Page 29 of Bloodlust

I shouldn't own anything white. It always gets wrecked and soiled. I wince as blood spattering against white chiffon flashes across my mind. I shudder, pushing the memory away.

No more white.

Ever.

Listlessly, I open the bathroom door and walk toward my closet. Tonight, our fate will be sealed. I did my job well. I'm confident the outcome of today's meeting will be favorable to The Angels. But still... What does someone wear on Judgement Day?

"I'd go with something leather."

I gasp, spinning around, my gaze landing on Leo who's sitting casually on my bed. He grins. "Or keep the towel. Start a new trend."

"What are you doing here?" I ask, crossing my arms. "Who let you in?"

Leo dangles a key from his finger. "Still got a key, remember?"

"Give that back," I demand, marching over to him and snatching it from his hands.

"Okay, okay, take it," he laughs.

"Now, leave." I toss the key on my vanity table. "I need to get ready."

"I'll be in the living room," he says, standing up. "Don't take too long."

"What?"

"I'm going with you." He raises a brow. "You didn't think you were going to meet Alba alone, did you?"

I shrug. "Not alone. Frankie was going to come."

Leo sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, Frankie's downstairs with Tommy and Joe. They're all waiting for you."

"All four of you?"

"Yes."

"That seems like a bit of an overkill," I sneer. "Maybe you should call the National Guard as well, let them escort me."

"We're coming to protect you in case anything goes south, Mils," he says, tone warm. "Not because we don't trust you."

"It won't go south." My jaw clenches. "I made sure of that."

"I know." Discomfort flickers in Leo's eyes. "But this is new, Mils. You haven't worked with these guys before, okay? They're not counterfeiters, they're gunrunners. We need to be careful."

He's not wrong. Our families never dabbled in arms dealing before. We had no need.Angeli Della Mortecontrolled the counterfeit and forgery game up and down the Eastern seaboard. This was my father's idea. His plan was to expand. He always wanted more. More power. More wealth. More notoriety. Maybe heknew The Dragons were coming back and this was his preemptive strike. But my father left. He trusted me enough to leave. I can't let him down.

I won't.

"Fine, you can come." I nod at the door. "But you have to wait for me in the car."

"Fine," he says with a sly smile. "But I'm driving."

I scoff. "You arenotdriving my car."

"See you down there," he sings cheekily.

"Leo! I swear to—" He closes the door to my room before I can finish my sentence. "Asshole!"

I can hear his laughter.