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Bringing my attention back to Evan, I mutter, “I’m sorry.” I know the last thing Evan wanted was to take care of my drunken ass.
“Don’t worry about it,” Evan replies. “We all have our moments.”
I nod, though the motion makes my head spin.
Evan guides me out into the cool night air, the darkness offering a welcome break from the chaos in my head.
23
ANDREW
Istorm out of the engagement party, the cool night air hitting my face like a slap.
My pulse pounds in my ears, drowning out the laughter and music that drift from inside the Kastellanos estate. I clench my fists at my sides, the muscles in my arms tightening painfully as I try to control my breathing. Each step I take is heavy, as if I’m restraining myself from turning back and causing a scene.
What happened on the patio flashes in my mind, clear as day. Aria, standing too close to Dion. My teeth grind together. Dion’s smug face as he leaned in to whisper something that made her breath catch. I stop in my tracks, hands trembling with rage. I told her to never speak to him again. But she didn’t listen. She defied me.
My vision blurs at the edges as anger surges through me. If it weren’t for the fact that I need Aria to solidify my position within the clans, I’d kill her right now. The thought of it is tempting, so tempting. My fingers itch to wrap around her throat, to squeeze until she understands the price of her betrayal.
But without her, my plans crumble. My grip on power weakens.
I resume walking. There’s only one other option. Dion must die. Even though killing him could have repercussions, I don’t care anymore. I can’t stand being played for a fool. The thought of his blood spilling, his life ending, is the only thing that cools the fire inside me.
Reaching my car, I yank the door open with such force that the metal groans under my grip. I slam it shut behind me, the sound echoing in the quiet night. As I sit in the driver’s seat, my breath comes out in harsh, uneven gasps. My hands grip the steering wheel so tight that my knuckles turn white.
I make my decision.
I pick up my phone and dial my friend from the CPD. The ringing seems to stretch on forever until finally, he answers.
“We need to escalate things. It’s time to make a move.”
There’s a pause on the other end. “What do you have in mind?”
“Dion Loukas has been a thorn in my side for too long, and we can’t afford to let this slide anymore. We need to act now.”
Another pause. “Alright. Let’s do it.”
“One more thing,” I add quickly. “Don’t say anything to anyone. I don’t want Philip to find out what we’re doing. Things have been rocky between Peter and the clans. We can’t risk any leaks.”
“Got it. I’ll start working on it right away.”
I take a deep breath, filling my lungs with anticipation.
Aria will learn what happens when you cross me.
The next day, I’m in my home office, sitting at my desk.
I’m trying to focus, but my mind keeps wandering back to what I saw yesterday between Dion and Aria. The anger blinding me.
My phone buzzes, jolting me out of my thoughts. I pick it up, recognizing the number immediately. I’ve been waiting for this call all day.
“Yes,” I answer, my voice steady despite the adrenaline starting to pump through my veins.
“It’s done,” the voice on the other end says. “We set a bomb under Dion’s Ducati. It was parked behind the Vasilakis warehouse near Cebrene Harbor. It went up in flames as soon as he touched it.”
I lean back in my chair, letting out a slow breath.
“Good. Any witnesses? Any complications?”
