Page 64 of Savage Obsession

The afterglow still clings to the air, heavy and intoxicating, but my mind refuses to sink into the hazy satisfaction that Aithan has left me in. Instead, I trace slow, absent-minded patterns across his bare chest, my fingers gliding over the ridges of muscle, the faint scars that mark his body like war medals.

He has killed for me.

He will burn the world for me.

And he will do it again if situation warrants it.

But we need to be smart about it.

I prop myself up on my elbow and look at him, my electric blue eyes locking onto his pewter-gold ones. "You need to make an example out of Orestes," I murmur, my voice soft but laced with steel.

Aithan watches me, his expression unreadable, though I feel the shift in him—his body, once languid and loose from pleasure, now coils with sharp focus.

"You want him dead?" His voice is calm, controlled.

I shake my head. "Not just dead. Make his death useful. Make it serve a purpose.”

Aithan raises an eyebrow, intrigued. "And what do you suggest?"

I settle closer to him, my palm pressing flat against his chest, grounding myself in his heat. "Do not execute Orestes in private. Make it public. Make it loud. Let everyone see that you’ve uncovered a traitor and decide his fate in their presence."

"And?"

"And let the other persons involved lead you to Lazaro."

His jaw ticks. "No one betrays me and lives."

"They won’t," I assure him. "But we need Lazaro, and killing everyone too soon won’t give us that. My brother can help. If youlet Viktor position men to follow the traitors, we can track them straight to Lazaro."

Aithan considers this, his fingers skimming absently along my waist as he weighs the options. His mind is a weapon, always working, always calculating the best route to eliminate threats.

"You think Lazaro will come running if his cohorts reach out to him?" he asks.

I nod. "Lazaro is careful, but he’s also arrogant. If he sees an opportunity to assert himself, he’ll take it."

Aithan smirks, brushing a strand of hair from my face. "You really are a dangerous little thing, aren’t you?"

I arch an eyebrow. "You married me, didn’t you?"

His chuckle is dark, approving. "That I did."

There’s a pause, heavy with understanding between us.

Aithan tilts his head slightly, watching me. "You really trust Viktor to pull this off?"

I don’t hesitate. "Yes."

Aithan exhales, rubbing a hand along his jaw, then nods. "Fine. We’ll go to New York tomorrow. Let’s see what your brother has to say about setting a trap."

I settle back against him, pressing my lips against his collarbone in silent approval.

Tomorrow, we start hunting.

29

Aithan

Five days later.

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