Page 129 of Ravaged Soul
“May I be excused?”
“Yes.” His hazel eyes crease at the edges. “You may go.”
With Richards’s warning still ringing in my ears, I stuff any doubts I have down and flee the room alone. This barely controlled calm won’t last long, and I have no desire for Gracie’s folks to witness its departure.
Never let your guard down,Carlos used to preach. He trained me not to think. Feel. Dream. Hope. He taught me howto put those pointless feelings in a box then shove them into the back of my brain.
Now I’m dragging it all back out and blowing off the cobwebs… Because Richards is right. Ember Lawson does want a life beyond this building. She wants to hope and dream. Just not yet.
I need 768 to win this.
Then she can finally rest.
CHAPTER 18
HYLAND
BLACK CHANDELIER – BIFFY CLYRO
Luke bouncesfrom foot-to-foot as I wrangle with our newly updated security system. Didn’t think it was possible to make our penthouse even more secure, but here we are.
Warner’s turned the entire floor into Fort Knox. With the manhunt for Gracie ramping up, we’re all on edge. We’d be fools to think that removing Carlos has mortally wounded the cartel’s operation. If anything, we’ve just kicked the hornets’ nest.
They will retaliate.
It’s a matter of when, not if.
“I’m so excited!” Luke’s chirp drags me back to the present. “Let me in!”
“Easy, kid. Uncle Ax is working today.”
“No.” He pouts up at me. “I want to see Ember.”
I snort at his little face. “Right.”
Of course he does. The kid’s as besotted with Ember as I find myself being these days. He’s only met her once, and she’s already won his heart with her mindless superhero chatter.
“Hurry up! Let me in!”
“Be gentle with Em.” I pinch his cheek. “She’s in a bit of pain today.”
“Oh no!” His forehead crinkles. “We should’ve brought her ice cream.”
“We have ice cream, bud. But that doesn’t fix everything, you know.”
“Yes it does,” Luke replies defiantly.
“Okay. Sure.”
“Or flowers! Mummy likes when Owen buys her flowers. She always smiles. I don’t like it when they kiss, though. That’s gross.”
My fingers slip while disabling the alarm. “Owen?”
“Yes,” Luke chatters without a care in the world. “He’s her friend.”
“I see. How many times have you met Owen?”
“Oh… loads! He comes around all the time.”
