CASSIAN
I shouldn't feel pity for her.
But I liked her, and that meant dealing with this useless thing in my chest.
And today had to be her birthday.
The date was fucking etched in my memory alongside every detail of her life.
But she was a distraction—one I knew I needed to get off my back.
Suddenly, the light in the penthouse went off.
That had never happened.
"What's going on?" Ayla asked, suddenly tensed.
I pulled the revolver from my waist and placed it on my lips.
With my other hand, I grabbed a penknife from the side of my shoe and slit the tape on her ankle and wrist.
"Stay here," I ordered, and walked into the darkness inside the penthouse.
If anyone had the balls to come after me, it would be Vittorio's men, seeking revenge.
The moment the glass door clicked shut behind me, bullets rolled.
I ducked behind a wall.
A shadow moved to my left; I popped out, squeezed the trigger—blood rolled out.
