Interlude
"Boss, what should we do with him?" the caller on the other end of Knight's phone asked.
Knight gazed up at the night sky, a million thoughts rushing through his mind about what to do with Jimmy Caldwell—the idiot who dared attack him in his own office.
"Hmm," he murmured, "I'd love to cut him into pieces and offer each part of his body to her." He smirked, as if that were the most normal thing in the world to say.
Fang laughed. "That would be cool. She might actually like that."
Knight shook his head. "She wouldn't. She's too innocent for that. She'd hate me… and try to leave me."
Just the thought made his blood boil. Genesis leaving him? Never. He would chain her to him if he had to. That could never happen.
"No. Have him taken out and dumped somewhere. I'm feeling generous today. I won't kill him."
Fang paused, stunned. That was unexpected. He'd seen Knight kill people for far less—for simply speaking out of turn. And now, this guy had dared hit him, and he was just… letting him go?
Unbelievable.
"Did you hear me?" Knight asked coldly.
"Yes, Boss," Fang snapped out of his daze.
Knight nodded, reaching for his pocket to grab a smoke—but then stopped. He couldn't go back to his wife smelling like that.
"Any response from Alpha?"
"Yes, Boss. Sorry I didn't lead with this, but Alpha was attacked by the Soviet Syndicate. The team managed to escape with some of the goods though."
Knight immediately stiffened. "How many were taken?"
Meanwhile, back at the restaurant...
Genesis looked up at the man standing in front of her—none other than Keenan Dane.
She flushed at his compliment: Beautiful. But she didn't understand why he said it. She wasn't beautiful. At least, that's what the innocent, naïve Genesis believed.
"So, who are you here with…?" Keenan asked, glancing at the empty seat across from her like he didn't already know who had been sitting there.
As Genesis gathered her notes to reply, he slid into the seat across from her—bold and uninvited.
Her eyes widened.
Kieran was not going to be happy about this.
She shook her head slightly—just enough to express her disapproval, but not enough to seem rude.
"So…" Keenan began, then paused as he watched her scribble something on her notepad. She held it up to him.
KIER
Written in bold letters.
He stared at it, puzzled. Then looked back at her, clearly understanding what she was trying to say.
"Oh, Kier? Yeah, what about him?" Keenan asked casually.
Genesis bit down on her lip, then shook her head. She pointed to her chest, then at him.
"What are you trying to say, you pretty little thing?" he mocked, but she didn't care for his tone. She glanced out the window, trying to see if she could see Kieran, though she could still feel Keenan watching her.
Then she felt a hand on hers.
Startled, she yanked her hand away instantly.
He smirked, though something strange flickered behind his eyes. He raised his hands in a placating gesture.
"Relax, sweet cheeks. I just wanted your attention—had a few questions, that's all."
She stared at him, nervous. She wanted Kieran to come back. She wanted Keenan to leave—not just because Kieran would be upset, but because of how Keenan made her feel. His stare pinned her down like a weight on her chest. She could barely breathe.
Then, a voice echoed inside her.
Get up and leave, Genesis.
Without a second thought, she stood up, stepped away from the table, and gave Keenan a polite nod. But as she turned to leave, he grabbed her wrist.
The motion threw her off balance—her feet tangled, and she fell forward, face-first onto the floor.
A sharp crack sounded as she hit the ground.
Instead of rushing to help, Keenan just stood there. A twitch danced on the corner of his mouth. Some women nearby, who had been watching enviously earlier, giggled. Others looked on with surprise and pity.
Tears burned in Genesis's eyes—not just from humiliation, but real pain. As she pushed herself up, she noticed something red on the floor.
Her eyes went wide. Blood.
She stood up quickly, and now others were noticing too. Blood was dripping from her nose and her split lip, staining the white jacket she wore over her leotard.
Keenan finally stepped forward. "Oh my god, I—I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to—"
She turned to him, eyes wide, but his voice was fading. Her ears were ringing, and everyone sounded far away, like she was underwater.
A hand reached for her face. She pushed it away without thinking and fled.
At that same moment, Luca was coming through the kitchen doors, brow furrowed as he watched her rush past.
Genesis struggled with the strange handle of the restaurant's glass door, trying to figure out how it worked. Then, she spotted Kieran through the glass. He was looking down at his phone.
The moment he stepped inside, she flung herself into his arms.
He flinched, instinctively about to push whoever that was away—until the familiar scent and warmth hit him. There was only one person who felt like this to him.
He chuckled softly, unaware of the looks people were giving them.
"What happened, Princess? You miss me tha—" His voice cut off as she looked up.
Her tear-filled eyes met his, her face bloodied and pale.
Kieran froze.
For a moment, he thought it was ketchup—until a woman stepped forward, offering a white handkerchief.
"Use this, please. Stop the bleeding," she said gently.
And then it hit him.
"Blood," Kieran repeated, his voice hollow.
Kieran's arms tightened around her as his gaze darkened, scanning the room behind her. Rage curled in his chest like fire. "Who did this to you?" he asked, voice dangerously low.