Beautiful Seduction

“She’s safe. She’s safe. Stay right here. Just stay here.”

She nodded then reached for me, her fist wrapping around my shirt. “Thank you.”

The two words held such meaning even as the scent of blood floated through the nearly cloudless sunny day.

It was a good day to die, but not for those I loved.

As I stood, I held out my hand, glaring at Alexei and his men, who were all prepared to fire.

“Hold your fire,” Casimine said to his soldiers, taking several gasping breaths before dropping to his knees.

I’d seen men broken by loss, but as his sobs filled the air, I realized that there were certain levels of betrayal that left scars that would continue to fester, the open wound oozing as a reminder of the loss.

I glanced at Cassidy again before realizing that Orpheus was still alive. That man had taken two bullets meant for me. Why the fuck had he done that? As I moved closer, bending down, I closed my eyes briefly. The wounds were mortal, the man choking on his own blood, but his eyes were wide open, and he was trying to talk. When he managed to grab my hand, I lowered down, staring into his eyes.

“Tell her… I’m sorry. I wanted… to… protect.” Spittle flew from his mouth, his coughing even worse. He had only a few seconds left. “Left money for… Molly. Account. Private.”

“Don’t talk, Orpheus.” I shifted my gaze toward Cassidy, shaking my head.

As she moved closer, I tried to offer the dying man a smile. “It’s okay. I’ll take care of it.”

“She called me. Told me about you. Take… care of… her for me. Will ya?”

“I’ll do my best.” An understanding shifted into my mind. Cassidy. I’d allowed her to have her phone for a few minutes. My thoughts drifted toward her, my heart aching. The woman had more strength that I’d realized.

As Cassidy bent down, I left her alone, moving toward Casimine. “This war is over, Casimine. No more. Do you understand?”

His sobbing continued but he managed to look me in the eyes. “I have nothing left to fight for.”

As I turned away, I made it a point to stare into every man’s eyes. Italians. Russians. Polish. It didn’t matter the nationality. On this day, there would be no additional bloodshed.

It was time to turn the tide.

* * *

Cassidy

“Where are we again, Mommy?” Molly asked as I tucked the covers around her, smoothing hair from her face.

“In a special place. Think of it as a magic castle. Dream of all the beautiful creatures who live here.” I grabbed the teddy bear that had appeared on the nightstand, pressing a kiss against the bear’s nose before easing it into her arms. Valentin had done everything in his power to make certain both my daughter and I were comfortable in his home. Exhaling, I leaned down, kissing her cheek. “Now, it’s time for you to get some sleep. Do you think you can do that for Mommy?”

“Maybe.” Molly giggled then rolled over, clutching the bear. “I wuv you.”

“I love you too, baby.” After turning off the light, I patted my hands on the comforter before standing.

I still felt empty, nauseous, but at least I knew we were safe, protected from the evils of this world.

While I could barely stand to think of what had happened just yesterday, everything a horrible blur, the fact Valentin had kept his promise meant more to me than almost anything. I wanted to hate Christopher, but he’d longed for a life that most people took for granted, allowing himself a taste of something normal.

Then he couldn’t handle the alternative life.

At least he’d listened to what I’d said on the short phone message, one I didn’t even know would get to him. I’d dialed his number at least a dozen times after his disappearance, even doing so twice after hearing about his death.

Now it was reality, the man losing his life in order to right the wrongs he believed he’d done.

When I turned toward the door, the sight of Valentin standing in the doorway brought a tingle into my system. He seemed more casual than I was used to, the powerful man dressed in faded blue jeans and a tee shirt, his bare feet sexy, alluring.

The same hunger for him was there, the need to have his body pressed against mine stronger than ever, but the feelings for him had changed.