Eve's hand tightened on his chest.
"How is that possible?" she asked.
"Because they have resources I didn't anticipate," Dimitri said, his voice dropping into something heavier. "They have connections that go beyond what should even be possible. They have government backing. Federal funding. Protection at levels that suggest they're not just operating with government immunity, they're being actively funded by government agencies."
Eve processed this in silence.
"And they're backing Dante," Dimitri continued. "They're not just allowing him to operate. They're actively supporting his recovery, his operations, his vendetta against me. They're using him as a weapon."
Eve lifted her head to look at Dimitri's face in the darkness, though she could barely see him. She reached up and touched his jaw, her palm against his skin.
"That's why everyone was here tonight," Eve said. It wasn't a question.
