Page 24 of No Merciful Corruption

“Carson and Wilson were at Dahlia’s this morning.” Alejandro says.

Instinctively, my hand shoots out and I dig my nails into his bicep. He frowns and looks down at me but it’s too late. Rian is already looking at us.

And God, do I wish he wasn’t.

I used to think his eyes were the one gentle thing about him. The color is so light and bright, like they were carved out of a midafternoon sky at the height of spring. But now that soothing shade of blue has lightened to a far more lifeless, desolate color. They look empty.

His jaw ticks and then he looks away. It’s the most he’s acknowledged me in over a month and I know I deserve it but that doesn’t mean it hurts any less.

“I spoke to Morales last night. The FBI is going to get involved, which means we need to settle our affairs immediately. One of those being the sale of Narvaez’s shares.” Rian looks through Alejandro rather than directly at him. “You’re going to sign them off to Antonov before week’s end.”

Alejandro doesn’t flinch. “Is that so?”

“You were going to sell them to him anyway just to piss me off. At least now you can make yourself useful.”

He opens his mouth to respond and I tighten my grip on his arm once more. He silences himself.

Rian lifts a brow. “Is there a problem?”

“No,” I answer before Alejandro can. “There isn’t.”

His gaze meets mine again. It sends a shiver down my spine. “As for you⁠—”

I cut him off. “What about me?”

“You’re a liability.” He retorts. “Don’t you think half a magazine clip and a bullet to the eye was excessive? You’re half the reason the police are going in so hard on this case. Those aren’t self-defense wounds.”

“Oh, I’m sorry I wasn’t counting the bullets I put in your traitorous best friend’s body after he tried to kill us.”

“Something he’d have never done if you hadn’t been in possession of his pistol in the first place.”

“Maybe but he was going to betray you just the same.”

“Nothing you haven’t already done.” He parries back. Then lifts a finger to gesture. “Or am I supposed to believe this is purely platonic?”

I’m surprised when it’s Lyss who speaks up. “Rian, that’s enough.”

“No, let him finish.” I get up from the booth. “Is there something you want to say to me, Rian?”

“Dahlia…” Alejandro whispers.

“No.” Rian’s jaw clenches. “There isn’t.”

“Really? Because it seems like there is.” I say. “And if that’s the case, then you should just say it.”

He looks at Alejandro. “Sell your shares before the end of the week and get her out of New York. I don’t want her here⁠—”

“Excuse you?” Fire catches in my veins like a struck match to gunpowder. “I don’t have to go anywhere!”

No one moves. The silence is such that I can hear each person breathing.

Lyss gets to her feet and takes Alejandro’s upper arm. Damiano notices and follows suit, leading them to one of the private booths on the upstairs mezzanine. Sasha hesitates, torn between his own morbid curiosity and forced disinterest but eventually decides to follow Lyss as well. Once they’ve ascended the stairs and are out of sight, I turn on Rian.

“I’ve been trying to contact you for weeks. Why are you icing me out?”

Rian doesn’t answer.

“I know you’re angry. Believe me, you have every right to be. But you never visited me in the hospital and when I tried to see you myself, you had everyone send me away.” As my throat tightens with emotion, I take deep, steadying breaths to keep it from cracking. “Last month, things got complicated between us. I get that. I acknowledge it was my fault. When Alex got here I should’ve⁠—”