Page 122 of Impenitent Claim

“We can’t. We’re pawns on this board.”

“No!” I cut my hand through the air. “I’m no man’s pawn.”

There was something I could do. Ilya would know how to warn the Scorso Famiglia. If he didn’t, I could sneak out the same way he did and slip ahead of our soldiers to warn the rival don to move his family to safety.

“Goodnight, Lonzo. Be safe.” I shut the door in his face, locking the bolt.

I intended to run for the phone, to dial the number on the little black card, and pray Ilya picked up.

Instead, a strong grip shot out and caught me. My back flattened against the door. A bright orange glow snapped in my face. I struggled away from the light, but it was no use.

He saw.

My monster saw everything.

“I’m going to ask you once, Izzy. Who dared lay a hand on you?” Each word was the slash of a dagger.

I whimpered, trying to pull away from his hold. It wasn’t that the spectre hurt me, but I hadn’t wanted him to see me like this.

Ilya pressed his fingers in warning but not hard enough to hurt me.

“Cosimo,” I gasped.

“And why didn’t you tell me.” There was hurt underlying the demand.

I heard it, and a stone of guilt dropped in my stomach. “You were going to kill him anyhow.”

“You should have told me,” he snarled.

I pushed out against him, the anger rising to meet that which simmered in him. “I couldn’t have you losing your head, phantom! I’ve seen you in the cage only a handful of times. You seem cool and collected, but I didn’t know if this would change anything. I need you to end the little Fabrizi shit stain, but I didn’t want you getting hurt by going all berserk on his ass if you knew I’d been harmed. Understand?”

The light blinked out.

Under the cover of darkness, I pushed forward, forcing myself against Ilya, and urging him with every fiber of my being to embrace me.

“I need you to come back, at dawn, and make this nightmare go away,” I insisted.

A long, shuddering breath shook his frame, vibrating against me. “I swear to you, when the sun rises, your life will be completely different.”

“I need to tell you something—” I croaked. The words stuck in my throat.

The seconds ticked by, and I couldn’t push past the lump of worry in my chest. How hard were those three words? Everything was coming to a head, and I still hadn’t told him what was truly in my heart.

Ilya placed a finger over my lips. “I haven’t earned that yet. Save them for the morning, rusalka.”

“But…I feel them. Even though I haven’t said it.”

A dark smile cut across his face. “I know, Izzy. I know.”

“One more thing,” I whispered, remembering at the last minute that he was probably the only person who could do the right thing.

The sound of assent rumbled in his chest.

“Can you warn the don of the Scorso Famiglia? I don’t want his wife, children, and mother to die because my god of death destroyed an enemy under the pretense of fighting that clan.”

Ilya brushed his fingers lovingly through my hair. “Consider it done. They’ll have plenty of warning to protect their loved ones..”

I relaxed into his arms a moment more before we untangled. I had to pack, and he had to kill. The perfect end to All Saints Day.

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