Page 24 of Blood in the Water

Except the longer I watched, the more I’d been drawn to her. To the both of them.

So I followed them. Curiosity morphed into interest.

When I first formed the Shadows ten years ago, I had been drawn to my brother Ryuji because he was a lost soul damaged by pain and loneliness like I had been. We found a refuge in one another as friends. We’d begun to use our shared skillsets together, taking contracts from our respective communities. A few years later, we met Ciel and found the same thing within him: a man with nowhere to truly belong. Next came Wynn, and the pattern repeated. A spark illuminated between us, a connection and realization that we were better together than alone. The organization grew, and we prospered, yet I’d felt for years that a piece was missing.

As I watched Leona and her bodyguard, that spark again illuminated—that draw of kindred spirits.

I’d seen Caspian’s skills and desire to protect. I’d seen a dormant and damaged fire within Leona, just waiting to be relit. Watching them struggle and decide whether to fight or give up reminded me so much of my own past. Of all of us.

Pain and heartbreak, reborn into strength and power. However, my brothers and I still carried the broken shards of our past.

Perhaps that’s what had led me to follow them to this airport and had caused my finger to squeeze the trigger and protect them.

I hadn’t intended to interfere.

I had only intended to watch. I only wanted to learn more about her and see if she was indeed the kindred spirit I thought she was. Shooting the fuel tank of the SUV to trigger the explosion was an act of instinct.

When I saw her sobbing over Di Salvo’s body and the two remaining Volpe soldiers getting ready to discharge their weapons at the Irishman’s vehicle, my body acted on its own. I aimed, fired, and watched the SUV go up in flames with the men inside.

I couldn’t just watch her die.

And now here I was, remaining in the shadows while the car tires screeched as the Irishman, the princess, and the bodyguard peeled out of the parking lot.

For some inexplicable reason, I knew that was not the last time I would see her.

The spark was an instinctual message sent from the universe.

Perhaps she could play a role in the future I envisioned. Perhaps she could be a piece of the puzzle, a move on the chessboard that would catalyze us.

It wasn’t as simple as immediately bringing her under my wing. Leona was different from us. She didn’t have the skills we had. Caspian did; his abilities were on par with the rest of us, but how could I bring in a woman with no skills or training to the Shadows and convince the rest of them she belonged? That the spark I felt meant she would find her home with us?

It would never work.

No, if she was a kindred spirit, and her future was tied with ours, she’d have to prove it to them.

So for now, I’d protect her, be her shield from the shadows.

Everything I’d ever done, I’d done to grow strong to protect those I’d loved. That was only possible when you were in the highest position of strength, and that’s why I’d spent ten years taking contracts, accumulating favors, and getting my hands dirty. I chose what contracts to take when I knew it would earn us favors, remove potential enemies, or smooth our path moving forward.

I did it all so I could protect those who relied on me back home.

For Leona, I could provide protection from behind the scenes while she determined if that fire inside her was strong enough to persevere. I could nudge her in a direction and open doors for her, but she’d have to take the step.

Life was a game of chess and winning required finesse and strategy. One must see three or five steps ahead, but one can’t rush, or the plan will collapse.

So that’s what I would do. I’d play the long game. I’d present opportunities to her and see how she would respond.

I took out an opposing pawn tonight, but Leona herself would have to decide how she wanted to move from space to space.

If she found her way to us, I’d know she deserved a place among us.

After I packed away my rifle, I pulled my phone from my pocket and immediately connected to the dark web, where clients from all over the world submitted bids for professional assassins to take hits. Within minutes, I bought out the contract for her life. I suppressed the information about her and Caspian. I closed down any references of her and the Italians. I did it discreetly so no one would know who was protecting her.

There would be no more hits against her. I’d have Ciel keep watch and shut them down whenever they reappeared. Volpe wouldn’t let her go—he had too much at risk for that. But I wouldn’t let another assassin take her life while I had my eyes on her.

If Leona showed her strength and played the board, perhaps she’d find us on the other side—ready to accept her as our queen.

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