Kai leaned up to kiss him on the cheek, and as the two of them headed through the small gardens toward the gate, Lucien looked back and said, “Have a good day, father. And don’t forget to do a little stargazing.”
LATER THAT NIGHT, when I stepped inside the rectory, I locked the door behind me and my eyes immediately shifted to the window Lucien had mentioned earlier that day.
If I thought I’d been distracted that morning, that had nothing on how the rest of my day had gone. But as I stood just inside the door, the light from the street shining inside, I wondered if this was some kind of test.
God knew I’d failed the one He’d placed in front of me last night. But as the light beckoned me closer, Lucien’s words echoed in the room all around me.
“Look outside your window tonight… You’ll see him.”
Don’t do it,a voice whispered in my head, even as my feet started in that direction.
My heart thumped with every step I took, the angel and devil on my shoulders waging a war that pounded in my ears until I finally stopped in front of the window and looked out.
That was when I saw it: in the building across the street—I couldn’t say how many floors up—a man. A man whose silhouette I’d know anywhere.
Alessio.
8
ALESSIO
SEVEN MONITORS GLOWED in front of me, my eyes sweeping across each one of them as they loaded the information I needed to rip this motherfucker a new asshole.
“Damn,” Lachlan said, shaking his head where he sat beside me drinking whiskey from the crystal glass I’d gotten each of the guys during my last trip to Japan. “I know you’re feeling better when you’re this vicious.”
I ignored the insinuation that I’d been feeling shitty—because he wasn’t wrong—and began to type out the code that would dismantle the chief justice’s assets. “It’s not my fault he decided to cast the key vote in overturning Parker v. Manheim. Now he can know what it’s like to be a shithead with no money to back his mouth up.”
Lachlan smirked at me over his glass, eyes twinkling mischievously. “Have I mentioned I love how petty you are?”
“Just doin’ the Lord’s work.” Because surely God wouldn’t mind taking down ass-wipes who took away human rights like they were the man in charge.
Once everything loaded, my fingers flew across the keyboard, quickly demolishing each of his investments. All that wealthhe hid behind would be anonymously donated to charities that funded the very group of people he’d hurt with his actions.
The fucker.
A few taps, a little code, and I successfully finished my mission for the night, one King had given me the go-ahead for. He had the ultimate faith in me, more than I’d had recently, and when I mentioned wanting to see the chief justice fry, he hadn’t hesitated in his support.
The world needed balance, after all.
I blew out a breath, sitting back against the leather, and Lachlan handed me a full glass.
“How long until his meltdown?” he asked.
“Let’s just say he won’t be enjoying his dinner at Jônt tonight.”
“The fact that you know his every move is a little terrifying. I approve.”
I grinned and tapped my glass against his before letting the whiskey do its job. No way in hell was I having more than one drink tonight, not after Tequila Fest, but one to celebrate wasn’t gonna hurt anyone. “Of course you do, but why are you down here tonight instead of out with Cooper?”
“He’s busy with a new story, and when he gets like that it’s best I just leave.”
I smirked and side-eyed my friend. “He kicked you out, didn’t he?”
“Fuck you.”
I snorted and turned my attention back to the screen, deciding to check on another bank account. Why not keep my hot streak going and look into the other asshole I’d been keeping an eye on, one that was next on my list for anonymous gifting to a charity ofmychoice? I just needed to do a little more digging around before I brought it to King.
“You’re the worst when you want attention,” I said. “Great at skulking in shadows, but terrible when you want attention.”
