“Carlov. I’ve heard of him.” I grit my teeth as Zoey ties her makeshift tourniquet around my arm above the wound. “He’s a nobody, a punk who likes to do wet work, but his name came up a while back when he got into some pretty deep debt with Davinci.”
Xanadu nods. “That’s him.”
“How do you know him, Xanny?” Zoey finishes tying my arm. She doesn’t meet my eyes as she pulls back.
Her sister tenses. “I don’t think we should get into that right–”
“I think we should,” Zoey says quietly. “I think we should put everything out on the table. I’m tired of being left in the dark. Manipulated. All of it. I need to know the truth.” She clutches her hands in front of her. “From both of you.”
“Zoey …” Xanadu starts, then sighs. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for all of it. I met Carlov when he came into the club. He seemed like an easy mark, so I played him for a while. What I didn’t realize is he was playingme. Collecting information on me. He found out about you.”
“Me?” Zoey asks.
“Yeah.” She takes the highway exit toward my estate. “He used that information against me. He knew about Marvin’s stash in the safe, and he said if I didn’t get it for him, he’d find you and hurt you. Really bad. In … in all ways …” She swallows hard.
I can feel a muscle ticking in my jaw, the way my blood turns to ice, the rage rising in my gut. Even if Zoey feels uncertain right now, I want to comfort her, so I wrap my good arm around her. To my relief, she doesn’t pull away.
“You did all this to protect me?”
Xanadu nods. “I took Marvin’s money. I was supposed to turn it over to Carlov, but I thought I could double-cross him, grab you, and go. So I told Carlov I’d tried, but I couldn’t get to the safe. He didn’t like that answer.” She turns her head to the side and wipes her fingers along her skin, revealing a concealed bruise on her cheek. “He was desperate for the money. I thought he was going to kill me. Instead, he tied me up and locked me in his place. I was trapped there for days. I tried to make it back to you.” Her voice cracks. “I was so scared he’d hurt you. But when I finally escaped, I found out he’d gone after the money head-on and killed Marvin, and then I heard a rumor you’d been taken by Leone.” Her gaze shifts to me. “Held hostage over the money.”
“No.” Zoey shakes her head. “It’s not like that. He saved me.”
“You shouldn’t have been at the club,” Xanadu snaps back. “That’s no place for you. You can’t handle the–”
“I was looking foryou!” Zoey yells.
“I can take care of myself.”
“You obviously can’t!”
“I’ve kept us safe for all this time. You have to trust me when I–”
“You were gone!” Zoey explodes. “I was so scared. You didn’t tell me anything! I had no idea what happened to you! And all you left for me to even begin to track you down was some random clue behind a picture frame? Do you know how impossible that is? I need you to trustme, Xanny! To tellmethe truth!” She breaks on a sob and buries her face in my chest.
“Zoey.” I stroke my hand down her back. “You’re both safe now. We’re going to figure this out, all right?”
“You need to get your hands off my sister,” Xanadu snaps.
“Don’t talk about me like I’m not here!” Zoey shouts right back. “Of the two of you, Leone’s the only one who’s been straight with me! And you’re worried abouthishands on me?” She scoffs, then turns to me, cups my cheeks, and lays on me the most aggressive, lust-filled kiss I’ve ever felt.
I can’t stop the roar in my breast, the answering ferocity of my kiss as I claim my angry temptress, the fiery angel who’s stolen my heart and soul. God, I love this woman.