He fucked up.


    He hated knowing exactly how badly things with Callie went. Because if he were in her place, he’d never offer forgiveness.


    When his father gave him the ultimatum over a week ago, Leo hoped that confessing his feelings for her would get her to listen to him, hear his concerns without him having to explain everything to her right then and there, risking…he didn’t know exactly how much, but probably a lot.


    It had all gone sideways after that.


    Leo knew Callie had feelings for him, at least a little bit. He’d caught his fair share of stares, blushes, and fidgeting. It wasn’t his fault that he was better at hiding his own stares and nervousness around her.


    There hadn’t been a point to pursuing her. Not at the beginning, when they thought they were both going to die. Sure, he put on a brave face and ignored that fact, but he didn’t want to put her in a position where she could lose him. Or worse, where he could lose her.


    And now he truly had lost her, even with her still right in front of him, alive and breathing and pissed.


    Leo didn’t have all of the pieces of the puzzle put together, but he was working on it. Brining Callie to his father had been a last resort, one he wished he hadn’t been forced to do. But to get the information to figure it all out, to decipher what he’d found hidden in his father’s secured files—though, not all of them were secure enough—he needed more time, more trust.


    He’d panicked that morning. He’d been caught off guard and unprepared. The best, the safest course of action was to play along. Maybe, if he’d had a warning, he could’ve come up with a different plan, one that didn’t include drugging his best friend. He thought over it obsessively, trying to figure out what he could have done differently to avoid this outcome. But every time, he came up empty.


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    And the worst part played on repeat in his mind whenever he tried to relax, when he’d stood over her with the syringe to finish sedating her, he knew she didn’t see it coming until it was happening. The hurt in her eyes at his betrayal was unmistakable. Those eyes haunted him, and probably would forever. He hated himself even more for that. Not only did the serum render her unconscious, but it also temporarily shut off the part of the brain responsible for their unique abilities.


    The bribes after the fact didn’t help. Her room was fully furnished, and he’d even brought her the tablet he’d gifted her with all the books on it. That had been another fail, trying to buy her love. She was already in a relationship with Alex by then. All he wanted was to show her that he could take care of her. The apartment was another big fucking clue, but she was oblivious. She had proven how intelligent she could be over and over. But when it came to men? Zero sense.


    He’d noticed the looks she would garner from men while out in public, how their gazes lingered on her. She was beautiful in a simple way, her features soft and inviting, missing all the sharp lines and drama that adorned models. It was another thing he loved about her, even if it meant his plan to help her failed spectacularly.


    It was those same features that enraptured him now as he stared at her through the one-sided window in the door. The cameras and monitors didn’t do her justice, so he stood outside of her small hotel-style room at his father’s company. She couldn’t know he was there, but she glared at the door with all the venom and ferocity of a house cat. And he meant that as a compliment; Lucie had torn him up, badly. He’d needed a few scratches glued together and they would probably scar. Thankfully her claws has missed his eye by centimeters, raking lower down his cheekbone instead.


    As soon as he was done here, he’d go and pack up the cat to bring to Callie. Lucie still posed a risk to his well-being, but maybe, just maybe, that peace offering would finally wear her down just enough for him to start explaining what happened, why she was here, and what her part in all this was.


    And if not…he’d have to figure out something else to get her to listen.


    END BOOK ONE