Page 31

Perhaps.

She deflates, sitting down on the edge of her bed. If she moves the right way, I’ll be able to see the parts that tempt me. Places my body craves to find a home in, my mouth watering at the taste of her.

I shake my head. Down, boy.

Sunshine: She’s insane.

I laugh. She’s not wrong.

That she is. But she has her reasons.

Sunshine: What reason is there to chop off a man’s limbs and leave him on our doorstep?

Yeah, that’s a bit much. But also, pretty on-brand for my sister.

I pull up another thread.

Did you really chop Paolo up and leave him for Roman?

Kill-joy: He worked with our enemies to have your sister killed a few months ago. Remember?

Killian has a point.

No judgments, but damn.

Kill-joy: Sounds like judgments. Be happy I talked her out of stringing the body parts up on flagpoles all over his territory. You’d be cleaning up another mess.

Fair.

I return to Valentina, glancing up at the monitor. The phone is on her bed, and she’s staring down at it, waiting for my response. Well, that’s precious. Maybe she likes our little chats.

O’Brien captain has a way of making an impact.

Sunshine: Do you know her?

I pause. What would be the right answer here? I enticed her to speak to me.

If I admitted to being an enemy, would that end things?

Probably.

I know of her.

Sunshine: Don’t try to kill her. Your attempt on Roman was atrocious.

Is she flirting with me? A smile graces my face.

I would’ve succeeded if someone didn’t bump into me.

Sunshine: If that’s all it takes for your plan to fall apart… it wasn’t a great plan.

She is flirting with me. I’m kind of into it.

And what about you? You didn’t turn me in.

Sunshine: So?

*heart emoji* You care.