"And the money?" I ask.
"The money is in limbo," Silas says, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "And if I have the escrow keys... I can divert it before it bounces back to Nikolai."
"Fifty million dollars," I whisper. "Stolen from the man who tried to steal me."
Silas reaches out. He grabs the back of my neck, his fingers tangling in my hair. He pulls me close, until our foreheads touch.
"You’re suggesting a heist," he says. "In the middle of a manhunt. Walking right into the lion’s den."
"You said I needed to be a wolf," I remind him. "Wolves hunt."
He laughs. It’s a dark, rough sound that vibrates in my chest.
"God, I love you," he growls.
The words hang in the air.
He freezes. I freeze.
He didn't mean to say it. It slipped out. A jagged shard of truth in the middle of a war council.
He pulls back, his eyes searching mine. He waits for me to flinch. He waits for me to use it against him.
"You love me?" I whisper.
"I am obsessed with you," he corrects, trying to walk it back. "I am possessed by you."
"No," I say, stepping closer, pressing my body against his. I feel the knife on my belt dig into his hip. "You said you love me."
I reach up and trace the scar on his eyebrow.
"Say it again."
He closes his eyes for a second, surrendering.
"I love you," he says roughly. "I love your rage. I love your hands. I love the way you look at me when you want to kill me."
My heart stutters.Thump-thump-thump.The tracker on my ankle must be lighting up the dashboard of his soul.
I should run. This man is dangerous. He is a criminal. He is pulling me into a heist that could get us both killed.
But standing here in this freezing cabin, with his blood on my cheek and his confession in the air... I know I’m exactly where I belong.
"Then let’s go get your money," I say.
Silas opens his eyes. The blue fire is back, brighter than ever.
"Get the laptop," he commands. "We have a heist to plan."
CHAPTER 22
THE LION’S DEN
POV: SILAS
The surveillance van smells of stale coffee, ozone, and my own cold, simmering rage.
It is parked three blocks away from the Metropolitan Pavilion, tucked into an alleyway behind a dumpster. Inside, the space is cramped, lit only by the blue glow of three monitors and the red LED of the communications array.
