Page 73 of Veil of Secrets
I don’t move. Neither does he.
My hand stays on his chest, his heart steady under my palm. I feel the sweat on his skin, the tension in his frame.
“We finish this,” I say. “Together.”
“Together,” he repeats.
The word settles between us, heavier than the blood on the floor downstairs.
I step back, but my fingers linger on his shirt a second longer.
The stairwell door above slams open. Vito’s voice barks orders, sharp and pissed.
Time’s up.
I glance at Nico. “Back room. Ten minutes.”
He nods. “I’ll be there.”
I turn, head down the hall. My robe drags on the floor, but my steps are sure.
The club’s chaos fades behind us.
But what’s coming?
It’s ours to face.
And we will.
Chapter 12 – Nico
The door shuts behind us.
Not hard, not loud—just final.
The club’s chaos is miles behind now, even if I still taste the adrenaline on my tongue. Elara walks in like she owns the damn floor, barefoot, blood on her thigh, stage glitter still clinging to her neck like it belongs there.
I don’t look at her yet.
I look at the desk.
The old one—scratched, burned at the edge, dented from a fight I won before I had real power.
It’s covered in paper now. Evidence.
Not guesses. Not whispers.
Proof.
I sit behind it.
The bulb above buzzes like a warning that’s lost patience.
The desk creaks under the pressure of printed transaction logs, copied transfer receipts, paper envelopes still heavy with cash. Vince didn’t try to hide it.
That’s what makes it worse.
He got comfortable.
