It’s time my uncle and I have a littletête-à-tête. His absence at the funeral wasn’t just noticed, it was loud enough for even Elira to comment on it.
Katie nods thoughtfully, tapping her index finger against her chin. “I understand. I’ll disguise myself as a nun to gain access to the abbey. Once I’m in, I’ll look for Kayla and get both of us out of there.”
It sounds deceptively simple when she says it like that. But I know it will be anything but. “It might be dangerous,” I warn her seriously. “We don’t know if Fabian has his men stationed at the abbey.” If it were me, I know I would. “Maybe you should hang back. My men and I will get to Fabian first, then your sister. Just… stay here.”Where you’ll be safe.
She glowers at me, scoffing. “As if I would trust you with my sister’s life after finding out you’ve been lying to me all along.”
“We’ll all need to be careful,” Dhimitër interjects, his tactical mind already working through scenarios. “Long Island is Fabian’s territory despite the presence of other ruling families there. Once we cross into his domain, we’re on our own.Anything can happen, and backup will be difficult if things go sideways.” His gaze moves between Katie and me as he gets to his feet. Then without another word, he leaves the office, closing the door behind him, leaving us alone.
Katie immediately stands, and I follow suit. “Katina, you?—”
“Don’t call me that,” she interrupts sharply. “It’s fine. Really. Let’s just focus on rescuing my sister, and then we can all go our separate ways.”
It sounds so final. Too final. My heart thuds in my ears as she turns to leave. On impulse, I grab her arm, and the glare she shoots me could make a lesser man flinch. But not me. I’m Roan fucking Përmeti.
“Listen to me, I?—”
“You don’t have to explain yourself to me, Roan. I can imagine how it all went down. You discovered who I was and decided to get close to me to find out my mission in your estate. You seduced me to control me. Itworked. There’s nothing left to say.” She pauses, and her next words hit like knives. “I know I mean nothing to you, and that’s fine. I can live with that.”
That’s the bone of contention, isn’t it?
She’s not nothing to me.
My throat closes as I watch the resolute, stubborn determination in her eyes. She’s not going to listen to anything I have to say. Not right now anyway.
So I do the only thing I can—I let her go.
32
KATIE
I cry myself to sleep that night, the tears soaking into my pillow as I grieve what could have been. For some stupid reason, I really believed what Roan and I had was real. That the connection between us meant something beyond manipulation and strategy.
I didn’t want to search through Afrim’s office.Because of Roan.
Didn't want to betray his trust because I was terrified of destroying whatever this thing was growing between us. But I had no choice—not if I wanted Kayla to be safe.
While I was agonizing over loyalty and feelings, he had no such restrictions.
Maybe because he knew from the beginning there was nothing real happening between us. It was all just him strategically softening me up, breaking down my defenses so I’d be compliant. Useful.
And I melted like fucking butter in his hands.
Pathetic.
It’s like I’m that naïve eighteen-year-old who met Stacey all over again. Impressionable. Desperate for approval.
Awe-struck that the beautiful older woman took an interest in me. That she thought I was worthy enough to be in the FBI. That she would go out of her way to help find my sister.
I was too goddamn dumb to realize she only wanted to use me.
And here I am again, falling for the exact same trick with a different face.
When will I learn?
The next morning, I force myself to straighten my spine and steel my resolve as I walk out of my room towards the main house driveway where Roan is waiting. He’s standing next to the convoy of cars we’ll be using for the mission, looking every inch the dangerous crime lord he is.
“You good?” He catches my wrist as I pass, and I can almost see genuine concern in his smoldering green eyes.Delusional.
