“As I said, I’m a genius, and I have been doing this for a long time. I am not someone you want as an enemy. You are starting to understand this, yes? So let’s be friends instead. Take the contract, bring me who I want, and walk away with my regards and money and maybe some jobs later on.”
I see him debating his options before he holsters his gun. “It seems like a good deal. Besides, I never liked their contract clauses. We kill who we are paid to, but the guy you were with isn’t in this life, so he shouldn’t be targeted. It felt wrong.” He shrugs. “Sorry about that.”
“No need.” My face goes cold. “Bring me the person I want. Two days or the contract I offered is void, and I will take my revenge on you instead of them for endangering the person I care for. Do we have a deal?”
He considers me before he chuckles. “You know, they say you’re soft, the weakest of the four families, but they are wrong, aren’t they?”
“They have no idea. They see what I want them to. I’ve been playing this game since I was a kid.” I smirk. “I’m sure you appreciate that. Do we have a deal, Mr. West?”
“Yes, we do, Mr. Xander.” He holds out his hand, and I shake it.
“Good. The first half of the money was transferred before I even stepped in here. The rest will be sent when you deliver,” I inform him.
“So sure we would take it?” he scoffs.
“Confident in my offer,” I murmur. “Two days. Bring them to the address my assistant will text you. If they are not there by midnight, then we will clear your account and take your lives as an apology. Nice doing business with you.” I turn and stalk out, leaving them to work.
When we are outside, I look at Yuki. “They had detailed plans, which means they got them from somewhere. Find the rat and get rid of them. I want to feel safe in my own home. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir.” He nods as he hurries to open the door, and I slide in. “Where to now?”
“I need a drink,” I mutter.
“Of course.” He shuts the door, and I lean back, closing my eyes. I’m exhausted, but I won’t be able to sleep. I’ve become too accustomed to a certain set of muscular arms holding me at night, and now I just feel alone and . . . unsafe without them.
I spent years sleeping alone while my fiancé was out with whoever, but one month in Nikko’s bed and I’m reluctant to sleep without him.
The music in the club thumps around me as I relax in the booth far above and away from everyone. I need the noise but crave peace. Yuki is working, and I dismissed him. My guards are scattered around the club somewhere, but I ignore them. I’m also ignoring my phone, which has been ringing for at least an hour.
My eyes are closed and my fingers play with the rim of the untouched, vodka-filled tumbler. I shouldn’t drink, I need to be sharp,but I want to dull the longing I feel. One sniff of it, though, and all I can think about is Nikko and the bottle he keeps for special occasions.
My eyes fly open when I feel the air shift, and I turn my head, my heart pounding with anticipation before disappointment makes it slow and stutter to a stop. “Faiz.”
He grins at me as he slides in next to me until our thighs touch. I move away, but he moves again, and I roll my eyes, too tired to play this game, so I stay put. He leans back in the booth and watches me.
“What are you doing here?”
“Came to see you of course,” he replies. “You look tired.”
“I am, so leave,” I snap. I don’t have the patience for this tonight.
“No. Don’t you miss me at all, baby?” He reaches out, playing with my hair at the nape of my neck. “I miss you. I miss you a lot.” He leans into me, and I know what he wants. For a moment, I almost consider it. It would be easy to use him to forget Nikko, but the truth is, there is no forgetting what Nikko and I had—not in another’s bed or in a hundred.
Our short fling was more meaningful than my ten-year relationship with Faiz, and there is no forgetting it.
“No,” I respond, and mean it. I don’t miss him, not even a little bit, and that thought is freeing. I thought I would be hung up on Faiz forever, never able to move on from him and what we had. As I stare into his familiar face, I see the thousands of days we spent together and everything we shared, but it just feels comforting now, not painful.
He falters for a moment before pressing closer, his face almost touching mine. “I know I hurt you, baby. I know I messed up a lot. I’m young and stupid. I was bored and needed excitement, and I thought I could find it with others. It was only after you left that I realized how wrong I was. I know that’s fucked up, but I can’t let go of what we had, Zia. I just can’t. We were supposed to be together forever. Can you really walk away from that so easily? Look at you. You’re stressed and tired. You need a partner to help. You need someone who understands you, understands our life. No one else ever could.”
“Stop,” I demand as I drink some of the vodka and look away from him, but he reaches out and turns my chin back.
“You’ve had your fun and taught me a lesson, and now it’s time tocome home,” Faiz persuades. “Back to me and our life. You can even keep him on the side if you want. I don’t care as long as I have you. I can forgive and forget anything, just come back to me. Let’s do this together like we planned. A house. A family. An empire.”
Once, it was all I wanted to hear from him, but not anymore.
“No.” I frown, tugging my chin from his grip. “That is not what I want any more, and I don’t need you to build that. I can do it alone. You speak of partners, but you were never there to be one. It was always on me alone. I have never felt as alone as I did in our relationship. Your apology means nothing, Faiz. It’s too little, too late, and the fact that you said I could keep sleeping with other people means you don’t know me at all. I would never, ever do that to somebody. I would never hurt them in that way. I know how that feels. I know how it rips you to pieces. Cheating isn’t just a mistake, Faiz. It destroys your partner, and I have spent months rebuilding myself from the wreckage you left me in. I will never go back to that, so please stop coming around. You aren’t what I want anymore, and you are definitely not what I need. Thehimyou speak of makes me happy. He makes me laugh. He never makes me worry. He tells me I’m beautiful every day and holds me every night. He makes me feel safe, loved, and seen, which is something you would never understand. He might never get this world, but he doesn’t need to because he gets me.”
“He can never know you as well as I do, baby. We grew up together. We’ve seen everything together. Who was there when your mother died? Who was there when your first crush rejected you? When you lost that contract? When you had that accident? Me. It has always been me, and it will always be me. We just got a little lost.” He shifts closer, and my eyes widen. “Let me remind you how good we are.” I try to pull away, but he presses me against the back of the booth as his lips move toward mine.
