THE THREE OF US sit in the car, with Saxon back to gazing out the window while Beni drives. I glance back at her, but she won’t meet my eyes. As I turn back around, I run my fingers through my hair.
“You’re really not going to tell me who shot you?” I ask, exasperated.
She doesn’t answer, but I catch a single tear sliding down her face in the rearview mirror.
I wrack my brain to try to figure out who it could be. Not only did they have to shoot Saxon, but they had to kill Paolo in order to get her out of the house. I’ve seen the video of Paolo’s murder, and it was definitely a woman. Most women don’t have it in them to slit someone’s throat, nor do they have the strength to put a man in that position, but Viola does. Which is why I was so convinced it was her. But someone went through great lengths to make us believe that, and we almost played right into their hand.
“What do you want to do about the Bratva in the shed?” Beni asks. “Dispose of him?”
I run my hand over the facial hair that covers my chin. “Leave him. He doesn’t handle pain well and sings like a canary. He may be of use to us.”
Most people run from the darkness. They fear it in a way that makes it hard to rationalize what’s real and what’s not. After all, it’s where all the monsters and demons come to play. I, however, embrace it. My demons wrap their arms around me and rock me to sleep at night while the darkness hovers, bending down to kiss my forehead. They bring me peace and protect me from my damage.
I gaze out my bedroom window, my eyes focused on the shed in the back corner. I’d seen Kage and Beni go in and out of there a few times, but it never really occurred to me what could be in there until now. Overhearing them talk about someone being in there grabbed my attention and held it in a vise, and now I can’t stop my mind from going deeper and deeper into what that part of Kage’s life is like.
A knock on my bedroom door yanks my attention away from the window, and I stare at the TV as if I’ve been grossly absorbed into My 600lb Life this whole time. As the door creaks as it opens, I glance over to see Viola peeking her head in. She smiles shyly at me, which is definitely not a good look for her.
“Mind if I come in?”
I tilt my head to the side. “Why? Want to finish the job you started?”
Her eyes widen as she runs inside and shuts the door behind her. “Oh my God, that’s not funny. Kage will shoot me in the head if he hears you say that.”
“Maybe that’s my intention.”
She crosses her arms over her chest. “I wasn’t the one who shot you, and we both know that.”
I snort. “No, but that doesn’t mean you’re not a royal pain in my ass.”
“That’s actually why I’m here.” She comes over and sits on the edge of the bed. “I think you and I got off on the wrong foot.”
Cocking a single brow at her, I hum. “Is that right?”
“It is,” she says. “I formed an opinion before I got a chance to know the real you, and that was wrong of me. After all, you can’t be all that bad. You didn’t let Kage kill me.”
“I still might,” I drawl and take a sip of my wine.
A heavy sigh flows from her mouth as she moves closer. “I want to make it up to you.”
This has to be a joke. She may not have been the one to shoot me, but the Viola I know would have danced on my grave. Still, I bite, because I’m curious.
“And how do you plan on doing that?”
She grins. “By being your friend, duh.”
I choke on air, the whole idea being outlandish. “Yeah, hard pass. Thanks anyway.”
This is the girl who wants nothing more than to push me away from Kage. She’s underestimating me if she thinks I’ve grown up in a world where the motto isn’t keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
“Oh, come on,” she presses. “According to the world, you’re dead. I’d imagine that gets pretty lonely.”
The corner of my mouth raises. “Don’t worry. I have Kage.”
She makes a sound of disgust. “Is that what this is about? Honey, he held a gun to my head. The part of me that thought he and I have a future together went up in flames when he spent two straight weeks hunting me down like a fox in the woods. Believing that man’s future is with anyone but you would be idiotic.”
Well, at least she’s a little more grounded in reality than before, but I’m still not about to sign up for Team Viola. “Seriously, thanks, but no thanks. I’m perfectly content here in my little bubble.”
With a finger to her lips, she looks me over like she’s considering my words. “Hmm. Nope. I’m going to win you over, Saxon Forbes. You’ll see. Trust me.”
I look her in the eyes and speak with the most sincerity I’ve ever had in my life. “I don’t trust anyone.”
“You will,” she says, not taking no for an answer.
THE TWO OF US sit in an awkward silence for over an hour. I stare at the TV while Viola scrolls on her phone, trying to show me a couple funny memes or talking shit about what some celebrity was seen wearing out last night. And personally, I don’t give a shit if Brad and Jennifer had some epic reunion in front of the whole world, but she sure does.
Kage comes into the room and freezes when he sees Viola sitting next to me on the bed, and within seconds, his hand is on the blade he keeps in his pocket. His eyes move from mine to hers, and I hear as her breath hitches. She really is afraid of him, and the thought of that makes me happier than it should.
“Out,” he orders Viola.
She scrambles off of the bed and makes her way out the door like a child who was just caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Meanwhile, Kage makes his way over to me.
“Are you okay? Did she hurt you?”
I hum. “If I say yes, will you make sure she never comes back?”
“Yes,” he answers seriously. “Just say the word. Whatever you want.”
It’s tempting, really. The thought of Viola trying to be my friend makes my skin crawl. If I’m being honest, there isn’t a single thing I find likable about that woman. But killing her means making a mess for Kage when it comes to Nico and Raff, and I just don’t find getting rid of her to be worth that.
“It’s fine,” I tell him. “She was just trying to thank me for saving her life.”
He takes his suit jacket off and goes to hang it in the closet. “I’m still not entirely sure why you did.”
Since I destroyed my own room, I’ve been permanently moved to the master with Kage. And before you think of all the X-rated things that could be happening, let me tell you—they’re not. There’s no denying that he cares about me. He’s made that crystal clear with the way he’s willing to literally kill for me. But he’s also been treating me like I’m made of glass; as if one wrong move will shatter me into a million pieces. And maybe he’s right, or maybe I just need him to grab me by my throat and take fucking charge.
“Honestly? Me either,” I tell him as he strips down to his boxers and gets into bed.
He chuckles as he leans over and presses a kiss to my forehead. “Well, tomorrow we’re going to talk about who it is that shot you. I refuse to live in a world where they get to exist without consequences.”