Page 59 of The Killer Who Kept Me

I released a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “I want that too…and next time, I’m sucking your sausage.”

He burst out laughing, which in turn made me cackle. I fell asleep with a smile on my face and a full heart. I wanted this moment to last forever.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

“Reality is the leading cause of stress among those in touch with it.”

~ Lily Tomlin

Saros

I woketo Cosmo shaking me.

“What the fuck?” I whispered, not wanting to wake Em.

“We have a problem.”

I waved him away and got out of bed, rushing into the bathroom to clean up. Once I stepped out, Cosmo was holding my suit and Em was sitting up in bed.

“What’s going on?” The sheets were pulled up to his chest.

I quickly dressed. “I’ll be back. I need to go find out.” I moved over to him and gave him a kiss. “Keep the bed warm.”

“Be careful.”

I nodded and then followed Cosmo out of the room and down the stairs. Most of my guys were already assembled in the sitting room.

“Talk to me.”

Benny handed me a tablet, and I saw video playing of another one of my businesses ablaze. It was a supply warehouse where I had things from medical supplies to sports equipment. That inventory was sold to many businesses in the area.

“Anyone hurt?” I tried to rein in my anger.

“That’s the problem.” I looked up at Cosmo. “It was after hours. No one was supposed to be there. When we first saw it, we figured it was just a financial blow.”

“But it wasn’t—who was inside?”

No one answered, right away meaning only one thing. “I asked who the fuck was in there.”

“Boss.” Mike stood.

“Who?”

His eyes closed briefly, and when they opened there was devastation. “Paulo,” he whispered so softly I almost didn’t hear him.

I turned to Cosmo, then Benny. “What?” It was as if I were shot; pain radiated through my body. “How? He was here.”

Benny’s face pinched, and he swallowed loudly. “He needed more supplies with the number of people here. There weren’t enough. We thought because it was late, it was safer. He went with Teddy and Bobby. He just needed to get to the medical storage space. We thought it was fine.”

I spun and threw the tablet against the wall, leaving a nice-sized hole. “What part of no one fucking leaves this house without my say-so was unclear?” I felt myself unraveling.

“I made the call, Saros.” Cosmo stepped forward. “I wanted you to have time with Em, I…” His voice cracked. “It’s on me.”

My hands clenched into fists. I wanted to punch him, someone, something. I turned, the antique demilune table the target of my wrath. I gripped it and flipped it, shattering everything on top of it. With the table no longer blocking accessto the wall, I drove my fist clean through it. I didn’t think about what I was doing to myself, to the house, or the fact that I was surely waking everyone up. Paulo was dead.

“Saros!” My name was shouted loud enough to know it wasn’t the first time. I spun to tell whoever interrupted me to fuck off but came face-to-face with Em. “Stop, baby, please.”

He walked over to me without a lick of fear on his face and wrapped his arms around my waist. He didn’t say anything more, just held me. Since he’d been here I’d done everything to comfort him, and now the tables had turned. I released my breath and embraced him, burying my face into his hair and letting his calming scent wash through me.

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