Page 54 of Sinful Embers

She disappears into the bathroom, and I step out, making my way back to the bar.

I’m standing waiting for our order leaning against the bar when I notice a man coming down the stairs.

Surprise jolts me when I see his face—Nikolas?

No.

That’s not Nikolas.

Now that I know what to look for, the differences are glaring. He’s a bit shorter and stockier. The set of his mouth isn’t right, the shoulders slightly narrower. His face—a near-perfect mirror of my father-in-law’s, but not quite and his missing the scar that runs down the hairline on the side of Nikolas’s face.

My heart slams against my ribs.Carlos.

Fucking Carlos Vasilikis.

The man I shot a few weeks ago at Sabrina’s cabin—the cockroach as Sabrina calls him.

He doesn’t see me.

He moves to the bar, speaking in low Russian to the bartender, who nods and hands him a folded slip of paper.

“I’ll be back in the morning,” Carlos says, his voice smooth. “Make sure the usual order of vodka is ready Stefanos.”

The bartender grunts in response. Carlos slides over a thick stack of rubles. Obviously paying for whoever he was fucking upstairs.

He turns—and my hands clench into fists.

Every muscle in my body coils tight, a killing rage rising in my blood like wildfire.

He’s right fucking there. I could end him.

Rip his fucking throat out, make sure he never breathes another breath, never touches Leigh.

But my body refuses to move.

Because one thought cuts through the fury like a blade to my gut—

Leigh.

She’s valuable to them.

They won’t kill her.

But if I make the wrong move, if I tip him off… they might do something worse.

I force myself to stay still.

My vision tunnels, my heartbeat pounds in my ears. It takes everything in me not to tear across the room and end this motherfucker here and now.

He finishes his drink, turns, and strides out of the bar into the cold night.

I exhale slowly, dragging myself back under control.

The bartender slides my order across the counter—two plates of food, two bottles of water, and a small bottle of vodka.

I grab it all, nod once, and head back upstairs.

My hands are still shaking when I reach the door.

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