I strip off my clothes—they reek of smoke and blood—and step into the shower.
The water runs red at first. Then pink. Then finally clear.
I scrub my skin until it's raw. Until every trace of today is gone.
But I can still smell it.
The smoke. The gunpowder. The copper tang of blood.
I sink down onto the shower floor and let the water pound against me.
And I think about Adrian's promise.
This won't happen again.
But promises don't mean anything when you're married to a man like Adrian Nero.
When your brother is a thief and a coward.
When you're carrying the heir to a mafia empire.
Promises are just words.
And words can't stop bullets.
CHAPTER 17
Adrian
The moment Sera disappears into the bedroom; I signal for Leo to come back into the room. I appreciate that he stepped out to give us a moment, but now, it's time to switch from husband to boss.
I entrusted my wife's safety to Leo, and he saved her life—but he's also lucky she survived, because I'd made it clear he was not to leave her side. Ten minutes alone with her brother, even in the presence of our guards, was not part of my orders.
"Talk," I say. One word. Cold. Flat.
Leo is like a brother. We are closer than Luc and I have ever been, but when it comes to my wife…
In just a short amount of time, Sera has become the most important person in my life, and I'd expect Leo to lay down his life for her.
"Six attackers. Maybe more." He sets his phone down, showing me a layout of the safe house. "They came in through the front and back simultaneously. Coordinated breach. Our men didn't stand a chance."
"Then, get new men." My voice is deadly calm. The kind of calm that comes before violence. "My wife and childshould not be on the line because we didn't anticipate an attack. That's your fucking job, Leo."
Leo's jaw clenches, and I know he takes that personally. I don't give a fuck.
"They had explosives. Military grade, by the sound of it." Leo's jaw tightens. "Blew the front door, hit the back entrance at the same time. They also had someone across the way, sniping at us. They took down the guards in the room."
I nod.
"Sera thinks they were there for her."
Leo shakes his head decisively. "Disagree."
I raise a brow, curious as to what he will say. "And?"
"The guy on the roof was precise. If he was there for Sera, he would have taken her out first. He shot the guards."
"Meaning?" I suspect I know, but I want Leo to spell it out.
