“What are you doing here, in my bed?” I demand.
He chuckles again, rolling onto his back and stretching his arms above his head. I watch in horrified fascination as his form shifts, going from solid flesh to translucent-blue energy, then back to disturbingly solid again.
“I won’t be able to rest until the right people pay for what they did, Katja,” he says, setting my nerves on edge.
Despite every instinct screaming at me to get as far away as possible, I venture to sit on the edge of the bed, staring at him intently. If he’s going to keep showing up, I need to understand what he wants.
“Cade’s not going anywhere, and neither is Malachi, so don’t even think about targeting them,” I say firmly, drawing a clear line in the sand.
Damien goes translucent again, and the heavy blankets fall straight through his incorporeal body, settling on the mattresslike he was never beneath them. The sight is incredibly unsettling.
“I thought you were finally seeing the bigger picture. Do I need to spell it out for you?” he asks, reforming into a more solid state.
Part of me desperately wants him to explain everything, but I’m not about to give him the satisfaction. “I don’t know. That might take all the fun out of the twisted games you like to play,” I respond, choosing sarcasm over the high road.
Get a grip, Kat.
“Malachi and Cade were following orders. I don’t blame them entirely for being obedient little soldiers.” His expression darkens with genuine hatred. “Aunt Irina and my father need to pay for what they orchestrated.”
It’s the first time I’m realizing that Damien might actually be an ally I could use right now despite how much his presence unnerves me. Enemy of my enemy and all that.
“Viktor hired me to find your killer. You think he wanted you dead too?” I ask, leaning forward with growing interest. I’d always suspected something was off about that entire investigation, but I’d never been able to put my finger on what exactly felt wrong about Viktor specifically.
“No one is innocent in this web of lies, and I won’t find peace until they all pay for what they did,” he repeats cryptically, still refusing to give me specifics.
His form wavers between solid and translucent. I can feel him starting to fade, and despite my fear, I find myself straining to keep him here. I need answers more than I need safety.
The hotel room door opens suddenly, sending a shaft of blinding light streaming in from the hallway. Malachi tries to sneak in quietly, opening the door slowly, but startles when he sees me sitting on the edge of the bed instead of sleeping peacefully under the covers.
“What’s going on?” he asks with immediate concern, hitting the light switch and flooding the room with warm light.
I put my hand up to shield my eyes from the sudden brightness and glance back at the bed, but Damien has already vanished. I quickly describe Damien’s physical manifestation, his cryptic warnings about Irina and Viktor, the way he seemed more solid than ever before.
Saying Malachi doesn’t look pleased would be a massive understatement.
“I can’t even protect you from him because he’s already dead. That motherfucker,” he says, kicking off his shoes and sighing in frustration.
I reach for him, tugging him down to sit beside me at the foot of the bed. “If he were truly going to hurt me, I think he would have done it by now. I think he’s trying to help us in his own deranged way.”
Malachi nods. “Help himself, maybe.”
I take his hand in mine, needing the comfort of his warm, solid presence after Damien’s cold touch. “How did it go with Irina?”
I still have no idea what time it is or how long he was gone. Scanning the room for a clock, I spot a digital display showing 1:00 p.m. Okay, so I managed to get a few hours of decent sleep despite the supernatural interruption.
“Here, eat this while we talk. You have to be starving,” he says, handing me a paper bag I hadn’t noticed him carrying.
I quickly unwrap the burrito inside and take a grateful bite—beans, cheese, rice, and salsa. “Yes, thank you. This is perfect.”
“I’m confident from everyone’s behavior that Syndicate leaders already held their summit meeting yesterday, but Irina didn’t directly mention it. I couldn’t exactly call her out on the omission since I don’t want her to know we saw thatsurveillance footage.” He settles more comfortably beside me. “I don’t want her to suspect we’re onto her duplicity at all. It’ll only create more problems for us.”
I couldn’t agree more. We already have too many enemies circling us like vultures. It’s definitely better if we maintain the pretense with her for now.
“What did she say about tonight’s party? Do you think there will be some kind of orchestrated attack or ambush? Did she seem like she was worried about us showing up?” I ask between bites.
“She acted completely normal, but I don’t expect her to give anything away after all this time. Irina’s had years to perfect her poker face,” he says, then looks away, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck and sighing heavily.
“I didn’t want to say anything because I hate making you worry, but can you stay by my side tonight? No matter what happens, we should stay together.”
