Mihai’s expression sharpens. “I offer you something.”
Ruin narrows his eyes.
Mihai spreads his hands again. “More men,” he says bluntly. He tilts his head slightly. “And more guns.”
I watch as Ruin and Wolf exchange a look, their eyes shifty and distrusting.
“I will give you both,” Mihai adds calmly. “And in exchange…” His eyes darken. “We bury Ioana and her biker mutts.”
There it is. The words land like a hammer. Hound and Scar stare at each other, a silent conversation between them.
Wolf speaks then, suspicion lining his tone. “Where is the catch, Mr. Rosca?”
Mihai’s laugh this time is quieter. Sharper. “No catch. Just one dead sister,” he says coolly.
Then his gaze flicks to me, and I feel cold all over. “And a puzzle piece to solve.”
Wolf goes rigid beside me. Silence fills the room again. Before anyone can speak—
A soft beeping cuts through the air. Mihai glances down at his wrist, mildly alarmed, and presses his thumb against the face of his watch. The sound dies instantly. “We will continue later,” he says casually, not even bothering to look up. “My Ori?u needs me. It’s her meal time.” He taps the watch once more as if scolding it.
Then he sighs. Long and dramatic. “We have time, Tudor,” he adds, probably speaking toward the comm in his ear. “I won’t miss meal time with my daughter.”
The man who just proposed burying people like trash is now worrying about feeding his… kid. The sudden shift in his voice—softer, almost affectionate—sends a strange ripple through the room. The whiplash of it makes my skin crawl.
I suddenly want out of this room. Out of this building, brothers be damned.
Mihai pushes away from the table and heads toward the door, his stride long and deliberate. Controlled, but there’s urgency in it too.
“You… have a daughter?” Ruin asks, skepticism thick in his voice.
Wolf immediately shoots him a sharp glare.
Mihai stops with his hand on the door handle. Slowly, he turns his head and looks at Ruin. “Da,” he says. Then he tilts his head slightly. “With claws. And she only eats when I spoon-feed her.” Mihai’s mouth twitches as he settles his gaze on me. “Stay alive,scumpo. I dislike unfinished curiosities.”
TWENTY-THREE
Charlotte
A week passes in a blur.
That Mihai guy never shows up again, but he sends his men—discreetly. Slowly building up the armory in the basement. Apparently, he’s doing the same for Blaze’s club, the Nomads.
The uncomplicated willingness to supply weaponry has everyone on edge. No one trusts him. I see it every time Mihai’s men show up. Suspicion flashing in the eyes of every single brother. The whole club goes on lockdown. Women and children are sent to Wolf’s house under heavy guard.
I’ve always refused to leave. I want to see what the brothers might miss through their constant glares.
Ruin, for the most part, has left me alone. We’ve abandoned our daily walks around the compound. Wolf said we shouldn’t be taking any risks.
I agree.
Ryder has been back on my protection detail for four days now. I’m still not sure why that happened. When I asked, Ryder simply shrugged and said Ruin was probably occupied with VP duties. I don’t know why that irked me, but it did.
Shoving the covers off, I swing my legs out of bed and head to the attached bathroom. It’s almost four in the morning, and sleep continues to elude me.
Staring at myself in the mirror, I notice I’ve lost weight. Isabelle—persistent and sweet as she’s been—hasn’t been able to keep up with my declining appetite. Especially since Mihai’s ominous visit.
I finish up quickly, grab a throw blanket, and head outside. The backyard is fenced and secured, so it shouldn’t be an issue to stroll around.
