Page 142 of Sinful Games

Smirking, I headed for the elevator. I needed a shower, and to crawl into bed next to Caia. If I was lucky, maybe we’d both end up naked. Just the thought made me grin.

After Lukyan was born, Caia became so damn self-conscious, hiding behind loose clothes, always switching off the lights before we’d fuck. But me? I couldn’t get enough of her. I loved the bones that cracked, the skin that stretched—her body, the same one that brought my son into this world. And I made damn sure she knew it.

Every single day, I’d tell her she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. Sexy as hell, no matter what she thought. Sometimes she’d roll her eyes, but other times she’d tear up, like she needed to hear it more than she’d ever admit.

My beautiful Caia.

When I reached our floor, I stretched, ready to slip into the warmth of our bed, but stopped when I noticed something off.

The door was ajar. Not open, not wide, just barely cracked.

Something twisted in my gut.

I frowned, pushing it open wider, my hand hovering over the wood like it might burn. I stepped inside without a sound.

Caia must’ve left it like that. Distracted with Lukyan maybe, or she’d forgotten to close it.

But the moment I shut it behind me, something cold, somethingwrong, slithered down my spine. My pulse stuttered, then spiked, thundering so loud I could hear it in my ears. My throat tightened, each breath coming slower, harder, like the air had thickened.

The hallway light flickered, casting long, warped shadows that moved—No. That seemed too damn alive. Too wrong.

My heart kicked against my ribs as I crept forward, every step feeling heavier, like I was wading through some invisible force trying to stop me. The tension in my chest coiled tighter, wrapping around my lungs, squeezing until every breath hurt.

Something was wrong. So fucking wrong.

The air grew thick, pressing in on me, suffocating me, like the walls themselves were closing in, like something was waiting—just ahead.

As I reached the living room, my eyes darted around, scanning, searching. Looking for something—anything. Yet, everything looked untouched. Furniture sat neatly, the soft glow from the lamp casting a warm light across the room. Nothing seemed out of place, not a chair, not a pillow. It was all too normal.

And yet…I could feel it.

Something wrong, something heavy, pulling tight in my chest like a fist around my heart. I swallowedhard, my mouth dry, and took another step. Each one felt like it was leading me straight to something I didn’t want to see.

The kitchen door loomed ahead, and I moved toward it, my legs sluggish, as if gravity had doubled. My heart hammered in my chest, each beat slamming against my ribs.

And then I saw him.

Lukyan.

He was on the floor. Not moving. Just... still.

For a second, my mind refused to process what I was seeing.No.

I blinked.No.

I blinked again.This wasn’t?—

“LUKYAN!” I roared, my voice tearing out of me like an animal, like something primal. I threw myself to the ground beside him, my knees cracking on the hardwood. I scooped him up, his body limp, his head lolling unnaturally in my arms.

Too cold.

Too fucking cold.

I pressed him to my chest, clutching him like I could force the warmth back into his tiny body, as if I could make his heart start beating again.

But there was nothing. No breath. No pulse. No life.

Panic. It hit me like a freight train, slamming into my chest, ripping the air from my lungs. This wasn’t happening.

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