaving me vulnerable and exposed.

I pick at my salad, tune in on the soft background music and the hum of the barista's machine, trying to refocus on the subject. Cesare is uncharacteristically patient and eats his mushroom burger without complaint.

"Xero kept in touch with Britt for a few years," I say. "He also has contacts within the Moirai who owe him favors."

"Other assassins?" he asks.

"Support staff." I set down my fork. "Mostly people not directly involved in the hits but janitors, cleaners, and people in tech."

Nodding, he takes another sip of his shake. "So Xero could get the crystals into the Moirai?"

"I can set up a meeting and ask. If he's poaching assassins before they graduate, then he also has a vested interest in taking the firm down."

Cesare wipes his mouth with a napkin. "Are you sure you can trust him?"

"The only other way to get the mercury nitrovolucite where we need it is for me to return to the Moirai."

"Set up the meeting," he growls.

I down the second shot glass. "Then our next step is the Parisii Cemetery, where we'll bribe a guard to pass on a message into the catacombs."

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