“You start wars with your dick, you know that, right?”
I chuckled. “And I always finish them the same way—” I gave the body one last shove into the trunk, slammed it shut, “—with a bang.”
We headed back upstairs. I knocked once before unlocking the door.
Kira stepped out of the bathroom wearing tight jeans and a black hoodie, but even in plain clothes, she looked so fucking beautiful it made my chest ache.
I couldn’t help it—I crossed the room to her, cupped her cheek, and kissed her slow.
“Sashko will drive you home,” I murmured against her lips. “I’ve gotta clean up the rest of the mess.”
She smiled, soft and sweet. “I thought tonight would suck. Turns out, it was kind of unforgettable.”
“All part of the romantic package,” I said, deadpan.
She leaned in and kissed me again, her fingers curling in my shirt. “Thank you. For saving me.”
I brushed my thumb along her jaw. “Someone has to keep you alive.”
She giggled. “Will I see you tomorrow?”
I nodded.
She took a small step back, but her eyes didn’t leave mine. “Okay,” she whispered. “Go do your thing.”
Sashko opened the door, muttering under his breath. “Alright, princess,” he said to Kira. “Come on. I want to get back to sleep sometime before sunrise.”
She rolled her eyes but gave me one last glance over her shoulder as she followed him out. I caught that look.
And fuck, it did something to me.
The moment the door clicked shut behind them, my smile vanished.
Time to clean up the rest of the night.
22
Wake Up, Sunshine
—Maksym—
Istood in the quiet room for a moment, exhaling slowly.
I need to erase her from this place.If anyone traced the scene back to her, if anyone even suspected she’d been here… it wouldn’t take long before her name ended up in someone’s mouth. And that someone would die for it—but still.
I started with the torn remains of her dress, the fabric still heavy with sweat, fear, and her scent. My jaw tightened as I shoved it into the plastic bag Sashko had brought. The sheet came next—the one I’d used to wipe her down. That too. Soaked in me. No way I was leaving it behind.I folded it without thinking and added it to the bag. Her panties were near the bed,abandoned in the chaos; I picked them up and pushed them in with the rest. In the bathroom, her heels lay scattered, one tipped over as if she’d kicked it off in a rush. I gathered those too. The belts were by the door where I’d dropped them earlier. I coiled the leather, and slid them into the bag. Finally, I lifted my jacket from the floor, shook it out, and pulled it on, every movement precise and mechanical.
Next, the bathroom. She hadn’t done much in there, just got dressed—but I still wiped down the handle, the mirror, the sink. Checked the floor for any fallen hair. Swiped a towel across the counter just in case. I’d learned how to clean a scene years ago. Tonight wasn’t any different. Just… more personal.
I scanned the room one last time. Chaos everywhere. The bathroom door looked like it had been kicked in by a demon, the floor reeked of milk and sweat, and the bed looked like it had seen war.I could already see it: the police sweeping in, cataloging the damage, hunting for answers. But when they searched, there’d be no evidence she’d ever set foot in this room. I made sure of that.
I stepped out into the hall, calm as anything, locked the door behind me, and walked like a man who hadn’t just fucked a girl, beaten her fiancé bloody, and cleaned up a murder scene all before dawn.
I opened the trunk first, where the guard’s corpse still lay crumpled in a grotesque heap. The smell hit me hard, but I barely flinched. I muttered a curse under my breath and leaned in, nudging the bastard’s limp leg aside to dig out the coil of rope tucked beneath him.
“You were in my way alive, you’re in my way dead. Consistent, I’ll give you that,” I grumbled, yanking the rope free.
With that, I slammed the trunk and moved to the back passenger door. Felix was still out cold, slumped and half-folded like dirty laundry. I crouched and tied his ankles tight, thenbound his wrists as well—not enough to cut off circulation, but enough to make sure that when he woke up in the back seat, he wouldn’t be able to thrash or reach for anything stupid. The last thing I needed was him snapping awake and turning the car into a wrestling match once he realized what was coming.
