When the sirens get too close, I finally put the car in drive and pull out.
KIRA
Two nights after the graveyard, my bed feels cold, and I can’t sleep. For some reason, I can’t calm my mind at all, not without Stellan lying by my side.
When did that happen? How the hell did it happen?
I’ve been sleeping alone for years. Never had any issues like this before. At least, when I got the chance to sleep anyway.
Maybe that’s it. Maybe now that I’m not working myself to the bone, I don’t know how to calm myself down anymore.
I’d been too tired to stay awake, even if I wanted to.
Now I’m going too damn soft.
But I know that’s not the case. I keep touching Stellan’s side of the bed. Images of the night he became Don flash through my head.
The ritual in the church. The way he so easily murdered that old man. His body on mine in the graveyard, the slick of blood and sweat on my skin, the taste of his salty cum on my tongue mingling with the sharp edge of his enemy’s blood.
It should terrify me. But it doesn’t.
All I feel is a thrill.
And I still can’t freaking sleep.
A noise downstairs grabs my attention. I sit up instantly and flip on a light. There’s another noise. The clinking of a glass on the counter.
I wrap a light silk robe around my body and head down into the kitchen.
Stellan’s standing at the island. His shoulders are hunched. His hair’s matted and he looks sweaty. He’s in all black tactical gear, though the pants look smeared with red. It should surprise me, seeing all that blood, but I guess I’m getting used to it.
“Are you okay?”
He looks up. His eyes are red-rimmed and haunted. “I’m fine.”
“You’re bleeding.”
He frowns and glances down. “Not mine.”
“Right.” I walk over, feeling tentative and scared. “But you’re okay?”
His shoulders hunch and he takes a long drink. “Not really.”
Wordlessly, I get a glass and fill it. I give him a refill too. He nods once, jaw tight. There’s tension all over him, like he’s struggling to hold himself together and failing. I stand close, sipping my whiskey. I don’t even like it, but I want him to feel like he’s not alone.
“What happened?”
He lets out a long breath. His stare is a million miles away and he doesn’t say anything. I’m not sure if he’s going to. This is the Don of a powerful crime syndicate, and I have the feeling there are going to be a lot of nights like this. And even more secrets.
But he finally shakes his head. “I didn’t want this. I thought I was just being careful. I never thought it’d be him.”
“What do you mean?”
“There were too many coincidences. The Turks knew too much. It became pretty obvious that someone in my orbit’s been leaking information to them.”
I rub my arms and press the rim of the glass to my lips. “You had a mole.”
“I had a traitor.” His grip tightens.
