Page 130 of Bound By Revenge

I stop mid-step, my heart dropping. The floor feels like it tilts under me. “What are you talking about? Knows what?”

“About our plan. About the Russians. About everything. He left Camille here, Kat," she chokes out, her voice cracking on Camille’s name. “He… he killed her.”

“What?” My stomach plummets. “What do you mean he left her? Where are you?”

“At home,” she sobs. “He killed her. Oh my God, he killed her. She’s… she’s on my bed, Kat. Blood everywhere. And… and he left something else. Camille was... holding it."

I stumble to sit on the armrest of the couch, my legs suddenly too weak to hold me. "What did he leave, A.J.?”

Her answer comes in a whisper, trembling and broken. “A picture.”

“A picture?” My throat tightens.

“A picture of you and the Russian. You're standing outside an airplane, kissing him,” she says, barely audible. “He knows, Kat. He knows you’re close to Nik.”

The room tilted, my grip on the phone tightening until my knuckles turn white. “He’s sending us a message.”

“Yeah,” A.J. says, her voice trembling. “He knows what we’re trying to do. Which means we’re out of time. He’s coming for me. For you.Fuck! What are we going to do now?”

A cold sweat breaks over me. My pulse thunders in my ears. “A.J., listen to me. You need to get somewhere safe. Somewhere he doesn't know about. I'm going to come and get you and bring you back here?—”

“No!” she cuts me off, her voice rising in panic. “Don’t come here! He could be watching. I don't want him to hurt you, too. I have a place I can go, but you stay put. You have to promise me you’ll be careful.”

“I’m always careful,” I lie, my mind spinning. “Everything's going to be fine. I want you to come here to Nik's home. I'll make up a story for why you're staying with us. You'll be safe here."

"I can't," she says. "I... There's something I have to do. I have a place to go, don't worry."

“A.J—”

"I don't have time to argue with you about this. I'll be fine, I promise. You have to trust me, as I have always trusted you."

"Fine. Just… tell me what you’ve got on Camille's lead, then. Do you know where the documents she mentioned are? If we're going to make our move, it's now or never—we need that leverage right now."

"Yes,” she says, sniffling. “Funny you should ask, actually. I was snooping around his business, trying to find the Flame of Mir for you, when I hit the jackpot. The stuff Camille mentioned—it’s all in this massive safe he keeps. It's stashed in a safe house at one of those abandoned banks in the old financial district. I had no idea it existed until now. And, Kat—there’s more.”

Her pause sends a shiver down my spine.

“The Flame of Mir is there too,” she says, the words hanging heavy. “But…” She draws a shaky breath. “It’s a fortress. Guards everywhere. Cameras, motion sensors—you name it. Getting in would be next to impossible.”

My heart pounds as I push off the couch and start pacing. The Flame of Mir. The proof. Everything I need to make this right.

I close my eyes and exhale slowly. “Good. That’s good, A.J. This is how we end him. You get the hell out of there, and I’ll figure out the rest.”

“You can’t do this,” she says, her voice trembling again. “It's too dangerous. You need to tell the Russian. Ask him for help.”

The mention of Nik freezes me in place. I picture his face, the fury that would darken his features if I told him any of this. He wouldn’t hesitate. “No.”

“Don't be ridiculous?—”

“I can’t tell him,” I say, forcing my voice to steady. “If he finds out, he’ll go after thestronzo. He’ll be fighting the Irish and the Italians at the same time. He’ll get himself killed.”

“And what about you?” A.J. snaps. “You think you won't get himself killed if you go after the fuckingdonof the Salvatore family by yourself?”

“I don't have a choice,” I promise, ignoring the guilt twisting in my gut. “I’ll scout the location first, figure out a plan. I won’t do anything reckless.”

“Kat—”

“I’ll call you soon,” I say, cutting her off. “Send me the blueprints and everything you’ve got. And A.J.—get somewhere safe. Promise me.”

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