Chapter 21
Keir
I fucked up—and I’m man enough to admit it.
What do they say in football? I fumbled.
No question about it—the one thing in this world that could’ve meant everything to not just me, but also my brothers… we almost lost her.
But that’s about to change.
If that letter Kaz got is any indication, there’s still a chance.
And we’re going to fucking take it.
“You realize she’s not just going to take our asses back, right?” Dario says, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I sigh and shake the letter still clutched in my hand. “No, she’s not. But this—this is our lifeline. And I’ll be damned if we don’t use it.”
Dario smiles, really smiles, for the first time in six months. “You’re right. She just needs to know how we feel.”
Kaz grunts in agreement as he pulls up to the airstrip.
“Let’s go get our girl.” Dario claps a hand on each of our shoulders before we all step out.
We grab our bags and board the jet, the familiar luxury of the interior doing little to soothe the nerves tangled in my gut.
“We’ll have to get her a gift when we land,” I say, realizing for the first time we’re completely empty-handed.
“What about a ring?”
My head snaps toward Kaz, who’s wearing a smug grin.
Dario laughs, clapping his hands together. “Magnificent. I’m in.”
“You two realize how fucking crazy that is, right?” I groan, though not entirely opposed to the idea.
Yeah, I like the thought. But she has to forgive us first.
“If that’s crazy, there’s no reason to be sane,” Kaz mutters, still smirking.
Fair. Fucking. Point.
“The only issue,” Dario says, frowning slightly, “is that she can’t legally marry all of us.”
“It’ll be me, obviously,” Kaz says with confidence.
I bite my tongue. I could argue—I’m the oldest, the first to feel her wet heat, the one who should technically claim her in that way.
But I stay silent as the two of them bicker over who gets to come out on top.
Instead of irritation, I feel something else—warmth.
Their excitement. Their happiness.
It breathes life into me after the long, dark months.
The pilot comes over the intercom to announce we’re ready for takeoff. As the plane starts moving, I glance out the window at the blurring tarmac.
Midday departure. Same time we came to Vegas last time.
Full fucking circle.
“What are we going to say to her?” Dario asks.
“We tell her the truth,” I say with a shrug.
For someone my age, I should probably know how this works.
I’ve slept with plenty of women.
But I’ve never felt anything like this.
“Do you even know what you feel?” Dario’s voice is laced with amusement.
I scowl at him. “Shut up, you bastun.”
He just shrugs. “It’s a logical question.”
I glance at Kaz for backup, but he’s laser-focused on his laptop, tuning us out completely.
“Fine,” I mutter. “You’re right.”
If I think about it, I do know.
There’s a fire in me when I think of her. A need to claim her—mind, body, and soul.
Her laugh? It sets my veins alight.
Her strength? Her no-bullshit attitude? It turns me the fuck on.
And that ruthless, beautiful darkness when she kills?
That makes my cock rock hard.
Yeah, I’m obsessed.
But is it romantic to admit that?
I rub my hands over my face and groan.
Throw me in syndicate buisness and I’m a demon.
Ask me to talk about feelings, and I’m a goddamn teenage boy.
I must have zoned out, because by the time I look up, Kaz and Dario are both asleep.
I rest my head back, eyes drifting shut.
Maybe when I wake up, I’ll know what the hell to say to her.
? ? ?
We land in Vegas six hours later, the sun casting that golden late-evening glow across the strip.
“I got us the same spot as last time,” I tell the guys as we grab our bags and load into the rental.
“Think we could kidnap her and take her to one of those chapels?” Dario muses.
I blanch. “There’s no way she’s getting married by some Elvis impersonator in a chapel the size of a janitor’s closet.”
Most people would probably say there’s no way we’re kidnapping her.
But I’m not most people.
So… it’s not off the table.
“Yeah, she deserves better,” Dario sighs wistfully.
I’m driving us to the Bellagio when I glance over at Kaz. He’s typing away like a man on a mission.
“You looking into that hit we got?” I ask.
He nods. “Yeah. Unfortunately, only three sightings. Nothing recent.”
That’s a fucking disappointment.
We need to get our girl back.Katherine is still out there.
If we could manage to do both…
“Maybe we can ask Selene?” Dario says from the back.
“Someone in her network could’ve spotted her,” I offer.
Kaz grumbles, “As much as I hate the idea of asking for her help while we’re trying to win her back… it might be our best shot.”
He’s right. It’s not ideal, but I can’t shake that memory—Selene and Lily, their faces when we first mentioned Katherine. The way they reacted… they knew something. I mention my thoughts to the guys.
“So, you think they know her?” Dario sounds confused.
“Acted like it,” I reply.
“What if Selene kept her from us?” There’s a twinge of betrayal in his voice.
“I doubt it was on purpose,” Kaz mutters. “We don’t know what Katherine’s been through. Or how long she’s known about Katherine.”
“Plus, we were dealing with the Bravata situation,” I add.
“She wasn’t hiding her from us, just from everyone else,” Dario finishes.
“Exactly. And then we vanished off the face of the earth.” Kaz says it like fact—and it is.
It makes a lot of sense; she didn’t make contact after though.
Is that because she thought we’d not take Katherine in? Or that we’d leave her stranded like she thought we left her?
My heads a mess as we get to the hotel, and still so as we enter the penthouse.
My thoughts spiral.
What if she did think we abandoned her?
Was what happened in the limo just a release?
Am I a horrible man for not seeing what was right in front of me?
What if she’s with someone else now?
What if that letter was just revenge—get us to see happy, just to twist the knife?
No.
Selene isn’t petty.
If she wanted revenge, she’d carve our skin off.
And I’d let her.
“Keir?”
Kaz places a hand on my shoulder.
I blink, shaking off the mess in my head. He gives me a look—understanding, grounded.
“Let’s get some rest. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow.” I sigh.