Page 149 of Twilight Sins

“You finished off half a bottle of bourbon from the bar cart last night after we dealt with Mariya. If you were anyone else, you wouldn’t even be standing today.”

“Good thing I’m not anyone else.”

He nods. “You’re right. You’re my brother. Which is why I’m going to tell you that you can’t drink away the blonde sleeping in your bed.”

“You’re my second, not my fucking sober sponsor,” I snarl.

Nik doesn’t even flinch. He just lifts his hand to the bartender, gesturing that he’ll have what I’m having. “I think you have to be sober to be a sober sponsor.”

The bartender slides a drink to Nik and gives me another. I told him to make sure my glass was full until I said stop. If I say stop. I don’t plan on it.

I didn’t actually come here to drink, though. I thought a place with no windows and patrons who know how to mind their own business was a good choice while there’s still a price on my head. The alcohol was just a nice perk.

“Is Mariya still locked in her room?” Nik asks.

“I unlocked it before I left this morning. As long as she doesn’t start screaming again, it will stay unlocked.”

“And Luna?”

My muscles tense. Her name is a record scratch in my brain. “What about her?”

Nik shrugs. “I just wondered if you’d talked to her yet about?—”

“There’s nothing to talk about. She disobeyed me.”

“I think she paid the price for it, too. That asshole last night really scared her.”

I can’t close my eyes without seeing Luna slumped in my arms, her head lolling against my arm. “She almost got our sister killed.”

“I mean, yeah, but you have to admit, Mariya would have gotten herself there one way or the other.”

“Not if Luna alerted the guards like she should have. Not if she’d called me.”

Not if I’d stayed closer to home. Not if I’d kept Luna under constant surveillance.

“Mariya lied to her. She admitted it. Luna didn’t know?—”

“She knew,” I growl. “She knew I wouldn’t have let her leave.”

Nik draws his finger through the condensation around his glass. “You took her on a date. Maybe she thought you trusted her enough to let her go.”

I did. That was my mistake.

“I know what happened last night. I didn’t tell you to meet me here so I could hear Luna’s side of the story.”

Nik raises both hands. “I’m just checking in.”

“Don’t bother,” I snap. “Tell me what you’ve found out.”

His jaw works back and forth. Luna didn’t just weasel her way into my trust; she’s infected my entire fucking family.

The sooner she’s gone, the better.

Finally, Nik sighs. “I’ve got good and bad news. Since last night sucked, I’ll start with the good news first: I finally have a solid contact for Akim’s arms dealer. Budimir is ready to meet with you whenever you set the date.”

Finally. Forward momentum. I’m not used to spinning my wheels. The last couple weeks have given me way too much free time. Staying busy is easier. It keeps my head clear of distractions.

“We should meet with him as soon as possible. Akim has every wannabe assassin in the city gunning for me. Murdering his main source of income feels fair.”

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