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I'm safe here. Safe with Valentina. Cassian will be back soon and then maybe I can go home.

Home.

I catch my reflection in the mirror and brace myself against the sink with both hands, staring into my own eyes.

Home. Can I really do that now that I know Illyana is here? What am I even supposed to do there? Seeing her in the garden, she was a full-grown person, not the baby who was ripped from my arms. What right do I have to even think about her when I couldn't protect her?

My head dips down between my shoulders and I force three deep breaths to calm myself. I can't keep up with everything. One thing at a time. Wait until Cassian is back.

Cassian.

The thought of him floods my chest with a warm, fuzzy feeling, and I focus on it with a small smile. I can't believe he came after me. Across the entire world just to come and find me.

Who does that?

Who just gets on a plane and chases a stranger like that?

Pressing my lips together, I smile wider and replay the last kiss in my head. It's soft, and it's bliss until a sharp knock at the door jerks me out of my thoughts and Valentina suddenly opens the door.

"How well can you drive?"

17

CASSIAN

The asshole who kicked me so hard my ribs cracked is the first to greet me at the gate. He smirks at me as he presses the button to open them and keeps that smirk on his face while I stroll past him while wrestling with the urge to cave his fucking face in. Getting into a fight now won't do me any good, not if I have to persuade Mario we're on the same side long enough to get information.

On the walk up to the manor, I take a few seconds to slip into character. Acting the asshole isn't hard for me, but with so much on the line and being so far from home, there are far too many ways this can go wrong.

Valentina and Sabina both need me back in one piece.

I adjust the collar of my shirt against the heat soaking down from the sun and knock loudly on the front door. I take a step back and wait. The best-case scenario is that Mario doesn't suspect me and I can lean into us working together to get answers.

Worst case? The door opens and I face down the barrel of a gun. They'll never find my body in these waters.

A few seconds later, the door opens and my grandfather stands on the other side with a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. He stares at me and then glances behind me as if looking for someone else.

"You came alone?" Mario asks.

My back tightens. If he's as good as he claims, he likely knows I didn't come into the country by myself, so I force a smile and nod. "My partner is taking in the sights. She's never been to Italy."

Mario's brows lift ever so slightly, surprised at my honesty, then he steps forward instead of back into the house. "I see. Your wife?"

I snort. "No, just some chick I'm fucking. I thought I'd impress her with the sights while I was here."

Mario grunts in response and walks past me. Gravel crunches underfoot as he steps off the porch and together, we walk toward several cars parked near the edge of the building.

"Back in my day, you didn't need to impress a girl to get her to sleep with you."

"I don't need to," I reply stiffly. "I choose to. Makes them all the more eager." The words work in my favor but they sour on my tongue, especially when Mario laughs heartily.

"You old dog. You're my blood through and through, I see." He opens the back door of the car and motions me in with a smile. "Come. We must go."

Getting into the car doesn't feel like the wisest move but with no choice, I slip past him and settle into the soft leather seats. Mario joins me a few seconds later and a driver joins us not long after.

"So." Mario grunts softly as the car pulls into gear and we leave the estate in the rearview mirror. "Tell me, Cassian. Why are you really here?"

"I thought you were going to tell me why the hell you had me beaten and thrown out yesterday," I reply. "You treat me like that and expect the truth?"