30. Lexi

30

LEXI

G rey doesn't come to see me. Or if he does, Vincenzo doesn't let him in. I try pressing my ear to the front door of my little apartment-prison to eavesdrop, but I can't hear anything beyond the shuffling of guards as they pace outside my door. Eventually, I give up. For the rest of the evening, I watch movies to distract myself, but I can't stop wondering whether Grey's absence is an indication of what's to come.

I'd hoped he'd at least let me explain myself, but what if he's already made up his mind? The fear and hurt eat away at me, gnawing a hole through what's left of my heart.

My only visitor is a guard who delivers my dinner: a greasy bag of fast food that's already cold. When I try to request a meeting with Vincenzo, the guard snaps at me to go back inside and practically shoves me so he can pull the door shut in my face. I eat, knowing I need my strength for whatever comes next, and try not to think about what horrible future awaits me now that I've made my deal with Vincenzo.

My arm aches at the injection site, though not nearly as badly as the broken bone that's begun to swell and pulse. I'm not sure if it's smart to hope the serum works. I'd be stronger then. A wolf. Capable of fighting off my enemies. Maybe even stronger than all of them. But I'd also have to hand over the very thing that makes me so powerful—to the one man who won't hesitate to use it against us all.

Will Grey forgive me for that too?

Eventually, I fall asleep, only to dream of a wedding where everyone else shows up as a wolf, and Vincenzo rips their throats out right in front of me until I'm alone in a cathedral of blood and bones.

The next day, when I open the door to the guard bringing me food, I hear yelling and glass breaking coming from inside the main house. I wince, but the guard's expression remains unchanged. He either has the best poker face ever or he's used to this kind of chaos.

"What's happening?" I ask.

"Nothing. Eat."

I scowl at him and close the door.

An hour later, there's another knock. Hope and anticipation have me hurrying to answer it. Grey. It has to be him. But I open the door to Charlie Reyes instead. Behind him, the house is quiet, but his expression isn't quite as smooth as the guard's was.

"Can I come in?" he asks.

"Sure." I pull the door open to let him pass then close it behind him with a soft click.

He paces into the living room then turns around to face me. There are dark circles beneath his eyes, but it's the pinched shape of his mouth that sets me on edge. The fact that he's willing to show me his worry—or is too stressed to hide it—tightens my stomach.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

His gaze flicks to my injured arm, which is a lot less swollen today. And a lot less painful. "Did you know Ramsey was informing to Franco?"

I blink, fear spreading through me like poison. "What?"

"No, of course you didn't. You barely know him." He shakes his head and goes back to pacing.

Suddenly, the destruction I heard earlier makes sense. Vincenzo must be losing his mind knowing he's had a traitor in his midst. Then my stomach turns to lead as Grey's lack of communication hits me. If Ramsey's been discovered, there's no telling what he said about me to save himself.

"Wow." I force myself to sound shocked. "How did he find out something like that? Did Ramsey confess?"

"Not exactly. Apparently, Grey found out he'd been informing and locked him in one of our abandoned warehouses for questioning. Ramsey escaped yesterday and was picked up by one of our men leaving Altobello's late last night. He's in our custody now."

Altobello's. That's Franco's restaurant.

Fear grips my heart, squeezing until my breath catches. I swallow hard, forcing myself to sound as unaffected as possible, but my voice comes out way too strained. "Has Ramsey said anything else? About his dealings with Franco, I mean?"

He studies me, his lips pressed together in a tight line like he's judging whether I can handle more. "Nothing yet. But I'm sure it's only a matter of time." He grimaces. "We won't go easy on him."

All the air rushes from my lungs. Whatever Vincenzo's men are doing to Ramsey now, they'll do the same to me once they find out I'm part of it.

The oxygen in the room is suddenly too thin. I wheeze, gripping the side of the couch for support.

"Are you all right?" Charlie asks, and I look up to see him frowning at me.

Straightening, I smooth my expression, forcing what I hope is a smile. "I'm fine. It's just a lot to take in. Ramsey's put everyone at risk."

His expression is sympathetic. "Grey really is your mate then."

I blow out a shaky breath. There's no point in lying. Not about this. "Yes."

He shoves his hands into his pockets, and for a moment, he looks less like a mafia general than I've ever seen him. "Can I give you some advice?" he asks quietly.

His tone is the same one he used on the balcony, when he dropped the drunk act to tell me about that file.

"Sure."

"Don't trust Vincenzo or that serum he's offering. It's not worth it. And it's not what you think."

"What do you mean?" I ask, my blood chilling.

"Your wolf isn't worth being controlled by someone like him. Find another way."

"How would he control my wolf?—?"

Someone knocks, and the door's shoved open. A guard pokes his head in. "Boss is asking for you," he tells Charlie.

"I'm coming." Charlie takes his hands out of his pockets, his expression hardening as if he's donning a mask.

He starts for the door, the guard pushing it wide to give him room. I bite my tongue as he leaves, knowing better than to expect more answers from someone who just risked his own life to give me the warning in the first place.

When he's gone, I sink to the floor and stare at the twist-tie around my finger, wondering if it means anything at all. Or if I'll even live long enough to find out.