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Adrian’s eyes flashed, but I didn’t give him a chance to respond. “But let me tell you,” I continued. “It’ll make you no better than the monster who destroyed Iryna.”
“So that’s it? The devil’s daughter gets to walk away from this and live?” My cousin spat the questions at me. Clearly, my sister’s death had changed his stance. Adrian was now in danger of being a wild card. His sanity was broken, and his strength could be dangerous if he decided to point it in Talia’s direction.
“If Talia is in any way to blame, we’ll put a bullet in her head, but I’m not some sadist. Hurting her won’t bring me peace of mind.”
There it was. The truth, finally pushing through the raging storm inside. I could only hope my declaration was something I could live with.
“They sent her heart in a shoe box,” Adrian shot back, his voice breaking on the last word.
I squeezed my eyes closed. Why did he keep fixating on that detail? He’d parroted it, almost on automation, right after telling me the news. How a box had shown up with an organ, and the lab at Spyder Security confirmed it was Iryna’s. It was a horrific unfolding. “I know, cuz. I know. But I’m not an unjust man. If there is no way Talia is innocent in all of this, she’ll die.”
“So let me go do it!”
“I offered!” I shouted back.
“You and I both know that was an empty gesture, Con. The moment I march toward her, those feelings you have for her will push forward again, and you’ll stop me—even now!”
He was probably right, as much as it killed me to admit it. I would not kill Talia until I knew it wouldn’t be a stain on my soul. If the woman was in any way innocent, I would defend her right to the very end. What a fucking mess.
Chapter 51 – Constantine
Although there wasno point staying awake, sleep wouldn’t come.
I heard Adrian moving in his bedroom on the other side of the wall. He’d been pacing for hours. After checking in with Jakob, we’d come back to his LA apartment. The food he’d ordered remained untouched in the takeout bags on the kitchen counter. At a loss for our next move and energy sapped with grief, we’d both drifted into our respective bedrooms. Even revenge couldn’t stir through the numbness that set in after Jakob told us there were no new developments. My cousin’s burst of bloodlust had quickly fizzled out, turning into a dangerous desperation. I pretended not to see him take the bottle of vodka from the well-stocked cabinet. Tonight, I envied him his vice.
Tossing onto my back, I ground the heels of my palms into my eye sockets. This was my first night truly alone in nearly two decades. Even when Iryna wasn’t around, it had been a comfort to know she was always a phone call away. All we had left now was her heart, which was currently being embalmed at Spyder Security.It’s just Adrian and me left now.The thought was devastating.
I couldn’t let my mind wander to the blood house in the desert...or the prisoner inside it. Not twenty-four hours ago, Talia had been curled in my arms. We’d spoken of the future.
“I don’t know what to believe,” I whispered the confession to the dark room.
Yes, you do,a soft voice pleaded in the back of my mind. With a frustrated growl, I flipped onto my side. The sheets tangled around my hips, and I viciously kicked them away. This feud needed to end—the game had changed. No longer were we fighting over the shipping of goods. My sister had fuckingdiedat a Beaumont’s hands! Adrian was right. If I could end it—end it all—I could find peace.
To be fair, Adrian’s vicious mental flip mirrored my own. While I could control my thirst for blood, I worried over my cousin. His penchant for alcohol lent a heavy depression on his otherwise jolly, strong character. I would have to watch him carefully.
I tuned into the noises he was making in his master suite. Unlike my house, where I had the privacy of an upper wing, this penthouse apartment adjoined other rooms, and I could hear everything he was doing. The tub most definitely shouldn’t be running at this hour. Through the fog of my own pain, I sat up suddenly. That wasn’t right. A phantom caress trailed down my spine, and a sudden, gripping horror forced me to move. In my boxer briefs, I rushed out of the guest room.
