Page 64 of Crave

One through his hand. As he pulls that away and screams out in pain, I shove the short blade right through his eye.

By the time I’m finished adding holes to him, he slumps against the steering wheel, blasting the horn.

“Fuck,” I hiss.

Pulling this dead lump back, I push him so he falls towards the passenger side. Wiping my blade on his black t-shirt, I put it back in my pocket and pull out my cell.

I can’t type in the numbers, damn blood on my fingers.

Using my nose to press the buttons, I dial Enzo.

“What have you done?” His deep Italian voice booms through.

“Audi parked outside Lara’s now has one dead Russian with a lotta stab wounds.”

“I’m on it.”

“Thanks.” I cut the call and head in to Lara’s. I know her security code, and I have a key so it’s easy.

Sneaking in, I’m careful not to wake her.

She’ll be in bed, it’s one am. She tends to go to sleep around eleven.

Taking off my shoes by the front door, I don’t think she will appreciate the mess. I creep quietly up the stairs, pushing open her door and resting against the frame.

I don’t know how long I stand there, listening to the steady rise and fall of her breathing.

It calms me.

CHAPTER 27

LARA

I could have swornI heard noises last night.

No, not sounds really, more like afeelingthat there was something moving in my house after I went to bed.

I must be paranoid after everything that went on with Kirill. My sleep was taunted by nightmares of him tackling me to the ground and stabbing me over and over through the face.

A shiver runs up my spine at the memory.

Pulling on my silk robe, I can’t help but glance into the corners as I walk to the kitchen. There’s just this sense that something is watching me, or was, and the shadows are still lurking.

Stop it. I’m being paranoid.

Or am I? It wouldn’t surprise me if Kirill tracked me down. His men managed to find me at Alexei’s house, why not here?

Nothing sounds appealing this morning. I don’t want to bother with coffee or tea.

Maybe just a glass of warm water. That will fill my belly for a little while.

But when I focus on the carpet near the front door, my cup slips from my fingers and shatters on the cold tiles.

What the fuck is that?

There’s a droplet of blood on the white rug.

Oh my god! I wasn’t imagining it! Who would come into my house? What did they do?

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