Page 27 of Vito

I half-snort, half-choke on my swig of beer. "As if you don't know everything that went down tonight."

Ohith may have left this city with the feral, untrusting version of me years ago, giving up everything to do so, but the man remains connected.

"I do," he admits. "And I thought your reckless days were over."

He means by how I crashed the successor reveal with the Chamber. Itwasreckless. Borderline suicidal.

Part of my reasoning for entering the way I did was to gain insight into the Chamber and who I'm dealing with. Part of it was that if I met my end, bleeding out in the bar that Aiken had given his sweat, blood, and life for, then that would be a fitting end for me.

Ohith sighs, and I sense his tension. "I've called to find out what my sources can never report on."

My emotions.

"Peachy." I play with the beer bottle label. "I'm just peachy, living with the ghosts of my past."

"That's the thing with ghosts—are they real, or do we manifest them? Do they haunt us, or do we haunt ourselves?"

Philosophical and rhetorical questions that I don't or can't answer.

"I guess I should be used to ghosts since I've lived with the ghost of all ghosts for years, right?"

He chuckles. "That you have, Eden Dallas Fallen."

Ohith often calls me that. I suspect it's his way of reminding me where I came from, even if the woman I am now is nothing like the girl Eden Dallas Fallen was when she ran from home.

"Do you ever regret it?" I've never outright asked Ohith that.

"Becoming a ghost myself? No, Eden, I don't regret faking my death because it gave us a fresh start. It gave me you, daughter."

I close my eyes, knowing that Ohith does love me like his daughter, and I love him. The lost little girl inside me weeps that my own parents never gave me that unconditional love or that feeling of safety.

"I fear I made a grave error in letting you return without me."

"I'm fine," I say hoarsely and clear my throat. "Tired from the jet lag and being up for so many hours."

He sighs, and I know he doesn't believe me, but he doesn't push it. "How is my old friend Tommaso Santoro?"

Ohith has a history in this city that's tightly interwoven with the criminal factions.

"He's the leader you said he is."

"You need to watch your back. No one, not even Tommaso, is your friend."

"I know." I finish my beer. "We've been over all this already."

"That we have. And I have implemented safety provisions."

Pressing the beer bottle to my forehead, I groan, knowing what Ohith's safety provisions are. "Send Axin home."

Axin is Ohith's right-hand man and is as much my family as Ohith is. When Ohith decided to leave this city and his life behind, Axin came with us.

"He should be with you, Ohith."

"I have no active contracts at the moment, but even if I did, your safety is our utmost priority."

"I'm not in imminent danger."

"You've taken Aiken's place. Until we know who's responsible and why he was murdered, we'll treat it as if you're a primary target."

---