I cross the room and take her face in my hands. She looks up at me, and in her eyes, I see the fear she still tries to shove down for the sake of her friend.
“I am going to get Nessa back, and then I am going to burn his fucking world to the ground,” I say too soon after losing my uncle. I didn’t make it in time for him, but I sure as hell won’t let anything touch Leonore. These hands will be bloody for her sake, even when I know she’s capable of doing the same. I need her to trust me.
Her chin trembles in my hands, and tears build in her eyes.
“This will all be over soon. He won’t touch you again,” I say. “Do you understand me?”
She nods, and tears spill down her cheek. I catch them with my thumbs and wipe them away.
I let her go to pull out my phone and make a call.
“I’m sending you a video,” I say. “I need the location.”
“Timeline?” he asks.
“Now.”
“Understood.”
I forward the video and hang up.
Leonore watches me with her arms folded around herself like armor.
“He’ll find something,” I tell her. “He’s the best there is.”
She gnaws her lips, trying to fight off her fear.
I pour her a whiskey and hand it to her. “This ends tonight, Leonore. You can trust me to take care of it.”
The sudden sound of my phone ringing makes her jump.
“I thought you were going to give me something hard,” he says. “A challenge at least. This was almost too easy.”
“You got a location?”
“I’m sending you the pin as we speak.”
My phone beeps with the location.
“Got it.” I hang up and call Valen’s name. I’m not even going to start with how he already royally fucked up by letting Leonore sneak past him, and he’s none the wiser. But it also goes to show how capable my woman is. She’s just like me, like a wraith hiding in the shadows until she wants to be seen, often with a scalpel held at your throat.
When he walks out, he seems surprised to see Leonore but says nothing. My sister, Gia, walks out with him, a concerned expression on her face. I gave her the rundown of the situation when she first arrived. To her credit, the fierce, protective blood of Vescari runs through her, and she immediately wanted to helpin any way possible. I tasked her with protecting Leonore in my stead and gave her a gun. They’re both very capable women, and neither will have to do anything. But me saying that to my sister is enough of an announcement that Leonore is now family. A small knowing smile pressed her lips, but she didn’t ask any more questions.
“We’re moving. I want the best,” I say to Valen. “I’ve just sent you a location. Have more of our men meet us there immediately.”
“Yes,” he says quickly and begins to make some calls on my behalf.
When I face Leonore, she has that burning rage in her gaze and goes to step forward as if to leave again, but I block her path. So be it if she hates me for it.
Defiance flares in her eyes. “Silas?—”
“I need you here with Larissa. That little girl needs you. And I need to know you’re behind these walls and safe. You’re more risk to me if you come.” The hurt twists in her gaze, and I quickly add, “Not because you’re not capable, but because I won’t think clearly,” I confess quietly and somewhat defeated. I can sense my sister watching everything carefully, but right now, I need to make sure the woman I love doesn’t act recklessly, because it affects me.
She wants to fight me. It’s written all over her face. But she also knows I’m right, and the mention of Larissa reminds her that there’s a child who needs her.
“Okay,” she says. “But Silas?”
“Yes?”
