Chapter 43
43
Lorenzo
I’m spiraling. As much as I’d like to pretend I’m not, I’m about to murder every person in this fucking mansion because they breathed the same air in as Victoria. If that doesn’t mean I’ve lost my mind, I don’t know what does.
I don’t bother announcing my departure and don’t even look back. I don’t trust myself not to take out my gun and start shooting.
The front door slams behind me with a crash. A guard standing outside by the front door flinches. Good. If they’re startled, they’re paying attention. If they’re paying attention, they’re not letting anyone in.
I stride down the steps two at a time, jacket half on, fingers already curling like I’m reaching for something to break. The night air hits me sharp in the face, calming me for exactly half a second before my damn phone buzzes.
I grab it out of my pocket and check the message.
Still nothing from Boston. Of course.
I slide into the car and slam the door. Tonight, I’m not driving, so instead, I bark directions to my driver. A second later, tires peel out of the drive, gravel spitting behind us.
I press my thumb against my jaw, hard enough to hurt.
She did that on purpose.
Not the flirting. That was amateur hour. The timing. The look she gave me was not coy, not innocent, not even defiant. It was curious.
She was testing how close her fingers could get to the metaphorical blade without getting cut.
I should have shut it down. If I were smarter, I would have ordered her upstairs and locked the door myself. Instead, I threatened my own man and let her see it.
Stupid.
I roll my neck once, twice. “Fucking hell p>
Twenty minutes later, the warehouse comes into view. The car barely stops before I’m out, my boots hitting pavement hard enough to echo.
The sooner I get in there, the sooner I can get back to making sure Victoria is keeping out of trouble.
I hate that every thought leads to her.
Maybe I didn’t think this plan through properly.
With a shake of my head, I stride inside. Rafe looks up from a table scattered with folders and phones, eyes sharpening the second he sees my face.
“Well,” he drawls, pushing off the table, “you look like someone just pissed in your dinner p>
I ignore him. “I need updates,” I snap, stripping off my jacket and tossing it aside. “Now p>
Vin straightens from a crate, tablet in hand. “Boston’s still quiet p>
“I figured, but I’m going to need you to define quiet p>
“No new hits. No movement on the docks. No chatter on the usual channels p>
I pace. Fast. Aggressive. Too tight. “That’s not quiet. That’s waiting p>
Rafe watches me like he’s deciding whether to stay put or duck.
“You’re wound pretty tight,” he says carefully. “Something happen at the house p>
I stop, slowly turning to face him head-on. My lips part, but the smile doesn’t reach my eyes. “Unless Boston developed the ability to walk into my living room and piss me off,” I reply, “I’d say no p>
Vin glances back and forth between us. He doesn’t understand what’s going on, but he’s wise enough to keep his mouth shut.
Rafe raises a brow. “You want to stab something, maybe kill someone p>
“Both,” I say immediately.
“Good,” he mutters. “We’re aligned p>
I grab a bottle off the table, twist the cap, and take a long pull without tasting it.
“Anything on Connor?” I ask.
Vin scrolls. “We picked up some noise through Providence. One of his runners missed a payment window. Might be sloppy. Might be bait p>
“Let’s see if we can bring him in,” I say.
Rafe tilts his head. “Alive p>
I consider it. “Preferably,” I answer. “But I’m flexible p>
Rafe studies me. “Something else bothering you?” He lifts his brow, and I glare at him. Like the idiot that he is, he doesn’t look away.
One day, I might kill this motherfucker, but it won’t be today. I like him too much.
I turn back to the table and grab a knife. “Vin, out. I want to speak to Rafe alone p>
Vin looks at me, then at the blade in my hand. He thinks his friend is about to die, but is smart enough not to object, choosing to scurry out of the room instead.
Once we are alone, I look at Rafe. “She smiled p>
Rafe blinks. “Who? I’m confused p>
I drag the blade across the tabletop once. “She smiled,” I repeat, “at one of my guards p>
“Oh.” Rafe sighs. “You let her get under your skin p>
“I didn’t let her do shit,” I snap.
“Sure, buddy,” he deadpans. “Not sure what you want me to do. You married her.” Rafe folds his arms. “You going to punish the guard p>
“I threatened him p>
“You threatened him, but did you punish him?” he says flatly.
I glare.
“Exactly. That’s not punishment p>
I bare my teeth. “Careful p>
He doesn’t back down. “Interesting how you don’t spiral over territory. Yet you’re spiraling over a guard p>
I slam the knife into the table, and the wood cracks. Rafe doesn’t even flinch. The silence in the room stretches thick and heavy.
Finally, I straighten. “Find me Patricks location p>
“I said I’m on it p>
“Work harder,” I snap. “I want an address asap p>
Rafe nods once. “And when we find him p>
I hesitate for a fraction, then turn away. “I guess only time will tell p>
Since there’s nothing useful to kill here, I leave. That was a giant waste of my time. Unfortunately, these things sometimes take time.
I’m back at the estate. It’s quieter now. I don’t ask where she is. I don’t need to. I already know. I move through the halls without direction, steps guided by instinct I don’t want to examine too closely.
The sitting room is empty. No surprise there. The library lights are on. Bingo. I stop outside the doorway, but I don’t enter.
She’s in there, curled into one of the chairs with her legs tucked beneath her, book in hand. She looks… calm. Hair loose. Face intent. Lips moving faintly as she reads.
I stay in the shadows and watch. She turns a page, frowns at something, then mutters under her breath. I can’t hear the words, but her expression tells me everything I need to know. She’s annoyed.
Good.
I want her annoyed. I can deal with her more easily when she’s like that.
I shift my weight, and the floor creaks.
Her head lifts instantly, eyes snapping to the doorway. For half a second, she looks like she expects a fight. Her spine straightens, and her chin lifts in defiance.
I’ve got to hand it to her, it’s impressive. There is no fear. Just a challenge.
We are at a standstill. She’s waiting for me to step inside, but I don’t.
I also don’t speak. I just watch.
Her gaze flicks over me, and she smirks.
Just a little.
Like the victory is hers. Something ugly coils in my chest. I turn away before she can say anything. Before I do something I can’t undo. I walk back down the hall, my pulse loud in my ears.
This is a problem.
Her.
Because after everything, I shouldn’t want to know what she’s reading, what she’s doing, and certainly not what she’s thinking. But I do.
I shouldn’t feel this restless need to go back and finish something that hasn’t even started. I step into my study and shut the door, then lean my palms against the desk.
Breathe. “Get a grip p>
The reflection in the window stares back. Hard eyes. Tight jaw. A man who used to be in control but now isn’t.
I straighten slowly.
Fine. If she wants to play games—
I’ll let her.
But I won’t be the one who loses.
I reach for my phone. The war in Boston will need to wait. Because the more important one has already started…
In my house.