Page 92 of Caught in the Crossfire

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Ryuji grumbled. “He didn’t even have a goddamn weapon. We weresupposedtotorturehim. What are we going to do now?”

Wynn’s eyes darted between Orik’s body and me. His free hand fisted at his side while he blinked rapidly and his face crumpled. I glanced at my ankle to see red scratches, but nothing life-threatening.

“Fuck,” Max said quietly, running a hand through his hair like he always did when he was thinking. Trying to solve a problem. After a moment, he deflated. “What a waste of fucking time.”

We all stood around, staring at Vokshi’s dead body. Now what?

“I thought he had a knife,” Wynn said quietly. “I couldn’t let him hurt her.”

I reached for him. “It’s okay, Wynn. You?—”

“We’re done here,” Obi said, pulling me backwards. The rest of my guys did the same, retreating the way we came.

“Let’s go. Before the cops come.” Max snapped his fingers at Daniele. He cast me one last look, eyes dragging all the way down my body, lingering on the blood spatter on my face, before he turned.

As quickly as we’d all come, we disappeared just as fast.

It wasn’t until we got back to the SUV that Vokshi’s leer burned behind my eyelids. His words echoed in my ears.

And my hands started shaking.

31

RYUJI

The next time we were in a standoff like that—it didn’t matter with who—I was going to kill someone. I was tired of this shit. Tired of being forced to walk away. Tired of Volpe leaving with his head attached to his shoulders.

Our enemies were right in front of us. Why couldn’t we just fucking kill them and be done with it? It had to be simpler than whatever shit we were getting ourselves wrapped up in day after day.

At least when our enemies were dead, I knew I could finallysleep. I could stop worrying about Leona getting hurt at all hours of the day. I could find some fucking peace.

Butno.

Wynn had overreacted and shot Vokshi before we’d even had a chance to get information out of him.

I’msupposed to be the one who kills without a thought. Stealing my fucking thunder.

My hands clenched in my lap while I watched the light poles outside fly by, one after another. We were still on the way back to the penthouse. Obi drove, the passenger seat empty next to him. I sat with Leona and Cas in the middle row, Leona sandwichedbetween us. The two lover boys sat in the back, still not speaking with each other.

They just needed to fuck already. It was getting annoying.

We left the dead bodies behind. Ciel had edited us out of the camera feeds, leaving Volpe and his men behind. If the cops investigated, all they’d find was him. The murders would fall at their feet, not ours. Good fucking luck to him.

I was honestly surprised none of us got shot during that debacle. And I’m evenmoresurprised that none of us shot any Italians.

I just wanted to fucking shoot someone. Was that too much to ask?

Leona hadn’t said a word, despite having multiple opportunities to kill Volpe and be done with it. Whatever bargain they’d made had concluded. So what was stopping her? And why did it make me so goddamn angry?

It was time for some answers.

She sat beside me, silently staring out the window on Cas’s side with a frown on her face. His hand rested on her thigh, pulling her tighter against him.

“Why won’t you kill him?” I demanded, breaking the silence that had blanketed the SUV for miles.

All of their eyes snapped to me at my outburst, but I was only looking at her. Always looking at her.

She glared at me, fists clenched together in her lap, trembling.