40The deafening silence was interrupted by footstrides. Hara and Tiffany had just excitedly joined them on the patio but immediately recognized the cold silence."Giveon. Good to have you back." Hara smiled, giving him a warm pat. Then she stepped over to Ryder and her brows arched. "What's wrong?""Nothing—" He was gonna lie about it, but at the same time, he didn't have enough balls to. With how crazy it sounded, he needed as many calm heads as possible to make sense of it. "Tell me, Ryder. What's wrong?" Hara hugged him, hoping to melt away his resolve. She did. Seconds later, he was clearing his throat. "Giveon has some news for us. Uh—" He looked over to the guys, hoping one of them would bail him out and say the words instead. But they didn't seem like they wanted to. So he continued. "Okay. Uh — he met Jason and Ciara. And, uh — Jason could hear Ciara's thoughts." "What?" Hara was shaken. Just like the others. "What does that mean?""There's just one explanation for that, i

42"He's not okay. I could see it in his eyes. Something's wrong." Don Carianno sighed, pulling at his buttons and letting his coat fly. He was suffocated with worries and he didn't need more stress from his clothing adding to it. Ever since the meeting with Ghost ended, he's been fucking moody and worried. How could he not be? The guy had been completely absent in the conversation they had.He looked torn. Distorted. And Lord have mercy it better not be because of that damned girl. "You think it's because of Ciara?" Sergio asked, slumping on the couch. They were home. In one of the Carianno's mansions. "I'm not a hundred percent sure. But it could be. Ghost has always been Ghost. He only became a lesser and crazier version since she showed up. I just hope he heard everything I said about the mission. I'll be fucked up if we lose this shipment.""That's not gonna happen. Ghost might be an ass. But he's never lost on a mission. He's not about to start now." Sergio grabbed the Xbox.

44"Jason!""Jason!!""Jason!!!"*Ghost woke up with a jerk, almost bolting out of the bed. He was hyperventilating and his whole body was covered in beads of sweat. His hands clenched the sheets, and he shut his eyes at the tremor that rushed through his spine. It took minutes before he could breathe properly.Another nightmare. Another were–wolfish nightmare. Another night of being subjected to the torture of their screams and howls. Another night of seeing a replica of him and being called the weird name, 'Jason.' How much longer does he have to put up with it? How much longer before these nightmares would leave him alone?With a heavy sigh, he got out of bed and went into the bathroom. He had a quick, cold, and long shower. He spent almost an hour there. The cold water was therapeutic and he needed it to wash off the trails of whatever panic he had a while ago. Finally, he came out and got dressed. Ready to head back to the hideout. He didn't wanna return there so soon. But he

46Ciara heard the doorbell ring. She let out a gasp as the thought of Ghost's return invaded her mind. Quickly, she put back the glasses of wine and the bottle where she'd taken them from.Nervous as hell, she turned on the sink tap, letting the water run on her fingers. Like it would wash off the uneasiness she was feeling.She heard Scar hurry to the door and it only left her more fidgety. Just a few seconds ago, she was gonna drug his drink. Not to kill him but to keep him asleep for as long as it would take for her to escape. It was just the two of them here. The others had to go on some mission from their beastly boss. A perfect timing to carry out her long, calculated plan.Acting all nice and charming was the only way she could think of to escape this place. No one knew the game of pretense and manipulation better than she did. And when she saw Scar and realized that he wasn't exactly a monster at heart, she clung to him as her target.A few smiles and charming, doe eyes and

48 "Who is she?" Camilla walked into the overly spacious bedroom with a highly decorated interior. She dumped her bag on the couch and crossed her arms over her chest. Sergio watched her without a word. When the security downstairs told him that Camilla was here for him, he thought it was just a mistake. He didn't believe it. She has never visited his house. But here she was, in his room, and he couldn't be more irked by her rude entry. How the hell does she always have to act bitchy?! "Good to see you, too. Camilla. What an unpleasant surprise." He had to drop the Xbox and turn to her. He was shirtless and wearing denim pants. But he didn't bother to cover up. She came here uninvited. So he didn't owe her shit. He'd been home for hours after the mission and as usual, he was back to the only thing that was keeping him cool lately. Xbox. Now he had to drop it for Camilla. She had better have a good reason for visiting him and ruining his peace. "Deal with it." She scoffed an