Page 69 of Blood in the Water
Wynn dished out two bowls of food before putting one in the microwave. “Yes, he did. He’ll help us find Caspian, but he needs more time to consider a contract.”
I bit my lip, disappointment settling heavily in my gut. Yes, obviously, I was so grateful and happy that Ciel would help us track down Cas. I needed his hacking and tracking skills. Without him, I had no idea where to start looking. Ciel’s help with Cas was more than I could ever repay.
But Ineededhim to agree to take on this contract.
I also needed to figure out how to find a million dollars within days. Probably even more than that.
It would be incredibly naive to expect them to take on a hit contract because I cried and batted my eyelashes. No, I would find the money, but I feared that I didn’t have time before either Cas was killed or Max found me. If I could access my inheritance, it wouldn’t be an issue, but Max had all the accounts locked down, and if I tried to access them, he’d be able to track me down immediately.
Maybe Ciel could help with that.
I shook my head, trying to force out the fears and focus back on the present. Caspian came first, then revenge on Max for all the pain he caused us.
“Okay,” I said. “I’m really thankful for that. And you too, Wynn. Seriously, I don’t know what I’d do to get him back without you.”
“You’re welcome,” he said as he placed a bowl of food in front of me. “Just be patient. We’ll figure it out.”
I nodded while eating a big bite of rice. Instantly, the flavors exploded in my mouth, and I had to hold back a groan of pleasure. “This is so fucking good.”
Wynn’s eyes brightened. “I’ll tell him you said so.”
“Obi?” I still had no idea who he was or what he looked like, just that he was the leader of the Shadows and loved home decor and cooking. He already scored high in both in my book.
“Yes. He’s in Africa right now, but he’ll be back in New York in a few days.”
I nodded while scarfing down the rest of the food. God, it was so delicious. After surviving on essentially microwave meals and gas station snacks for the last two weeks, this cooking was about to make me pass out and fall off the stool.
“I need to get some clothes,” I said once I finished. “Any chance you could loan me some money? Sounds stupid and impossible of me to say, but I promise I’ll pay you back.”
His mouth quirked at the corner as he came to sit beside me. “I’ll take care of it.”
“What do you mean?”
He pulled his phone out of his pocket and started tapping away. “I mean, I’ll take care of it.”
“Uhhh, so does that mean we’re going shopping?”
He shook his head. “For now, we need to stay here. If Volpe found the safe house and destroyed it, I’m certain he has footage of you and me on my bike. He won’t be able to track us anywhere. Ciel will wipe all the cameras, but he’ll know you have help, and he’ll be looking. In the meantime, you can use our guest room, and I’ll have some clothes delivered.”
I let out a big breath in relief. The idea of staying with Wynn and the other Shadows for the foreseeable future took some of the tension out of my body, even if it wasn’t a long-term offer. This penthouse literally was one of the safest, if notthesafest, places in the entire city. And to be honest, the small andcramped safe houses were getting pretty annoying. Staying in this big fancy penthouse, at least for a few days, reminded me of home.
I choked back my emotion and shoved it deep down.
“Okay. Thank you.” I shifted in my seat, again fully aware I wasn’t wearing underwear.
“I’ve asked Willow to pick you up some things and drop them off. Toiletries. Undergarments. Enough for a week or two.”
A week or two. Hopefully by then, the Shadows would have either agreed to my contract and Max would be dead, or Cas and I would have another plan. I couldn’t wait forever on this. Every day, Max got stronger.
But Willow was a great doctor and a good person. After learning about Willow’s connection to Wynn, I was interested in seeing her again and getting to know her better. I trusted her.
“Thank you, Wynn. I mean it. This means a lot to me.” I grabbed his hand and squeezed it.
He squeezed my hand back, his fingers warm in mine. “You’re safe now, Leona. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
My breath hitched, and I found myself caught in the light pink color of his lips. What would his hands feel like if they came around my waist and pulled me closer to him? Would he kiss softly, tentatively? Or would his kiss be fierce and claiming, setting me on fire from my head to my toes? I wanted to find out.
My eyes flicked to catch him watching me, and a blush warmed my cheeks. But I hesitated to move any closer. I couldn’t ruin my chances of finding Cas and keeping us safe by fucking up with Wynn, so instead, I quickly let go of his hand and slipped from the stool to carry my bowl to the sink.
