Page 137 of Desperate Crimes

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Chapter Thirty-Four-Nico Jr

Another midnight flight.Another godforsaken corner of the world the maps barely acknowledge anymore.

The kind of place where warlords wear suits and smiles are lined with razors.

Caas left more of a mess than I thought.

Broken contracts.Bribed officials.

Paper trails that double back on themselves like snakes swallowing their own tails.

But I’m handling it.

For me.For her.For us.

This—this is the foundation of the empire I’m building.

Not just for legacy.

For Leanna.

Our fathers carved empires with blood and brilliance, left their names smoldering in the dirt like brands.

I won’t ride their coattails.I’m no fucking nepo baby.

I’m a Fury.A Viper.The fucking Prince.

And for my Princess?

I will raze the whole goddamn planet.

The days bleed together now.Sleepless nights soaked in whiskey and war-room strategy sessions.

The burn of jet fuel in my lungs.

The ache of her name beneath my skin.

Seventy hours.That’s how long it’s been since I’ve heard her voice.

The satellite phone’s jammed.

My calls don’t go through.

The rage is acid in my blood, and I haven’t breathed easy since.

I doubled security at the estate before I left.My teams send daily reports—her meals, her movements, her visitors, everything logged with precision.

Sammy’s got eyes on her too.Just in case.

Still not enough.It’ll never be enough.

My father checked in once.Told me he’s proud.

Said I’m doing what he never could.He likes I’m building something new, something pure, something that’s mine.

And yet none of it matters if I don’t get home to her.

Because there’s only one thing keeping me grounded.

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