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While King hi, since he was a h people who had the skills to s disappear, at least on paper

“He’s heading to Chicago to see if he can pick up on anything…we missed with Stylianos or one of our infor about Gio”

I nodded, even though I knew King’s search would likely be fruitless In the two years since we’d almost found the man as only known by the na to him or Gio That fact explained some of Luca’s uncharacteristic show of desperation

He’s starting to lose hope

I covered my eyes with my hands and felt a sharp pain shoot up my arm from the wound Aleks had inflicted onall this

“This is undoing everything Aleks has accomplished in the last two years, Con,” I said softly “The blackouts… he never had those with Marcus and the few he’s had since I got hiht now and his brain is trying to protect him in the only way it kno a that did that to hiive up what little bit of a nored to find in the last two years?” I shook my head and dropped my hand “I can’t… I won’t”

Because I knew that was the real reason Con had brought Luca here He wanted us to find a way to accos – protect Aleks and find Gio But the latterAleks relive every terrible moment he’d already had to survive once

I couldn’t do that to him

I loved Gio and I wanted him back, but it couldn’t be at the cost of Aleks’s sanity

No, I’d find another way I just needed to make sure Aleks was safe and out of reach froo back in and I’d find a way to get even deeper into the secretive network Gio was there, somewhere in its bowels I’d find out who Stylianos really was and I’d make him suffer a thousand times worse than any kid he’d ever put his hands on, and then he’d tell , slow, painful death

“I’m sorry, Con,” I said as I stood As I went to move around him to head toward the stairs, Con stepped in my path

“At least letto eat Take the day to rest because I know your arm hurts like hell and Aleks looks like he hasn’t slept in years Luca and I will stay here until you guys leave I’ll make sure he can’t call anyone and I’ll keep him away from both of you”

I began shaking my head

“You can trust hn I kno you feel about hiht not believe it, but he’s family now and above all else, we protect our family”