Page 120 of Ruined Vows
The timestamp in the corner tells me this was takenyesterday.
My jaw clenches as I flip the page. Then I notice something written underneath the photo, scribbled in a messy, masculine script: “She looks good in the light. I wonder how she’d look in the dark.”
I go very, very still. There’s no name, is there a signature? Not that I expected one. But I don’t need one.
Only one man still thinks he can touch me from the shadows and walk away with his hands intact.
Radovan.
I rub my hand over the stubble on my face. This isn’t a threat. It’s atest.It’s a message that he’s watching me, and her, and that he’s close enough to strike. He hasn’t forgotten who Bianca is to me, and that, because of her, and what she means to me, has pushed the situation past the point of no return.
I reread the note. Then I strike a match and burn it. I watch the ash float to the floor. Slow. Deliberate. No drama. No fanfare. No fireworks, but that will come.
But for now, it’s just silent ash and a room filled with white ash that makes it look like I burned the city down.
Luka steps in seconds later.
He pauses when he sees my face. “Something happened?”
“Call David. Get me eyes on Radovan’s top three lieutenants. Quietly.”
He nods, already pulling out his phone.
“And Luka?”
“Yeah?”
“Anyone who evenlookedat her wrong yesterday… disappears.”
But in my gut, I’m afraid I’ve procrastinated, and now, the danger is too close for comfort.
I’ve run out of time to take Radovan off the board. He’s coming for me, and she’s in danger. And that never sits well.
36
BIANCA
WHERE THE BROKEN HEAL
Ibarely make it three steps into Joanne’s office before she looks up from her laptop, her eyes narrowing like a predator spotting weakness. It’s funny how she reminds me of Vukan for a second.
“Don’t even start,” I say, holding her open palm up to me.
She grins, slow and mercilessly. “Oh, I’m starting. You look like you just ran a marathon. Or got hit by a freight train.”
“Close enough,” I mutter, dropping into the chair across from her.
She leans forward, elbows on her desk. “So?”
I press my hands to my burning cheeks. “So what?”
Joanne rolls her eyes. “Don’t play innocent, Bianca. You think I didn’t notice you ghosting me last night? Or the fact you’re wearing a casual shirt and a smile you can’t wipe off?”
I groan and drop my head into my hands. “You’re the worst.”
“I’m the best.” She smirks. “Now spill. Was it good? Like, life-altering, call-the-priest good? Converting to a new religion?”
I lift my head slowly and meet her gaze.
