Page 71 of Power of Shadow

“I was a child when I was last a good person. Since then, no one has seen that side of me. But—but for you, I want to be better.” His voice trails off. “Does that make sense?”

There’s a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

Something inside me suddenly trembles. It’s as though a single bolt on the gate has loosened its grip.

I answer him with a nod because my throat is tight. He leans down and gently kisses my lips, but before I can open them, he pulls away from me.

Too fast.

“The Pact. Power, abundance, control, tenacity. You won’t find that in people’s stories. These are the values for which the brotherhood was created. We pledge our lives for them, other people die for them, we die for them. The oath we take is sacred—a code and a gift. We not only create these values, but we also receive them.”

“I’ve heard—” I try to find the right words. “I’ve heard the Pact is a drug cartel.”

Ryker’s laugh is loud but bitter. He shakes his head before answering. “The Pact can be compared to an octopus. The difference is that instead of eight arms, this octopus has hundreds, even thousands. If you cut off two of them, six more grow back in their place. Do the same with a hundred and let’s see what happens. Either way, some of these tentacles are legal businesses, trading companies, transport companies, IT companies, banks, and clubs. Some of them are a different story and are involved in politics, illegal racing, underground fighting, arms dealing, the pornography industry...”

“And drugs,” I add for him.

“And drugs,” he confirms.

“I suppose this tentacle isn’t a local distributor on the street corner.”

“There’s nothing local about the Pact, my Little Killer. It’s not a local club for snobs or a few bored millionaires. You have to understand that. Name a country in the farthest corner of the world and you can be sure I’ll find my people there. These are the generations of people who rule the world.”

My Little Killer... Why do I like that so much?

“Drugs are everywhere, so where does that belief come from?” I ask, not quite understanding what he means.

Ryker looks away for a moment and gazes out the window. When his eyes meet mine again, I know he’s wondering how much he can tell me.

“Ash, you know this could kill you. Why do you want to know?”

“I’m just curious,” I say, trying to look innocent.

We stare at each other, both knowing that’s not true. Still, he doesn’t call my bluff.

“Curiosity killed the cat. I won’t let it do the same to you,” he finally says. His eyes sparkle.

“Aww, my big bad wolf cares—”

I don’t finish because Ryker grabs me around the waist and pulls me close to him, so close that now our noses are touching and our hot breaths mix. The warmth of his body is palpable even through the layers of clothing. He’s so hard everywhere and…

“Don’t tease me, Ash. Of course I care. I shouldn’t, but it’s too late for that now. I care, and you’d better remember that.”

In this one moment, I believe him. Or maybe I want to believe him?

His eyes wander over my face, and my gaze follow them. They linger on my lips for a long moment.

I slowly raise my hand and stroke the stubble on his cheek. It’s stiff, and it tickles my fingers. Once again, I try to find out more. “What about the drugs?”

“You’re asking too many questions,” he responds evasively and cuts off the subject. “Maybe next time.”

Too late. Ryker is closing off. Pressing him any further will raise more questions in his mind, and possibly even more suspicion.

I slide my fingers from his face to his neck and brush against the tattooed Roman numerals. They’re arranged vertically, one below the other, perfectly even.

“Then maybe you can tell me about this tattoo?”

“No, it’s none of your business.” Ryker’s voice becomes sharp and his eyes darken.