Page 96 of Wicked Princess (Knight's Ridge Empire 2)

CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE

Sebastian

“Tell me you’ve got something?” I demand, sitting in front of the boss’s desk.

My intention was to stay with Stella, I’m pretty sure that I’d made that clear, but the second she slammed her door in my face, I got back in the car, this is the address I found falling from my lips.

If I couldn’t be there to protect her in person, then I needed to do something.

For all we knew, her attacker was sitting in wait, watching the house, biding his time.

My stomach rolls as I think about him being inside her room to steal her knife.

What if he knew we were coming and waited for her? What if he’s already got to her?

“Nothing,” Damien sighs.

“This is bullshit,” I spit, earning myself a raised brow from the boss. “An eighteen-year-old girl doesn’t just get stabbed and the motherfucker gets away with it.”

“They do, and you know it.”

“But he planned this. He had to have fucked up somewhere.”

“Not that we can find. The police records show no fingerprints other than hers and yours—” Something I had to explain in the days after Stella’s stabbing. “There’s no other evidence that the police, or our contacts can find. But that doesn’t mean he won’t fuck up.”

“I’m not fucking happy about this,” I tell him, knowing exactly what he means by that comment.

“Well then, it’s probably a good thing that you don’t have a choice.”

Allowing a long, frustrated breath to pass my lips, I rest back in the chair.

“So what’s the plan?”

“Nothing set in stone yet, but she needs to be out. There’s no point locking herself up in the house. I need you to make her a target, then we’ll catch this motherfucker.”

The memory of her limp, lifeless body in my arms hits me once more.

“I’m not sure—”

“Just do your job, Sebastian. We’ll catch this motherfucker and put this all to bed. It’s time we all moved on.”

“Just like that, huh?”

Damien scrubs his hand down his face.

“I know you’re still angry, son. But we were in the middle of a war, what happened that day wasn’t intentional. Your father was in the crossfire.

“We live dangerous lives. Ultimately, some will pay for that.”

I nod, the lump in my throat too huge to even attempt to talk around.

“Galen has done his time. Don’t you think that maybe you should cut him a little slack? It seems to me that he brought you something by way of an apology.” Damien’s brow lifts in amusement.

“This has nothing to do with Stella,” I hiss.

“Doesn’t it? Correct me if I’m wrong, but only a few weeks ago, that’s exactly how you were playing it.”

“You knew,” I breathe.