I angled my head as I studied her. She’d brought this up for a reason. “Spit it out, Giulia. Whatever you want to ask, just ask.”
She shrugged as I hung up my coat. “Not sure what I’m asking. I just… I’ve never heard anyone really talk about her. Nyx clearly knows something but he’s keeping it private. That’s not like him. We share everything.”
“There’s not much to say. She keeps to herself, always has.”
“The way she screams, those are night terrors. Something triggered them.”
“Doubt we’ll ever know what.” I reached up and ran my fingers through my hair. “Any news about Rex?”
“No. Nyx is concerned.”
“I’ll bet. How’s he doing?”
I hadn’t seen her for a couple days. My nephew was making shit impossible on his mom. Giulia was a hard worker, so when she phoned in sick, I knew she had to be close to dying to make the call.
“Things are rough. He’s thriving on the extra pressure from the club though. Swore a Prospect in yesterday.”
“I heard about the party.”
“Surprised you didn’t go.”
“Cruz was mad at me. Did you go?”
“Showed my face, then Nyx’s spawn decided I had to nap.” She studied me. “Nyx said we won’t be seeing Inked around any time soon. He made a big speech about not betraying the club.” Her gaze turned inward. “Made out like his punishment was exile, but I don’t think it was.”
Arching a brow at her, I sliced my finger across my throat.
She nodded. “Think so.”
Because I hadn’t heard any news about Inked from Cruz, or anyone to be fair, I questioned, “Why would they get rid of him?”
“He was on the take from the strip joint.”
“Was he a fucking moron?”
She hummed. “I wish I’d been there when they dealt with him, actually.”
“To watch him have the shit kicked out of him?”
Her grin was twisted as she patted her belly. “Remember, this is Nyx’s spawn. I’m bloodthirstier than I was before. He had more than the shit kicked outta him, Indy. They’re one-percenters, not the fucking Brady Bunch.”
“Jesus H. Christ,” I grumbled, rolling my eyes.
The grin morphed into a smirk as she queried, “What did you do to piss Cruz off anyways?”
My cheeks turned bright pink. “Someone in a magazine complimented my work on the TV show and I downplayed it.”
“He was mad about that?” Giulia scorned. “Jesus, I thought you’d put glitter in his shaving foam or something—”
“Was that why Nyx was sparkly last time I saw him?” I butted in, only, when she smirked at me, I huffed. “I know that smirk. Do I even want to know what he did to deserve that?”
“Probably not.”
“How the fuck did you even get the glitter in the foam?” Before she could answer, I raised a hand to stall her. “Never mind. Well, the next time you decide to turn my brother into one of the cast from Twilight—”
Giulia burst out laughing before I could finish my sentence. She hooted, slamming her hand into the desk before crying, “Oh, man, I need to pee now. I need to pee so bad.”
The crazy pregnant lady kept coming out with shit like that, shit that made me determined not to have babies.
I crinkled my nose. “Use the bathroom?”
“Well, I’m not gonna go potty on the chair,” she mocked around a cackle, sounding breathless.
“What did he do?” I asked, curiosity biting me in the ass as she got out of the chair and waddled over to the restroom.
“Told me that three orgasms was plenty.”
I snorted. “You’re greedy.”
She shot me a smirk. “You trying to tell me you ain’t? With all that hobbling of your own you do? And hissing every time you sit down?” Her eyes rolled. “Get real.”
Because I had no come back, I just flipped her the bird.
Giulia: 1. Indy: 0.
Goddammit.
“Not sure who I feel sorrier for—Nyx or that kid,” I muttered wryly to myself as she closed the door to the restroom.
Turning back to the shop, I grimaced. Without her there to distract me, it was too easy to think about what had happened between David and me that night. When I’d defended myself, and when Cruz and Nyx had cleaned up my mess for me.
Seeking comfort, I reached up and rubbed my brand. The act made me feel connected to Cruz.
No matter what, I knew he'd keep me safe.
I had to have faith in him if nothing else.
As if he'd heard me, my cell buzzed, his name flashing across the screen.
Relief filtered through me.
And love.
A whole lot of love.
Unknown Sender: Mikhail Korolev
Nyx: Who?
Unknown Sender: Priest. Kiddy diddler. Got proof. Some vermin just need exterminating.
Nyx: Call in a rat catcher.
Unknown Sender: Thought I had?
TWENTY-THREE
RACHEL
“Rachel?”
I was exhausted. Beyond exhausted. But the person on the other end of the line had me sitting straighter in my chair as I placed my phone on speaker.
“That time of the year already, Rory?” I asked as I scanned an email from Susanne, my paralegal.
I heard the smirk in her voice as she said, “Just wanting to check on the situation.”
“I sent you an update two weeks ago. You know Currau Valentini’s case is one of my priorities,” I groused.
For an old man who’d been sent up for a crime he hadn’t committed, one who’d happily die in prison, I spent a good chunk of every day working on freeing him.
“Actually, that wasn't what I meant. I wanted to let you know I’ll be resigning soon.”
“You will?” I asked warily.
“Yes.”
“Why are you calling from this number?” I questioned, eying the Caller ID.
New York DA flashed on it.
Not Rory.
“I didn’t think you’d answer if I called you on my personal cell. You’ve been avoiding me.”
“I haven’t,” I said, but I knew I sounded guilty.
“You have,” she countered. “But that’s okay. You always avoid me this time of the year.”
I winced because she wasn’t wrong.
“If I cut the line, will you answer my personal cell?”
I heaved a sigh. “Yes.”
She didn’t reply, just ended the call. A second later, my phone rang again, and this time, ‘Rory’ was on the screen.
Pursing my lips, I answered, “You’re a pain in my ass, do you know that?”
“Aren’t we that for each other?”
I stared out of the window that overlooked a small section of countryside in the distance. Normally, I tried to allow it to calm me down. To bring me peace. In my line of work, I needed peace more than a Buddhist monk. But it didn’t work.
Aurora was, officially, my enemy.
As New York’s DA, she prosecuted the people I defended.
Personally?
She was one of my best friends.