Page 40 of Crave Me

Of course the first thing he’d want wouldn’t be water, but rather a jolt of caffeine. He certainly consumed a great deal each and every day, either via espresso shots, or energy drinks. It was in his bid to be consistently on the top of his game and in a highly-alert state for me.

That was merely a glimpse into the lengths he’d gone to over the years to prove himself as one of my very best. His loyalty was unmatched also.

He put the cup down, his hand trembling at the effort, but he still pushed on, shifting himself into a sitting position against the headboard, careful not to dislodge the IV tubes.

“I’m sorry I didn’t see it. That motion sensor was just—”

“None of us did. Not even me.”

He grimaced as he leaned his head back. “So many didn’t make it out like us.”

“I know.”

“And they should have. Elijah is way more slippery than I even figured.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re needed in this aftermath. In person, Dante, not just over video call and texts.”

“Things are being handled.”

“Having Alfonso hold the fort is nowhere near the same as you being there.”

“That’s not possible at current.”

“As much as I know you care about me, I also get that you’re not remaining here at King Manor for that. It’s for King, yeah?”

“He requires my assistance.”

“Why?”

“Excuse me?”

“Why are you so adamant about being here with him? You told me that, despite the explosion and Elijah slipping through our fingers, his empire is fucked beyond belief, that the overall mission was completed.”

“I also told you that two of Caspian’s loved ones were taken by the monster that is Elijah.”

“And? That’s outside of the deal you two had going, beyond the business you have with each other. Your part is done now Bane Industries is destroyed.”

“Elijah is still out there.”

“It’s more than that. I know you.”

I leaned back in my chair and clasped my hands in my lap. “Caspian is on the edge. I’m here to ensure he doesn’t go over it. It would be detrimental to many, including us, if that came to pass.” Although, him recently cutting me out wasn’t exactly making that an easy task. He’d even taken off a few hours ago without a word to me. He’d basically snuck out while I’d been assisting with Skylar’s mission in secret, ensuring she had protection nearby should things end up going south.

“Even so, the Syndicate taking a hit and you staying here when you should be back on home territory to guide them and reassure them through it is really close to you choosing Caspian King over the Mancini Syndicate. I’ve never known anything to take precedence over that, not in all these years we’ve been working together.”

And only one thing ever could.

“I need you to head back in my stead. Tomorrow. You’re well enough to travel and to take command back from Alfonso. I don’t want him wielding that power for too much longer.”

“I hear that. Goddamn hothead. The fact he hasn’t already struck back all over the place in retaliation to what Elijah did is a hell of a surprise. What did you do, put the fear of God into him?”

“Something like that.”

“What is it with King, Dante? Does the kid have something on you? Is there something you want from him? Is that why you’ve been spending so much time with him, why you’re insisting on not leaving his side?”

There were certain things that I kept to myself. In my line of work, the compartmentalizing of information was more than necessary, often a means of survival.

But this particular issue was fast reaching the point of no return. The secret couldn’t be kept much longer. Not now that I’d become an active part of Caspian’s life.

And as it currently stood, it could no longer be kept from Matteo either. It had come to a head and any longer keeping up with the subterfuge risked impacting our relationship, fracturing the trust between us, and possibly even weakening his loyalty, something I absolutely couldn’t afford while things were unstable and we’d taken a nasty hit.

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