Page 9 of Ruined

He held up his hands in surrender. "Noted. If I make you a hot chocolate, I won't put them in."

"And I won't insist you fly anywhere unless Reuben tells you to," I said. "Although, this is a lot more comfortable than flying commercial."

"It really is." He sank back against the seat and crossed his arms. "I should take a selfie and send it to Zeke. Remind him of what he's missing."

"I bet the twins would do that," I said. I pictured them with identical smug grins, taking several photos and bombing their brother with them. Laughing the whole time.

"They definitely would," he agreed. "Anything to get a rise out of anyone. There's nothing they wouldn't do for shits and giggles."

"They haven't changed either," I said. "Sometimes I think five years changed everything and sometimes I think it changed nothing."

"It changed you," he said softly.

I closed my eyes and sighed. "Yes, it did. What he did to me would change anyone."

What would I be like if I hadn't gone through that? Would I be as carefree as Hunter and Parker? Or would I have been fully consumed by the persona of the cold-blooded assassin? Unfeeling and uncaring.

Either way, sweet, innocent little Mina DiMarco was dead. The woman who sat in her place was a lot more ruthless and driven. I wouldn't kill my family, if I could help it, but I'd destroy anyone who got in my way. Anyone who got between me and killing Kurt.

Let their blood coat my hands; I wouldn't feel a thing. Not until I drove that blade through his heart and watched the life drain away from him.

CHAPTER 4

MINA

"Mina." Daze hurried into the room and gave me a hug. If she was disconcerted about Gianni and my sudden appearance, she gave no sign. If anything, she seemed happy to see me.

I hugged her back quickly before stepping away again. Physical contact with another person was still difficult for me. Chances were, it always would be. That was another item on the long list of reasons why I hated Kurt. I wanted to be able to touch, hug and fuck. Not flinch and pull away.

"Sit down." She waved towards a couch in the centre of the room. The walls were lined with bookcases, overflowing with books.

The mess would give Reuben anxiety, but I found it easier to trust people who had lots of books.

She flopped down beside me. Gianni slipped into a chair opposite.

"What brings you to Dusk Bay? Let me guess, this is about Kurt?" Her smile quickly faded. "We haven't found him. I assume you haven't come to tell me you did?" She looked tentatively hopeful.

"Not exactly." I told her about finding the man who called himself Frank, after the twins followed him from the airport. Her eyes widened when I described the house that exploded just after we stepped out of it.

"Fucking hell," she whispered. "You're right, that sounds like Kurt, but at the same time, it doesn't. He's not usually messy like that. He'd lure you there, then set off a bomb while you were still inside if killing was his end goal. If it was, he swung and missed."

"Twice." I told her about the gunfight on the way home. "Apparently they were sent to tell us to back off from trying to find him."

She snorted loudly. "Good luck with that. None of us is giving up now. I'm guessing Reuben is more pissed off than ever."

"About that and other things," Gianni agreed.

I rubbed my palms together absentmindedly. "Does Kurt have a twin? The man who called himself Frank looked a lot like him."

Daze frowned. "No, he doesn't. We don't have any other siblings. At least, not that I know of. I suppose it's possible we have a half brother, but if we do, his existence was kept from me."

"Who would dare to keep anything from you?" Ric stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

"Only someone with a death wish." She gave him a fond smile.

He stepped around behind her and started to massage her shoulders. While he worked out her knots, she filled him in on the conversation.

"One Kurt is bad enough," he said. "The world doesn't need two."

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