Chapter 15 #2
I slip into the flow of the city. And as much as a small dark part of me knows a war may still be coming, I’m hoping for the quieter ending.
For Sanguine to be stripped down to nothing.
For Santiago to vanish into whatever shadows he crawled out of.
And I’ll be long gone from here.
The street is mostly empty at this hour, wet pavement reflecting neon and streetlights. I make it half a block before tires shriek behind me.
An SUV skids to a violent stop at the curb.
I spin, already bracing until the windows roll down.
Andrew’s at the wheel, jaw tight, eyes locked on me with relief.
And in the back seat is the last person I expected to see. A woman with hair the color of living flame and a permanent scowl.
Vittoria.
“What the—”
Before I can finish, Vittoria shoves the door open and leans out.
“Shut the fuck up and get in,” she snaps. “Now.”
That’s when I see she isn’t alone in the back. Kayla’s there too.
“You came for me?” I ask.
“We’ll explain it on the way,” Vittoria says. “Get in before I drag your ass inside.”
I hop into the back seat, and the moment the door slams shut, the SUV peels away from the curb and drives off. City lights streak past the windows. Kayla’s in the middle, between me and Victoria, and she tries to find my hand in the dark but I shift it away.
“Why are you both here?”
Vittoria doesn’t look at me, just crosses one long leg over the other. “Because Lucian isn’t.”
That lands harder than I expect.
“He didn’t want you to come for me?”
“No,” she says. “He’s decided you’re better off without him. That letting you go is some grand act of love.” A sharp huff. “Men are idiots when they’re miserable.”
My throat tightens. I stare at the back of Andrew’s seat.
“And you?” I ask. “Why do this? I thought you hated me.”
“Hate is a strong word.” Vittoria’s red upper lip curls over a fang. “I may not like you, but anyone who can meet me blow for blow in a fight has my respect.”
I snort a laugh.
“And because I’m not above disobeying Lucian,” she goes on with a wicked smile. “Actually, I delight in it.”
“And what if I don’t want to go back to VMR? To Lucian?”
“I’m also not above kidnapping,” Vittoria says, which earns her an elbow to the arm by Kayla. To my complete surprise, Vittoria doesn’t even growl at her.
“We want you to come back,” Kayla says with a small smile that’s so her. This time when she finds my hand, I let her hold it. “We all do.”
In the front seat, Andrew nods.
“And Lucian has been more bearable with you around,” Vittoria admits like it pains her.
“Well, he may have his hands full for a while after what I just did,” I say.
Vittoria’s mouth thins. “What do you mean?”
“I may have hacked into Sanguine’s system and sent everything, every dirty little secret, over to VMR. Lucian can decide what he wants to do with the information, but I thought he should know that Santiago has been secretly stealing his employees and their secrets long before coming to Tenebris.”
Her brows lift, impressed.
“Well,” she says. “Look at you.”
I glance at Kayla.
“We have a lot to catch up on, don’t we?” she whispers.
“I’d say so.”
Kayla squeezes my hand again, and for the first time since I walked out of VMR, my chest loosens just enough to breathe.
“I’m sorry,” she says. “For not coming back. For not letting you know what happened to me.”
“Do you have any idea how long I looked for you?” My voice shakes despite my effort to keep it steady. “I thought you were dead. I tore my life apart trying to find you.”
Her eyes fill with tears immediately. “I know. And I hate that I did that to you.”
“Then why? Why wouldn’t you tell me you were alive?”
“Because I didn’t want you anywhere near this world. Near them.” Her gaze flicks briefly to Vittoria. “And I wasn’t allowed to reach out. Since Vittoria turning me was a secret, from everyone, I couldn’t leave that room. I couldn’t contact anyone in my old life. Not you. Not anyone.”
Vittoria doesn’t deny it, but I catch something else in her words. Her being turned was a secret from everyone. Does she mean Lucian too?
As if reading my mind, Kayla continues, “He didn’t know, El. No one did.”
The anger drains out of me, leaving behind something raw and aching. “He…didn’t?”
“No,” Vittoria says. “And I’m sure Lucian will make sure I regret that for eternity.”
My heartbeat stutters. I want to cry with relief and…something else. Guilt. Confusion. The betrayal I thought I felt was…misplaced. Lucian hadn’t lied. He hadn’t manipulated. All this time, I’d thought he had kept Kayla from me, used her as a lever. But he hadn’t. He hadn’t even known.
My head pounds. How many other things had I doubted him for, misread him? And now, even in this relief, the anger lingers, but it’s at myself. For thinking him capable of a cruelty he never committed.
For falling right into Santiago’s trap.
Kayla’s mouth curves into a small, certain smile. “I’m happy, El, and you deserve to be, too.” She lifts her chin. “I know you love Lucian and he loves you, just like I love Vittoria.”
It’s hard to believe at first. Vittoria isn’t built for softness. She’s all sharp edges and violence wrapped in silk, the kind of creature that doesn’t bend for anyone. For her, loving anyone other than herself feels…impossible.
But then Vittoria looks at Kayla.
It’s subtle, but her gaze eases, just a fraction. The hard line of her mouth softens. Her thumb brushes Kayla’s knee in a quiet, grounding way, like she’s anchoring herself there. Not ownership. Not control.
Care.
Something in my chest loosens.
Maybe this isn’t a cage. Maybe it never was.
And if my best friend is truly happy, if this strange, dangerous world is where she’s found her peace, then I can accept it.
All I can do is hope that, after everything, there’s still room for me and Lucian in that world, too.