Page 160 of The Colour of Revenge

“For now,” I echo, voice flat. It’s not enough. It’ll never be enough.

Carina steps closer, her voice quiet. “Are we in the clear?”

I glance at her, at the exhaustion in her face, and shake my head. “Not yet. Maybe not ever. But we bought ourselves time.”

She nods, her shoulders straightening, though I can see the weight she’s carrying.

And as I look at her, at Kai, at the mess we’re in, I know one thing for certain. This isn’t over. Not by a long shot.

But for right now, I can breathe. At least where this is concerned.

Though, now I have other issues to worry about.

It’s time to focus on Carina.

She regained some of her fire during the last act of vengeance, a spark that reminded me of the girl she once was. But once it was all over—once the bloodshed and rage faded—she fell apart.

It’s like the weight of everything—the pain, the fear, the years of torment—finally caught up to her. The past sixteen years of her life are crushing her, and she doesn’t know how to rise above it. Watching her struggle like this... it’s breaking something inside me.

I know she’s strong. But strength doesn’t matter when you’re drowning.

And right now, I can see it—Carina is sinking. Fast.

If I don’t pull her out, she won’t survive this.

Not again.

43

The Awkward Romantic

Hypothetical Question: You have five seconds to decide between only being allowed to eat savoury foods or only sweet foods for the rest of your life.

Nate

Ipacethelivingroom like a madman, my boots scuffing the hardwood floor in a rhythm that probably sounds like Morse code for,“Help, I’m panicking.”The tension in my chest tightens with every turn, and I glance at the clock for the hundredth time. Carina should be back any minute. I sent her out with Kai—not because I don’t enjoy her company but because the woman has the observational skills of a hawk and would’ve sniffed out my plans in two seconds flat.

She turned twenty-nine while being held captive by her father, a fact that still makes my stomach churn like I ate bad seafood. I wasn’t there when she needed me, and while I can’t time-travel to punch her father and bring her a cake, I can at least try to make her smile tonight.

The living room looks like a Pinterest board exploded in here. Plush blankets are spread out across the floor with the precision of someone who Googled“How to be romantic without looking like a lunatic.”Rose petals are scattered everywhere, because apparently, romance is 70% flowers and 30% emotional vulnerability.

Twinkling fairy lights wrap around every surface, making the space glow like the set of a Hallmark Christmas movie. A bottle of Italian wine chills in a cooler, next to strawberries expertly dipped in chocolate—by Enzo, not me. If I’d done it, they’d look like one of my crime scenes.

My stomach churns as doubt creeps in.Shit. What if it’s too much?

Too cheesy?

Maybe I should’ve gone with something simpler, like, I don’t know, just saying,“Hey, happy birthday, Princess. Hope your dad rots in hell,”and handing her a cupcake. Romance isn’t really my thing—I’m more of a ‘solve problems with violence’ kind of guy—but this is what Carina needs.

The sound of the front door clicking open snaps me out of my spiralling thoughts. My breath catches as I turn toward it.

Carina steps inside, her pink sundress brushing just above her knees. The warm spring air outside has allowed her to start dressing lighter, and though she’s still thin from the months she spent locked away, there’s a healthier glow to her now. Enzo’s relentless mission to fatten her up with pasta is starting to pay off.

Her eyes widen as she takes in the scene.

“Nate…” she breathes, her voice soft with awe.

Kai gives me a subtle thumbs-up before dragging a reluctant Enzo out the door. I owe them.