Page 12 of The Incubus and the Bodyguard

“It’s only a flesh wound,” Ilya said dismissively. His gaze found Vlad. “We have a situation. Giovanni and Wei Chen are demanding answers.”

Vlad’s stomach churned.

That doesn’t really come as a surprise considering what they witnessed tonight. Hearing rumors about what I can do is one thing. Seeing it in action is a whole other ball game.

“Where are they now?”

“At the precinct, giving their statements. They’re sticking to the robbery story Lieutenant Dickson came up with.” Ilya hesitated. “There’s something else. Someone recorded what happened inside the restaurant. The video’s already circulating.”

“Fuck,” Cortes breathed.

Vlad clenched his teeth.Dammit! That’s the last thing we need right now.

Having other criminal organizations witness the powers they’d long suspected he hadandwatching him collapse at the end of that battle was going to open a whole other can of worms.

His head throbbed.

Was that those men’s endgame all along? To show that the heir to theBlack Devilsisn’t invincible after all?

Jared got his phone out and dialed a number. “I’ll get it taken down.”

Frustration tightened Vlad’s chest. He dropped his head against the back rest and closed his eyes again. Under any other circumstance, he would have been the one putting that call out. Except he felt as powerless as a newborn fawn right now.

Ilya spoke again. “Yuliy is on his way.”

Vlad’s eyes snapped open. “What?!”

“Milo called Gustav,” Ilya admitted guiltily. “I’d offer to put a bullet through him, but he’s already been shot.”

Gustav Luchok was Yuliy’s secretary. He’d practically brought Vlad up along with his uncle and Lena Dubravac, their housekeeper.

Vlad swallowed a groan.Of course Gustav told Yuliy.

The man was more protective of him than a mother hen.

“Yuliy can’t know.” Vlad narrowed his eyes at Cortes and Jared. “None of theBratvacan know about this. If word gets out that I’ve lost my powers?—”

Ilya froze. “Wait.You’ve lost your powers?!”

They hushed him.

Ilya lowered his voice, his face ashen. “What does that mean?”

“It’s exactly as I said.” Vlad put a hand on Tarang. His strength was slowly returning and with it the sharp focus that was his trademark. “Neither of us can access our powers. And worse, our bond feels—different. Weaker. Like something is blocking our connection.”

Tarang made a pained sound and plopped his head on Vlad’s lap.

Vlad’s voice hardened. “You know what will happen if word gets out.”

He could tell from their expressions that no further explanation was required.

Though many wished to see the demise of crime syndicates, they were essential tools governments and law agencies relied upon to control the more abhorrent transgressors in human society. TheBlack Devilswas one such organization, their influence in the New York criminal underworld keeping some of the more ruthless gangs trying to infiltrate the city’s lucrative drug and trafficking routes at bay.

Their enemies would see Vlad as theirBratva’s weakness if they discovered he’d lost his powers. They would start testing boundaries, probing for vulnerabilities. Some might even try to eliminate him altogether, viewing him as an easy target without his rumored demonic abilities.

And that’s assuming theBratvaleadership in Moscow doesn’t decide to replace me as Yuliy’s heir the moment they find out.

Vlad’s nails dug into his palms at that bitter thought.

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