Page 163 of Ruin Me With Lies

“Yes, Ray.”

“White and Wren, you’re with me.”I point to the dark hole behind me.“Luca led us right to the X that marks the spot.We’re going to free the cubs and enrage the bear.”

Wren grins.“Always, Ray.”

“Great.”I clap my hands once, fired up.“Let’s wrap this shit up before Dad loses his patience and levels Vegas to the ground.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

Stefano

“DO WE HAVEEVERYTHINGready for the meeting with Forsyth on Monday?”

“Yeah,” Gio mutters, keeping his attention out the window.“Just need to give the final contract another comb-through.Make sure they didn’t sneak anything in.”

“Be sure to have your sulking face revised by then, too,” I tell him.“I need a shark in that meeting with me, not a pouting pussy.”

He sniffs.Sulkily.Like a little bitch.Still miffed over Raya’s confinement.And the fact that he’s still pouting tells me he’s yet to visit her.Or he’d know where her head’s at on the situation.

It’s almost four in the damn morning and we’re just getting back from an impromptu trip to downtown L.A.for a last-minute meet with a business partner to handle a fatal fuckup.A shit day I didn’t plan for, but it is what it is.That’s the business.

Right now, I’m worn out, brain fogged, and in desperate need of some shut-eye.But my desire to seeheris greater.Fucking itching under my skin to be near her.To touch her.Smell her.

There’s so much shit going on right now.So much crumbling and imploding in my carefully constructed empire.So many thorns to rip out and cracks to patch up.But all I can think about every goddamn second of every goddamn minute is her.It’s like a goddamn curse.

Thoughts of that sneaky little liar permeates every crevice of my mind, flood every vein, every vessel, taking up space like they own it.She looms so damn large in my head that everything else, no matter how grave or pressing, feels small and insignificant.As if nothing matters more than her.As ifshe’sthe empire.

It’s...new.Nothing I’ve ever felt before.A rush.A crave.A pathetic fucking desperation to be near another human being.A ragingneedto haul her up against me and inhale her bit by bit until she dissolves, fills my pores, my bloodstream, and becomes one with me.Mine in every way.

Is this what addiction feels like?

Something feels off the moment we return to the villa.The dogs are going nuts, and the garden park on the east side is pitch black.

“Find out Lo’s whereabouts,” I tell Gio as I get out my phone and ring up the head Upperman.

Sanders answers on the first ring.“Boss?”

“You all goddamn sleeping or what?”I bite out.“What’s going on with the dogs?And why the hell is there a blackout at the garden park?”

“Sorry, boss.I alerted maintenance about the park and the team’s on their way to check the poles now,” he rushes out.“I tried to send someone to check on the dogs, but comms suddenly went out and I didn’t want to leave my post in case it’s another attack and the dogs are a diversion.But I can go now, boss.”

“No.Go check on the others, see what’s going on.If they’re not dead, I’ll kill them myself.”

I hang up and head straight into the house.Shrug off my jacket and toss it aside, then beeline for the arms room.

Gio’s waiting when I come back out, adjusting the battle torch on my rifle.

“Lo says he’s three minutes out.Coming in from Black Gold.”He eyes me with a frown.“What’s going on?”

“No idea.You stay here.”I head for the door.“I’ll go meet Lo at the front.”

Outside, I jump into my cart and tear off toward the parking lot.A few minutes later, Lorenzo comes jogging over the bridge from the main lot and gets in beside me.

“Something’s going on,” he says.

“No shit,” I mutter, hitting the pedal.

“I sped here because surveillance alerted me the villa feed got hacked.It was looping for over an hour before they caught it.”He looks at me, grim.“No doubt something went down during that time.”