Page 21 of Crave Me

“I will. Soon.”

I winced at his non-committal response.

He walked out and shut the door behind him.

I blew out a breath and slumped against the headboard.

“Shit.”

I tossed the blade through the air, watching as it drove into the wooden target in the distance dead-on.

Coming out here and knife-throwing was a way for me to be close to Bastian. We’d spent a lot of time doing this together and we had many happy shared memories of it. It also helped to relieve at least a little bit of the frustration threatening to take me over, the fear for them, and the fact that time kept ticking on by where we couldn’t locate him and Caleb and bring them back to us where they belonged. Where we needed them desperately.

Before this, I’d spent a half hour engaged in the special meditation that Caleb had taught me, feeling him there with me through it too. This sense of hopelessness and powerlessness was a trigger for me, threatening to awaken my destructive side, so I’d really needed it to rein myself in.

So much was being tested right now.

And not just for me.

Caspian was right on the edge.

Actually, he’d gone over it, according to the argument I’d overheard between him and Dante earlier.

I snatched up another blade and took aim at the next target.

I was a hair’s breadth away from tossing it when a voice pulled me up short.

“Impressive,” Dante spoke, walking to me after coming out of seemingly nowhere, his hands shoved in the pockets of a three-quarter length wool coat. “A fantastic outlet also, I would imagine.”

I smiled. “It is, yeah.” I put the blade down and closed the distance between us, folding my arms across the chest of my blue leather jacket. “Is Matteo settling in well?”

He’d left the mansion for a couple of hours as Matteo was being released from the burn unit and now able to be discharged. Given the situation and him being down, he would be staying at King Manor for protection until he got his strength back and healed all the way. At least he was out of the woods, though, and made comfortable.

“It doesn’t take much for him. A television and a streaming service and he’s content. Caspian’s doctors are also top-notch, so he will be taken care of very well here until he’s able to return home.”

“Good. I’m glad. I get that he means a lot to you. He’s your second in command, right?”

He gave a nod. “I took him under my wing years ago.”

“I’m sorry you almost lost him the night of that explosion.”

“The important thing is that it didn’t come to pass.” He stroked his goatee. “Now, Skylar, unfortunately, I’m going to have to put you in an awkward position.”

I tensed. “What are you getting at?”

He stepped closer. “We are both concerned about Caspian’s current approach and state of mind, yes?”

“Yes,” I admitted.

“Given my vocal disapproval, he’s cut me out. For me to safeguard him, that can’t be, as I’m sure you understand. As such, I’ve come to you. Did he tell you the meaning of the intel he garnered from Ben earlier?”

I frowned. “He told me it wasn’t fruitful, that he wouldn’t give anything up. That’s not the case?”

“It’s not. He wouldn’t have stopped if it was. Not in his current state of mind.”

“I can ask him, push a little.”

“No. He may just double down on the subterfuge and that won’t benefit anything. I have another lead to pursue. I received information just now that I’d been waiting on since this began.”

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