Page 176 of Ink Deep Devotion

“Then you’re back to being a pawn.”

My thumb brushes over the buttery paint.“I…I want to try.” I meet her eyes, which are sparkling with intentions as if I’m an added challenge she has accepted.

“I’ll teach you.” She reaches out. It takes everything in me not to flinch as she gently touches my hair like I’m a doll on a shelf.“You’re the type of person he would have scouted.” Her eyes look lost again.

“Who?”

“Don’t ask me again. Trust goes both ways, and I don’t trust you yet.” Her lips tug up like a branch swinging in the wind, waiting for me to accept it.

“I’m scared,” I add to my act.

“You should be, but by my side, you will learn not to be.”

I need her to be invested in me. I need to know all her plans so that when I do escape, I can tell Dash.

“I’m not strong. I wasn’t raised to fight, but I want to know how. I want to be strong like you. I want to be able to defend myself against him when he comes for me.”

Her hand slides down my cheek. I want to vomit, but I glance down instead.“You’re something far more valuable than strength. You’re resilient like I am. Strength comes and goes. It’s like a mountain with many peaks and valleys. Mountains can be toppled with the right amount of ammunition. Resilience is like a fossil frozen in time, long dead and gone but still remaining, waiting to be unearthed and used again, then buried and laid to rest only to repeat the cycle. Again and again.” Her words are like a hum coaxing me into submission.

It’s not all a lie. I do want to learn from her. I want to learn how to fight; she just doesn’t know it’s her I want to end.

She raises my hand, pressing my index finger to her bottom lip, smearing the paint onto her flesh, watching me react to the prelude to death.

I don’t. I allow her to move my hand like a puppet.

I’m going to save them, Camilla. I won’t let you destroy my family.

“Come on.” She interlocks our hands and guides me to the door.“We have work to do.”

Chapter 63

Dash

A few weeks later.

I’m going to hurl Avery out this window. It will be easy; the glass is old and brittle, and one tap of my finger might shatter it, let alone a body being tossed through it. This room at the hostel is shit; no one would notice the broken glass or drops of blood.

No, that wouldn’t kill her, but it would hurt. I’ll…

Leo’s exhale fans over my shoulder halting my thoughts. I glance away from my binoculars to meet his eyes. I lift a brow. He knows Avery fucked me over. That’s why he’s standing so close to me, in case he needs to stop me from killing her.

“She’s. Not. Here.” I seethe.Remain calm. You don’t want to have to kill Leo just to get to Avery. Wait till she’s alone; deal with him later.

Slowly, I place the binoculars on the uneven window shelf, making sure they don’t fall. Each rise and fall of my chest causes Avery’s heart to beat faster.

“Mila is coming. She’s just…” Avery’s eyes look out the window from across the small room.“Late.” The bitch raises her hand like it’s a suggestion on a menu.

“Mila is never late!” I whirl around; Leo steps between us.“I gave you your sister!” That was a shit show. Royce was not pleased, and now we made an enemy out of one of the rare council members who thought we were innocent.“Where is my wife?”

Avery bites her bottom lip. Herswollenlip. Leo caved fast. He already cares about her; it’s pathetic.“Don’t,” I’m aware that my deep rumbling hiss sounds like a dragon rousing from slumber and that my next words will burn like fire,“look at Leo for help, Avery. Focus on me, because you won’t see anything else after this if you don't tell me where my wife is.”

“Calm down, Dash,” Leo steps forward.

Anders snickers, but Titan’s eyes watch me, mirroring my same worry. I gave Avery her sister, which led me here to the small town in Italy where Mila was living.

The problem? Mila wasn’t in her apartment when we arrived. Avery told me to calm down, so we staked out the hostel across the street from where she’s working. In the meantime, I have a team watching Mila’s apartment. Every inch of this crumbling town—I own now. My eyes and ears are everywhere, but so far, Mila has been a no-show.

And if that wasn’t enough…inhale, relax...Avery suggested Mila could be staying somewhere else; maybe she had found a guy and crashed there.

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