Page 47 of Raziel

I didn’t react. Nobody was sure what happened. Priest was too smart to let that slip to anybody. And nobody speculated. That could be dangerous when you were dealing with someone like him.

“She’s trouble,” Alessia added, like that wasn’t already obvious.

I didn’t respond.

She shifted closer. “Don’t spend too much time around her, Raziel.”

I looked her dead in the eye.

“I’m not trying to.”

That made her smile.

“I don’t like either one. Not my type of woman. I’ll play nice, of course. Out of respect for who Priest is. What he can do to my father’s business.”

Behind me, there was a loud clink—something knocked over on the balcony.

Alessia tensed.

“What was that?”

I stepped forward, filling the doorway.

“Probably the wind.”

She took a step toward the glass doors.

I leaned slightly, shifting into her path.

“I’ll check. Just in case. You stay. If you hear anything…” I tipped my head, voice low. “Run.”

I watched the fear crawl across her face.

I turned away and walked to the balcony.

Maya was crouched low behind a chaise lounge, curls wild in the breeze. When she saw me, she grinned and blew a kiss—bold and reckless.

I exhaled hard. Rolled my eyes.

But the corner of my mouth twitched anyway.

I shut the door and turned around.

Alessia hadn’t moved—hands clasped, face tight.

“It was the wind,” I said.

She narrowed her eyes, searching my face like she could dig the truth out of my skin.

I gave her nothing.

“Let’s go say goodbye to our guest,” I said, placing a hand on her shoulder and guiding her toward the door.

Chapter Seventeen- Maya

“Come to the house. Now.” That was the text I’d received from my sister twenty minutes earlier.

The second I walked through the door, she snatched me by the arm and dragged me into the living room like I was five and had just embarrassed her in Target.