Page 62 of Blood in the Water

I slowed my run to drink water before wiping the sweat from my brow with the edge of my shirt. Even halfway across the world, I couldn’t get my mind off her and my brothers.

But my work abroad was not yet finished. In China, I’d secured a relationship with the tech mogul and his shipping manufacturer contact. He was interested in a contract to take out the head of his main competitor, but we’d not yet settled on a price.

My phone buzzed, and I flipped open the screen to read the latest text from Wynn.

Wynn: Ciel is stable. We’re back at the penthouse.

I sighed in relief.

Obi: Glad Ciel is alright. How is Leona?

Wynn: Upset. Volpe captured her bodyguard. But otherwise, safe with us.

I frowned. That was an unexpected development. What would Volpe do with Di Salvo? And how would Leona react?

Her next moves would show what she was capable of. Would she run? Would she implode? Would she find the strength to fight on?

Already, my brain was strategizing, looking ahead to determine how all these pieces would move around the board. HowIcould be the one to move them.

Obi: Help her if you can. But my thoughts on the hit for Volpe remain the same.

Wynn: Take me off rotation for a few days. I’ll see what I can do about Caspian.

Wynn had latched onto her immediately, which had slightly surprised me. He had always been the most serious of my brothers, the most focused. But something about her has spoken to him, and that alone gave me more belief that my initial assessment of her was correct. She belonged with us if she could fight her way to us.

I wanted to protect her and see how strong she could grow. Once the fire within her was lit, I wanted to see how brightly she could glow.

But as the Shadows, we couldn’t fight her battles for her. She needed to learn that. Her power was within her own hands if only she decided to take it.

23

LEONA

Max has him.

Max has him.

Max has him.

My hands shook as I tried to dial Colin’s number. It rang, but no one picked up. Another sob worked its way up my throat.

“Ciel’s stable but still passed out.” Wynn finally walked back into the living room. We had made it back to the Shadows’ penthouse, but besides it being on the top floor, I’d barely looked around to soak in my surroundings. What kind of home did a group of four assassins live in? And what would they do now that I, an outsider, had seen it?

It didn’t matter. Right now, the only thing that mattered was getting Cas back.

Wynn dropped to his knees in front of where I sat on the couch. His hands went to my knees, and a sliver of calm returned to my tense body.

“It’s going to be okay,” he said softly.

I shook my head as a tear rolled down my cheek. “It’s not, Wynn. Max will kill him.”

“He can’t. Caspian is a direct line to you. Volpe will not sever that line when he can use Caspian against you.” He tucked apiece of hair that had escaped my braid behind my ear. “Caspian is strong. He will be fine.”

One breath at a time.

I let the words steady me as much as possible so I could try the phone again. I redialed Colin’s number, but this time chaos exploded in my ear. Shouts, groans, and all-around madness.

“Iwarnedya, Leona!” Fallon’s voice shouted, seemingly from a distance. Groans followed her voice, along with at least three other people talking simultaneously.