As soon as we walked outside, a group of girls ran over to us. They were dressed like they were on the hunt, and I was their prey. Bennie and Vito got between them and me, keeping them out of my way. I brushed my knuckles over my tattoo, stroking Nova’s cheek as I climbed into the front seat of the SUV. Women had been throwing themselves at me since that first night we’d attended an underground fight. They all made my skin crawl. I couldn’t stand them even breathing on me, let alone touching me.

The only one who was allowed to touch me—own me—was gone. There would be no one else to take her place. Ever. You couldn’t replace perfection.

I couldn’t talk my way out of not eating, so it was nearly three in the morning before Garret and I walked into our apartment.

“Shower,” I grunted, heading for my room.

“Night,” he muttered back.

Single-word conversations were mostly how the two of us communicated these days. It wasn’t that we hated each other—we just didn’t have anything to say to each other or anyone else. Fuck, at this point, he was probably my best friend. With the loss of Cali, he understood exactly what I was going through. Maybe it was even worse for him, because he’d lost not only the girl he loved, but his sister as well.

After what Ciana had done—or rather, her lack of action—I’d lost a sibling in a way too. I was her self-appointed twin, and we’d been closer than most actual siblings. I hadn’t seen or spoken to her since that night in Montreal. When she’d kept her mouth closed about Bain, she’d sealed Nova’s fate. If she had only told me about what happened on her vacation, I would have known that Sheena wasn’t just targeting our businesses. I would have known she was trying to strike against those I loved most.

My great-grandmother’s goal had been to take away everything I held dear in a single blow. While distracting me with the threat to business, she’d pulled my focus from those who mattered most. I should have paid more attention, seen all the warning signs that were right in front of me.

Losing Nova was just as much my fault as Ciana’s—and that shit was a hard pill to swallow.

I showered and then dropped down into bed, hoping for sleep, yet dreading it. Sleep meant I got to see Nova. But it was both a blessing and a curse. Because I knew when I woke up, she wouldn’t be there.

Sleep didn’t elude me. It swallowed me whole and instantly brought my greatest torment to me. Nova was standing in front of me, the sweet sound of her giggle pulling me deeper, enticing me to make her laugh again. My heart began to pound. I just wanted to touch her. Feel her skin, let her warmth unfreeze what her death had turned to ice…

“Ryan!” Garret burst into my room and flipped on the light.