He hangs up as my heart plummets. “You have to go?”
“Dante.” Killian leans forward, grasping my chin and pressing a firm kiss to my swollen mouth.
“Be careful,” I murmur as he breaks away and I catch the desire blazing in his eyes.
No such luck tonight.
“I will. Dinner was great by the way.” Killian smirks at me and darts away, grabbing his jacket from where he discarded it earlier as he bolts for the door.
My heart starts to thunder to a different beat as I slide from the counter and pull my dress down, eyeing the remains of the dinner and our conversation.
What could be so important that he has to leave so soon after coming home?
God, I hope he comes home.
9
KILLIAN
Pulling myself away from Cara when she’s spent all day preparing a meal for me, then teasing me about making babies is one of the most difficult things I’ve had to do.
But orders are orders and when Dante needs something done, I do it.
Despite it being the middle of the night.
He and Sienna are the only ones with the power to take me away from a situation like that but that doesn’t mean I enjoy it. As I slide into the car next to Archer, I’m surprised to see Niccolo at the wheel. Ever since he was shot during the attack at Columbia and then being by my side at the attack on my own home, Dante had decided Niccolo and I were too recognizable together and he had pulled him from my security team to his own.
I imagine he’s relieved not to have to deal with my bullshit anymore.
“Boss,” Archer says as Niccolo and I exchange a glance of understanding in the mirror, then I turn to Archer with my lips pressing into a firm line.
“This better be fucking important,” I grumble, and Archer nods, handing me a tan-colored paper file.
“It is. Cain and Declan’s deep dive into the Russians pulled up something interesting,” Archer begins to explain as I start to flip through the file.
“How interesting?”
“Grigoriy has a bother. Younger. He’s an enforcer in the Russian mafia. Low down in the grand scheme of things but if Cain is right and the roughness of the bomb indicates a rush at revenge then he’s the main suspect. What’s odd is that there’s little information on him, but we’ve killed two people incredibly loyal to him so far.”
The folder contains some diagrams of the bombs, a comparison to ones used in the past as well as a bare-bones description of Grigoriy and his brother alongside a slightly blurred photo.
“So we think he killed Callahan?”
“Maybe. Dante wants him alive and interrogated, and if he’s got nothing to offer then we’ll kill him like the rest. Dante doesn’t want to wait on the opportunity given how many people we’ve lost this week.” Archer sighs and his hand curls into fists against his thighs before they straighten out, palm flat. “Kill or be killed.”
“Fine. Do we have a location?” The folder holds little of interest to me and, after skimming the few sheets, I offer it back to Archer.
“Yes,” Archer nods, taking the file and tucking it into the car door. “We’ve traced him to one of the brothels on the edge of the city. It’s a higher class place than we’re used to so, two birds one stone.”
“Right. Let’s get this over with quickly then.” I push back into the leather car seat as we weave through the city.
This is important. This could be a good chance for us to get information or soothe pains by killing the man responsible for Callahan’s death and yet my mind refuses to stray too far from Cara.
Leaving her like that, when she was open and wanting for me; the thrum of desire still floods my veins with each heartbeat. But channeling that intoangerwill have to do.
I turn my gaze out the window, scanning the buildings as they whip past and Archer falls into low conversation with one of the other guards in the car. He’s likely discussing the entry plan and I should pay attention but my mind is elsewhere.
I could be a father.