Page 79 of The Saint

She continued to breathe, her eyes shifting away as she considered what I said. “I don’t want you to do something you don’t want to do.”

“Trust me, I want to do this.” I wanted to walk away from the table while I still had a chance. I’d hit the jackpot with Fleur, and I wouldn’t play another hand. Just take my winnings and walk. “Sometimes shit happens, and it changes you—and I’m fucking changed. I can’t go back. I can’t live another day when I’m not the only one with a target on my back.” I shouldn’t even let her stay, not after I hadn’t saved her. My brother was her hero, when it should have been me. I would never forgive myself for it, but I was fucking weak and so damn in love that I couldn’t do the right thing. “But I need to end this first. I need to kill Ivan, restore order in this city, and then hand the keys to Luca.”

She stared at me for a long time. “Are you sure?”

“The only thing I’ve ever been sure of is you.”

Her eyes flicked away as they softened, like the words pierced her heart when they left mine.

“I hate to do this, but Luca is on his way to take you.”

Her eyes snapped back to me. “What? Now?”

“Yes.”

“Why—”

“I have to finish this.”

“But you meannow?”

“It has to be now. Ivan has retreated, the gangs have loosened their loyalty, it’s chaos. If I wait, he might flee or hit me again.” And his death was the only thing that would satisfy my blood lust.

“But you need Luca.”

“He’s the only person I trust right now. He’ll die for you.”

Her eyes started to water. “I just came back to you. I don’t want to go. I don’t want you to go?—”

“Sweetheart.” I cupped her face, and she immediately grabbed on to my wrists. “I know how brave you are. I know how strong you are. I need you to be those things for a little longer. Will you please do this for me?”

She tilted her head down, her eyes glistening and wet. She sniffled, sucking back the tears before they could fall. “Yes.”

I didn’t want to leave her again, but I wouldn’t rest or eat or sleep until he was fucking dead. He would pay for what he’d done to my girl. For what he’d done to my city. “Attagirl.”

Luca took off with Fleur. I told him not to tell anyone where he was going, not even me.

When I walked back into the house, Godric hung up the phone. “He knows.”

“How long?”

“That, I don’t know.”

“You know where he is?”

“He’s either calling in favors and headed this way—or he’s fleeing.”

“He doesn’t seem like a runner.”

Godric shook his head. “I know he’s been using one of Sylvestre’s buildings for a headquarters. I suspect that’s where he is.”

Sylvestre was one of my partners. I’d known him for years. I knew he wasn’t thrilled about the change in order, but I didn’t suspect him to be such a snake. “How many more of my guys have rolled on me?”

He turned his stare on me, and a beat passed before he answered. “It wasn’t personal, Bastien. They always spoke highly of you, just disagreed with your ideologies. It’s just business.”

“Feels pretty personal to me.”

“How are you going to handle this?”

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