Page 61 of Blood in the Water

“He’ll be fine. We’re almost home anyway,” he said as he turned the van down another street.

My phone rang, Cas’s name lighting up the screen. “Hey,” I answered.

“Where the fuck are you?” he growled. Shouts and shuffling came from his side of the phone.

“I’m with Wynn. We’re in New York, headed to Wynn’s place. Don’t worry, don’t worry. Everything’s fine. We found the other Shadow, and we’re all safe.” I neglected to mention how I was attacked and ended up killing someone. That could wait until we were face to face, where I knew he wouldn’t have an aneurysm.

“Don’t go back to the safe house. Get out of the city.Now.”

I frowned. The sounds in the background grew louder, and I thought I heard a gunshot. My heart shot straight up into my throat. “What the fuck is happening, Cas?”

“Max found me,” he said with another grunt.

I caught Wynn’s glance in the rearview, my eyes going wide.Oh, no.

“Tell Wynn to keep you safe.”

The line went dead.

22

OBI

As soon as I read Wynn’s most recent update about Ciel’s mission and Leona’s involvement, I had to run to calm down. The steady beat of my feet against the road near my childhood home allowed me to clear my head and think.

I wasanxious. My gut twisted. Cold sweat pricked my shoulder blades and dripped down my back. It was an unfamiliar feeling, especially since I had been the force behind their meeting.

I assigned Ciel the recon mission, knowing the Russian’s port was in Atlantic City.

I knew Leona’s contact within the Irish would eventually push her to Fallon Byrne, and I knew Byrne would contact Wynn, drawing him to Philadelphia.

I assumed Ciel would need someone in the field to investigate the port, which would connect them and Leona at the same time. It may have been a gamble, but it logically followed that the three of them would intersect.

Without them knowing, I orchestrated their meet-up.

But I didn’t expect to feel so uneasy. So agitated.

So out of control.

Whenever I visited Africa, my home, the nightmares tended to come back in full force. Last night’s torment and today’s notification about Ciel’s mission had my entire body twisted in knots.

I hadn’t been so worked up since I was a teenager, trying to keep my sisters safe from the gangs that roamed our town and threatened to destroy us like they had our parents.

Since then, I’d taken on the role of protecting my siblings and the town where I was from. I’d traveled the world, learned other languages, trained my skills, and learned as much as possible. I’d gone to the depths of hell to earn money and a reputation. I’d blackmailed, killed, hunted, everything in order to achieve the one thing I desired above all: security.

Everything I did was to build a safer world for my family and those I chose to take responsibility for. I had to become a monster to do that, and I’d embraced that role entirely as I built the Shadows from the ground up. Violence was necessary to secure safety. But still, it was fleeting. It’s why I continued to visit, to ensure my sisters were safe and the home we’d built was thriving for everyone in our town.

My emotions had been shut down for years because that was what it took to gather the power I required to keep those I loved safe.

Yet, I struggled to reconcile the anxiety I felt abouther,about the three of them together, with the person I’d forced myself to become.

Something about her made me feelvulnerable.

I wished I could be there watching, protecting her, but I had work to do. My plan to integrate her into our group would only work if she proved herself without my interference. However, the more I watched her struggle, the more I saw her work her way into Wynn’s heart, and the more I realized I’d already become attached.

She was doing exactly what I’d hoped she’d do. She was finding a way to belong with us.

Once she did, the chess board would shift again, and we could begin playing therealgame. The one I’d been playing my entire life, the game for ultimate power.