“We found one thing,” Rafe says. “Some ashes were arranged into a shape.”
I scoff. “Oh, no. Not a shape. Whatever will I—”
“Shut up,” Remus barks. “It could be important.”
There’s a lot I don’t remember from that night. But the one thing I remember clearer than anything else, is the fucking burning circle. It obviously means something. But I’m not going to sit around and discuss it. This is fucking personal tome,andnotthe family.
“We’re handling it,” Rafe assures me, his voice dropping to the dangerous register that means bodies will soon be cooling somewhere in Cleveland.
I touch the edge of my eyepatch, feeling the emptiness beneath. An emptiness matched by the hollow sensation in my chest that has nothing to do with physical wounds.
Someone thought they could burn me out of existence, just like the fire that took my parents. They failed.
Twice now, flame has tried to claim me. Twice, I’ve emerged—scarred, yes, but alive.
“Fire,” I murmur, almost to myself. “It always comes back to fire.”
Enzo watches me with sharp eyes. He understands better than most my relationship with flame.
“Maybe this could wait,” Piper says, her voice gentle but firm. “Until Matteo’s—”
“When we find the person or persons responsible,” I say, “they’re mine. Mine to end. Mine to burn.”
No one argues. In another family, there might be platitudes, attempts to dissuade vengeance. Not with Russos. We understand retribution. We respect it.
Remus nods once, the gesture’s somehow more binding than any contract. “The family stands with you. One bleeds, we all bleed.”
“One burns,” Rafe adds, “we all burn.”
I lean back against the pillows, suddenly exhausted but clearer than I’ve been in weeks. The pain medication is wearing off, leaving my mind sharp even as my body throbs. Good. I need the pain. Need the reminder.
The fire tried to take me twice now. Instead, it’s forged me. Hardened me. The flames that scarred my body as a child and now mark my face have never been my enemy—they’ve been my creator, my destroyer, my rebirth.
I will find who did this. And when I do, I’ll show them that playing with fire doesn’t just risk getting burned.
It guarantees it.
Chapter 2
Raven
1 year later.
It’s been a few months since I left Paris and came back to the States, and I still can’t decide if I’ve traded up or down. Sure, France is all exotic and exciting for a while. But after almost two years, it lost its appeal, and that’s when I knew it was time to leave.
When I made the decision to say au revoir, I got on the phone to my BFF, Piper. She was thrilled, naturally. At first, she wanted me back in D.C. where she and her husband wrangle politicians, but I put my foot down.
Spending years in D.C. when I had to was fine. It’s just not a place I ever longed for. The people, sure. But more in the way you want to chase an era that has passed. I needed a different scene. Something new and exciting.
That’s why I applied for a job with Holston PR here in Cleveland, Ohio. Though Piper tried to talk me out of setting down roots here, I remained steadfast.
Despite all her objections, she helped me find an apartment, and even picked me up at the airport so we could see it together. After spending about half an hour pretending I didn’t love the space, I signed the lease.
I still remember Piper finding it funny I used my middle name instead of my first. But seeing as there were four Lenas in the Paris office, it quickly became a habit. And not one I’m looking to change.
Though it’s just a name, I’ve always liked Raven more than Lena. So, win-win.
Shaking my head, I force a smile and wave at the couple I just walked over to the champagne fountain. The swanky room glitters around me, crystal chandeliers catching light like diamonds under a jeweler’s lamp.
