My hands clamp around the wheel, eyes locked on the blood spattered across my sleeves. I didn’t stop to change or talk to Derek. There’s only one thing on my mind. Valentina.
The whole drive toFuria, my head’s been spinning, replaying every word that came out of Callum’s ruined mouth. TheArchitect.Not a title, not a job, but an alias. And aLedger. What the fuck does that mean?
More importantly, what does it mean for her?
As I pull onto the strip, a race has just ended, and the crowd erupts around the winner, cheers echoing through smoke. When the haze parts, that’s when I see her.
My girl.
In her element, basking in victory.
I climb out of my car, heart pounding for reasons I can’t name. And she spots me and stills, smile faltering for a fraction of a second, but long enough for me to catch it. I follow her gaze as it sweeps down. I realize the blood isn’t just on my sleeves. It’s splattered across the front of my shirt.
When her eyes meet mine again, her smile returns, brighter this time. Then she’s running, straight to me.
She knows where I’ve been. What I’ve done.
And still, she runs to the monster.
“You came.”
“You won.”
She nods and leans in for a kiss. “First round down.” Her fingers brush my cheek, gentle at first, until her expression shifts. “Maksim…are you okay?”
“I am now.”
“And is he?—?”
“Very much so.”
Valentina looks past me, lips pressed tight, like she’s fighting to keep something down…grief, anger, guilt. My first instinct is to tell her not to waste it. Not on a man who sold her out to save himself. Someone who betrayed her trust and took secrets to the grave that could still burn us all.
But I stop myself.
I don’t want her to be like me, to bury her feelings until they rot and turn to poison. And I know she needs this night, her way of redeeming her loss to Balterra.
“Remi come with you?”
Her smile works its way back. “She did but left early. AJ, Madden, and the boys snuck a ride in her trunk. Matteo got into it with some kids from school, so she ended up taking them home. Grabbed a ride with a friend.”
“She left you here alone?”
“Don’t do that.” Her tone softens, but her chin lifts with defiance. “I spent weeks sidelined and stuck in a cast. I’m not living like that again. I refuse to let some asshole scare me away from the one thing I love most.” She cups my face, meeting my eyes. “I’m not afraid.”
I contemplate telling her what Callum revealed, but it can wait. I won’t be the reason her moment is shattered.
“Maksim,” she whispers, “you can put me down now.”
“Old habits die hard, beautiful.” I squeeze her ass, pressing her closer. “I missed you.”
She laughs. “It’s only been five hours.”
“Too long.”
She tilts up to kiss me, but her gaze snags on something over my shoulder. Whatever she sees wipes the smile clean off her face. I set her down and turn, already half-expecting to add another body to tonight’s list. It’s her piece of shit ex, two women clinging to him.
Valentina’s already walking toward her car, fury in every step.
