Page 47 of Blood in the Water

I didn’twantto leave Leona, especially not when she was deciding whether to hire us, but Ciel couldn’t wait.

Wynn: Give me five minutes.

“Unfortunately, I have to leave,” I said as I stood and tucked my phone back into my pocket.

“Wait,” Leona said as she popped up, anxiousness in her gaze. She bit her lip. “What’s next?”

I caught Caspian’s gaze and held it. There was real fear there. Not fear of me, but fearforher. For them both, if they were to get involved with us.

“I’ll talk with my brothers and perhaps get a sense of how much it would cost. I’ll come back tomorrow, and you can decide what you want to do then.”

Even that was unusual for us. Typically, clients offered an amount, and we either took on the contract or didn’t. But the necklace she offered wouldn’t be enough. This was the best I could do for now.

She sighed in relief and then nodded. “Thank you, Wynn.”

I grabbed hold of her fingers. As if my body acted entirely on this strange pull, I slowly raised them to my lips and kissed her knuckles. “I look forward to seeing you again, Leona.”

Her cheeks flushed pink as her breath hitched and her eyes dilated slightly. At that sight alone, desire surged through me.

What would she do if I pressed my body against hers and promised her the world?

I wished I had time to find out. I pulled away and, reluctantly, dropped her hand.

As I left the house and Leona behind, something in me had already decided. I couldn’t let her go forever.

I needed to speak with my brothers. This was something wehadto do. If she couldn’t hire us, Volpe would eventually catch up to her, and she would be good as dead. That fact was entirely unacceptable, especially when I could save her.

18

LEONA

Isat up in the bed. No nightmares tonight, the first night since my father died. I’d slept…good.

I turned to tell Cas, but he wasn’t there. His side of the bed was fully made.

“Cas?” I shouted, fear clenching my gut. Had he left? Was something wrong?

“I’m in the kitchen!” he called back. I let out a massive breath of relief.

Last night had been tense after Wynn left. I hadn’t wanted to talk further about the Shadows—my mind was set—and Cas had practically ignored me. He stomped around the house, mad like a little bitch, and it pissed me off.

I was not stupid. I understood what I was getting into with the Shadows. I had hoped the necklace would be enough to pay for them, but now I’d have to find more money. How? Maybe my inheritance, if I could get my hands on it. It didn’t matter how, though, because I was determined to figure it out. Everything would be fine. We were not going to get in over our heads, yet Cas was acting like I was a fucking idiot whowantedto get us killed.

Sometimes he was so damn protective he was stifling. We’d fought about it plenty as I grew up, but now my patience was thin. Hiring the Shadows to kill Max was theonlypath forward for me. He’d have to accept that or… I wasn’t sure. But there was no way I was backing down from this.

After an hour of the silent treatment, I’d just gone to bed and expected Cas to sleep eventually. I ran my hand over the smooth side of his covers. Had he slept here? Or had he slept on the couch? I thought I remembered snuggling up against his side at some point in the night, but maybe that was a dream.

After throwing the covers off, I climbed out of bed and headed to the kitchen for breakfast.

Cas stood at the kitchen table while he hooked his shoulder holsters over his arms and loaded his weapons.

I frowned. “What’s wrong?”

He looked up for a second, eyes catching on my sleep shirt and holding there for a few tense moments.

If I wasn’t still a little pissed at him, I would have teased him with how he stared at my thighs. I saw how the shirt affected him the other night. And I remembered how his comfort after my nightmare had sent shockwaves of heat between my legs. How Iachedto wrap my legs around him, just to make me feel something good.

We hadn’t discussed it, but I wanted him to kiss me that night.