The sound is enough to kick up the urge to touch her further and to pull some moans from her as she wakes up, but I force it down. We were up late, and I know she needs her sleep.
Still, my body reacts anyway, and I angle my hips away from her just enough not to rouse her further, and the idea dances around in my mind.
I could stay a little while longer. At least long enough for her to eventually wake up and potentially be interested in a morning round.
Pulling in a deep breath, I try to keep myself from getting too worked up, but Christ…she undid me completely last night, and those images will stay with me for the rest of my life.
Then, almost like a cruel dose of mockery, my phone vibrates on the nightstand. At first, I ignore it in favour of focusing on how tempting her skin feels against mine, and with the slightest shift, I could—
It buzzes again. Irritated by the interruption, I reach for it with my jaw clenched tight.
Elena grumbles in her sleep, turning over without waking.
With some relief, I grab my phone to see multiple texts from Patch telling me to call him back immediately. Slipping on my boxers from last night with a slight grimace, I step into the hall and close the door before accepting the next call from him.
“What is it?”
“One of the warehouses on the north end has been hit,” Patch says, not mincing words with urgency. “It’s burning.”
It all hits me at once, almost making me stagger. “What?”
“The security system went down twenty minutes ago, and the sprinklers didn’t kick in. It’s already out of control.”
Rage flares through me without warning, burning up the calm state of mind I woke up with, and I grip the phone tighter. “How bad is it?”
“Bad,” he says. “Inventory’s gone, and likely the equipment too. I’m heading there now to see for myself.”
Running a hand through my hair, I pace. “I’m coming.”
“You don’t have to. I’ll take care of it.”
“I said I’m on my way,” I tell him, not willing to let Patch face this one without me, especially without knowing what could be waiting. “I’ll be there in ten.”
Before he can say anything else, I end the call.
For a beat, I consider waking Elena to tell her where I’m going, and to keep her in the loop like she wanted. But then I picture her face twisted up in confusion and worry, and I can’t bring myself to do it. Not when she’s safe and completely soft from sleep.
No… this is something I have to handle without having to convince her of how necessary it is. I can’t waste time.
So, I get myself dressed as quickly as I can, grab my jacket, my pistol, and my keys, then I leave.
I feel cold in her absence throughout the drive as everything blurs together, my mind racing through numbers, logistics, and potential losses from this. All of my warehousesare strategic and profitable, and now, those numbers are dwindling.
The building is engulfed when I arrive, pulling in behind Patch’s truck, and the heat hits me as soon as I step out.
The air is already thick and suffocating, smoke billowing upward in dark plumes. Sirens scream nearby, quickly closing in. Everything smells like burning metal and oil, along with money turning to nothing but ash.
Patch’s face is already set like stone as he barks orders at the few guys around, and when he spots me, his grave expression says everything.
The warehouse is an absolute inferno, with flames eating away at the roof and already blowing most of the windows out. Years of hard work burn in front of me, almost like a taunt.
I might’ve gained allies, but in a cruel twist of fate, I had to lose something too.
“This isn’t a coincidence,” Patch finally mutters, watching as the warehouse continues to glow.
I already know he’s right. It wasn’t an accident, and it wasn’t just an attack.
“Another fucking message,” I return, barely able to stand the fury curling within me. “The Grimaldis have never hit like this before.”
