Page 70 of Inside the Sun

Theoretically, the banquet might give me a window of opportunity to pick up some stray intel about the other people living in the fortress. I could try eavesdropping on the guests with my purple alpha ear. Risky, but doable.

Who knows, maybe Summer shows up at these banquets?

It could also be… a good opportunity to watch that young blond guy more closely. Try to figure out if he might be here to sniff me out. How close is he to Anzo? If they’re tight, then yeah, I’m probably being watched.

But on the other hand, maybe the risk would be worth it? That boy living in the fortress might know something about Summer and Moon too. Perhaps after the event, I could try just casually chatting with him. If I steer the conversation just right, he might let something slip.

Wait a second…

Really? How can I not see that this is a horrible idea?!

Approaching Ferro’s boy and exchanging gossip? Maybe even befriend him? No one would findthatsuspicious, right? And the mobster himself wouldn't mind, for sure.

Cursing under my breath, I stop eating and straighten up. It’s obvious this sudden, intense urge to pull the kid into my recon work isn’t just about getting info on my brothers.

There’s more to it, and I swear loudly.

I can’t possibly be that fucking stupid.

I just…

I…

I should just get a better look at him, that’s all. Just to assess whether he might be useful for my mission in someotherway! Nothing more.

Yep, I quickly reset my brain.

Focus, Ragnar.

***

That afternoon, I still have a few things to take care of in the garden. One of the rose vines has crept into the gazebo, and I need to trim it back. I grab my pruning kit and head over.

The gazebo sits in the middle of the inner garden, almost completely overgrown from the outside by rose bushes blooming white and pink.

When I step inside, I freeze.

Someone’s curled up on the bench, staring down at a photograph, sobbing softly.

It’s him. The golden-haired distraction.

I hesitate, wondering if I should quietly back out, but it’s too late. He lifts his head, and our eyes meet.

Like that, from the front, I see him for the first time. My previous assessment wasn't wrong. His features are truly exquisite. Huge, light green eyes, the color of sun-drenched grass, stare at me from beneath the longest lashes I’ve ever seen. His lips are dark red and impossibly soft-looking, and his skin is clear and smooth, except for the bruise on the right side of his face.

Even in the half-shade, his hair glows a deep golden honey, falling in soft waves over one shoulder.

Despite what I told myself earlier, promising to steer clear of him, I’m just standing there, struck. I feel like I’ve been caught in some kind of spell. Not one he cast on purpose. He’s clearly inno mood to flirt; his cheeks are still streaked with tears. And yet, none of it makes him any less beautiful.

Can someone this breathtaking even exist?

He’s dressed differently than before, more guarded, in a black buttoned-up shirt and black jeans.

Looking at him now, I get the sense he’s even younger than I originally guessed. What the hell is someone like him doing in The Sun?

A sudden wave of dread shoots through me. A disturbing thought strikes: what if Ferro brought him in as areplacementfor Summer?

And if that’s the case… maybe Summer’s no longer useful to him. Maybe he’s planning to just get rid of him. Or worse, already did.

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