Page 82 of The High Priestess

She digs the device out of her handbag, then answers, “Cassia speaking.” Her smile grows wider as she listens. “Aunt Marina! I was going to call you to give you my new number. I’m glad Santiago gave it to you.” She listens again, then asks, “Have you settled in okay?” She listens to whatever her aunt says before replying, “Okay. I’ll be careful.”

When she hangs up, I ask, “Is Marina going to stay on the island indefinitely?”

Cassia shakes her head. “I thought about having her stay with me, but I’ll let her return to New Zealand at some point.”

“Why did you change your mind?”

After putting the phone away, she turns to look at me. “Because I now have you, and my aunt was never part of this world. She might not be married or have any children, but her life is in New Zealand. I can’t just expect her to pick up her entire life and move to Greece.”

I nod, and glancing around the suite, I ask, “What’s next on the agenda?”

“My first order to you.” Her features turn deadly serious. “Get me Rodion Nikitin’s phone number.”

I frown slightly. “You’re going to call the head of the bratva? Wouldn’t it be better to plan an attack instead?”

“It’s another thing I’ve been thinking about.” She shakes her head. “That’s what my father wanted to do. He kept making threats about attacking the bratva.” She shakes her head. “He only made threats, and the bratva wiped out half my people in a single coordinated attack. They’re impossibly strong. Can you imagine what they would do to my organization if I actually decided to go to war? Blood would flow down the streets. I might have the money for a war, but they have the manpower.” Again, she shakes her head before going quiet and thinking about whatever she’s planning. “Like I said, I plan to do things differently. I’m going to make them a deal they can’t refuse.”

I chose war, but then again, I had no one else I cared about after losing Ronnie. What Cassia is saying makes sense, especially for business.

But even if she brokers a deal with the bratva, she still has an enemy out there who wants everything she owns.

“What about the traitor?” I ask.

“I’m going to ask the bratva to give me his name,” she says.

“What if they don’t?”

“Then I’ll come up with another plan.”

Her phone makes a beeping sound, and while Cassia checks her messages, I take in every inch of her.

We’ve come a long way in a short amount of time. She’s mine, and once we have my high priestess sitting on her throne, I won’t allow anyone to knock her off it.

I’m hit square in the chest by a powerful emotion and lift my hand to rub the spot over my heart.

I never thought I’d love anyone again, but as I look at Cassia, I realize she’s the exception. And one day, our children will be too. She’s changing my entire life, and she’s not even noticing.

Before her, there was only death. Now, there’s light shining through the darkness that will always be a part of me.

Cassia’s eyebrows draw together, and the sorrow returns to her face.

“What does the text say?” I demand as I stalk closer to her.

“Santiago just sent me the address where my family is buried.”

She lifts her eyes to me, and seeing tears welling in them, I pull her to my chest and wrap my arms tightly around her.

I hold her for a couple of minutes before I ask, “Do you want to go?”

Cassia nods, then she tilts her head back so she can look up at me. “Can we go today?”

I pull my arm back and check the time on my wristwatch. “It’s almost seven pm. How about we have dinner while we wait for the cover of darkness? We can go then.”

She nods, and pulling away, she searches around the suite until she finds the in-room dining menu. “What do you want to eat?”

“Anything. Order for me while I use the restroom.”

She nods as I head to the bathroom. I’m only gone a minute or two, but when I walk back into the sitting room, there’s no sign of Cassia.

---