Kael
I blinked and it was morning already. The room was dim, sunlight barely cutting through the half-drawn curtains. I yawned from my lack of sleep.
I couldn't sleep all night and at some point, I stopped pretending that I would.
The bed had become a prison of thoughts so I got up, shoved on my workout pants and decided to let my body do what my mind couldn't. Burn it out.
I didn't bother wearing a shirt. The bandages wrapped around my arm made it limitless anyway. The sound had stopped bleeding, but it still throbbed every now and then.
I'd reapplied the first aid twice through the night.
Each time more carefully than the last. The smell of antiseptic still hung in the air, sharp and sterile.
That was basically all I'd done. Tend to the wound and think of Seraphina.
It wasn't intentional at first. She just kept finding her way into my thoughts. The way she'd looked at me last night, the confusion on her face. Everything lingered still in my mind.
I tried to put into thought what I was going to tell Seraphina. She couldn't stay here for long and until I find out or rather confirm who was behind the shooting, I couldn't do much.
I had a hunch but I had to be sure first. I had already sent messages to my active security team and they were already investigating. If there was one thing I prided myself in, it was in the fact that I had one of the best security teams ever.
The White House, my so-called safe house wasn't as secure as it used to be either. I hadn't done a full sweep since we got here.
Cleo's presence made it worse. She was unpredictable, impulsive and I couldn't trust her not to do something stupid.
And Seraphina…she wasn't just some civilian I had to to protect anymore. I strayed from the possibilities that were clouding my mind, she was just special because she was the daughter of the man who killed my sister, that's all.
Yeah right.
But yesterday had changed things. The attack, the panic. It made me realize that I wasn't the only one who wanted revenge.
There was no way it wasn't something of that nature because who would deploy that amount of energy to make sure that Seraphina was finished off if he or she didn't have revenge motives?
I shifted my grip on the dumbbell, feeling the burn creek up my arm. Sweat slid down my chest, pooling at the waistband of my pants. I focused on my breathing. Inhale. Exhale. Simple.
The news. I hadn't checked yet but I knew how the media worked. Fast, sloppy, hungry for attention. I honestly couldn't blame them, especially after that catastrophe that took place yesterday.
There would be headlines already. Attempted assassination on Seraphina Vale. Heiress targeted in broad daylight attack.
Half of it would be speculation. The other half, misinformation. It was only a matter of time before her name became the centerpiece of a bigger story and I couldn't let that happen. It would ruin my plan.
I dropped the dumbbell onto the floor and stretched my arm. The movement tugged at the wound and I winced, hissing under my breath. The pain was grounding in a way that nothing else was.
Walking toward the mirror, I caught sight of myself—dark circles under my eyes, skin pale from the blood loss, the bandage wrapping my shoulders tight. I looked like hell, but at least I was alive.
My reflection didn't look like the man I used to be.
The one who had a plan, the one who was always two steps ahead. Lately, everything felt off balance—too many emotions, too many distractions.
I splashed cold water on my face, gripping the edges of the sink until my knuckles whitened. The water trickled down my chest, over the scars.
I let myself soak in the warm feeling as the droplets soothed the sore muscles from the strain I'd already put on my muscles.
I heard a knock on my door. I half expected it to be Seraphina but knowing how many females I had in this place, it was most likely Cleo. And I wasn't wrong.
Blond hair immediately came into view and I held my breath. "Hey love." She practically almost skipped to where I was.
Typical. Nepo babies like Cleo didn't have a sense of self or respect. Because there was no way in the world she thought this would be a good idea.
"How are you feeling this morning? Especially after last night's rendezvous." She said, beaming like a child looking at his mother for validation for something she already warned him not to do.
"I feel much better." That was obviously a lie. It was true that the sex was good, just like all the other times that we had sex. The difference between yesterday's sex and every other sex we've had since we started fucking was that with every thrust, I only imagined Seraphina's face.
Even after my obvious release, my body was still full of need and I didn't need a prophet to tell me why.
"Well that's awesome. I have a few things and places I want us to check out today." Ain't no fucking way this girl was being serious. The shock that crossed my face almost made me embarrassed.
I had better tastes or rather used to have better tastes in women. I loved them: smart, sexy and obviously able to take my dick. Looking at Cleo, I never realized how basic she was.
Basic was even an overstatement. Who in their fucking right minds think this situation we were in was a perfect time for a date?
"Hello Kael." She was waving her hands as if to bring my attention back to where she was.
"Are you listening, Kael? I'm talking about a particular location that I've been wanting us to visit and now that you're here, it's the best time to explore."
"You do realize we do not have the time for this right Cleo?"
She looked at me like I just threw a punch in her face. I took in her features and realized that there were changes to her face. Her lips looked fuller and her face looked tighter.
"Did you have work done?" The question surprised her enough because immediately her pained expression changed to fear.
"No, why?"
"Nothing really, I just thought you did."
"I told you Kael, I would never work on any part of my body. Natural for life."
It was a very obvious lie but it wasn't in my place to ask a woman what she was doing with her own money.
"Back to the conversation I…"
"I'm sorry Cleo but you'll have to leave this morning." My tone low, but firm.
"What did you say?"
Her face twisted in a way that almost made my skin jump.
I sighed before I spoke again.
"You heard me Cleo."
"I'm not going anywhere Kael, if I'm leaving then that stupid bitch is leaving too."
With the reference to Seraphina's name, my gaze went cold. Guess I'd have to do this the hard way then.