I memorized all of it on that gym mat.
And now, watching her stand there in front of me like some kind of goddess, all I can think about is doing it again.
Controlling that body.
Making her scream my name until she forgets everyone else exists.
She turns to face me fully, the owner stepping back to give her space. "Well," she says, smoothing her hands down the front of the dress. "What do you think? Oh, never mind, I know?—"
"You look beautiful, Keira."
The words are out before I can stop them.
She freezes. Her lips part slightly, surprise flickering across her face. "Really?"
"Of course." I lean forward, elbows on my knees, my gaze locked on hers. "When do you not?"
The air shifts.
Too much honesty. Too much truth.
Her cheeks flush, and she blinks rapidly, like she's trying to process what I just said. "What did you say?"
I open my mouth to backtrack, or to say something dismissive, a joke, anything that will smooth this over, but before I can answer, my phone buzzes.
Relief floods through me, sharp and immediate.
I pull it out, glancing at the screen.
Nicolae.
The relief vanishes.
"Sorry, I need to take this," I say and stand.
I move toward the corner of the boutique, away from Keira and the owner.
"Yeah," I say, answering the call.
"It's going to come soon," Nicolae says, his voice low, familiar in all the wrong ways. "So be ready. They're going to take the package. Track her and let her lead you to them. Just like we did in Hungary."
Hungary.
I glance over my shoulder. Keira's facing the mirror, admiring the dress, but her eyes are watching me now.
Hungary was a shit show. We tagged a woman's bracelet and let her walk straight into an underground gambling ring that had been siphoning off money from a mob family that hired us.
I waited until she was inside, surrounded by men who thought they were untouchable.
Then stormed in, ending it in one night.
She got out, but barely.
I told myself that she knew the risks, that she chose to be there, but still, she took two gunshots in the process.
"Also," Nicolae continues, his tone shifting, becoming almost conversational. "I went and visited your mother's grave. There,next to your brother. I try to visit my sister often. I was honored when she asked me to take you in before she, you know."
My jaw tightens.
