I shouldn’t be talking to Wolf, I guess. I know that it would upset Devil even more, but he left and I’m alone. I don’t have friends. I had my father and his men. Other girls stayed away from me because of my family and those that didn’t… they used me to try and get closer to the men. I learned the hard way friendships weren’t worth it.

“He left you?” Wolf asks. I can hear the shock in his voice. Maybe he finds it hard to believe, but then he doesn’t know everything I’ve put Devil through. Devil deserved better. I’m surprised he stayed around as long as he did.

“He was upset because I wouldn’t let him talk to you. He wanted to tell you about our relationship. I wasn’t going to hide it from you, Wolf, I promise. I felt I needed to be the one to tell you. I didn’t want to spring it on you. I felt I owed you more than that.”

“Well, you were right.”

“I was?” I don’t know if I’m shocked or confused by Wolf’s answer. I didn’t expect a man to see my side.

“Of course you were, Tor. We have a special relationship and a lot of years between us. It hurts knowing that you found someone else to make you happy. You know how much I love and care for you. I’ve made no secret of the dreams I had for the two of us.”

“Wolf—”

“It’s okay, baby. I just meant, as much as it hurts now, it would have hurt a lot more if you hadn’t been the one to tell me.”

“That’s what I thought. I wanted to make Devil understand, but I couldn’t. It’s… you’re my family, Wolf. You’re all I have left. I don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t lose me, Torrent,” he murmurs and then he pulls me in to kiss me gently. There’s nothing romantic or sexual about it. It’s meant to reassure me and I try to hold on to it. I need Wolf right now. I don’t have my father and now… I don’t have Devil. Eventually I will get stronger and I won’t need anyone again. Someday…

“Thank you for being so understanding—especially under the circumstances, Wolf.”

He pulls back, and smiles at me, though I think he’s still sad.

“Maybe it’s because I’m older than this Devil and mature, but it could be because I love you so deeply. All I really want is for you to be happy.”

“Devil makes me happy,” I assure him. “I have to find him.”

“I can’t believe he left you, Tor. That’s not right. Maybe he doesn’t care for you—like you do him.”

“He cares. I mean, he’s never really said he loves me, but he definitely cares,” I murmur, trying not to let the doubts fill me.

“I don’t know this Devil enough to tell you either way, Tor. But I do know one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Real men don’t leave. If it had been me, they would have had to kill me to get me to leave you,” he says.

His words make me feel weird… It feels disloyal to Devil. I mean, it’s good to hear—I wish Devil was the one telling me that—but, at the same time, Wolf doesn’t know what our relationship has been like. He doesn’t know the hoops Devil has jumped through for me.

“I—”

“A real man never leaves the woman he loves. It doesn’t matter what the argument is about, Torrent.”

I think over his words. He’s really taken this better than I thought he would. I might be able to keep my friend out of all of this and that makes me feel better. Wolf is the only family I have left and I need him—especially if Devil won’t forgive me.

“I need to talk to Devil.”

“Torrent, are you sure that’s a good idea? It’s clear he doesn’t want to talk to you. I don’t want to see you chasing after someone who doesn’t deserve your time.”

“I have to, Wolf. I have to know if we can work it out… or if it’s over.”

“Very well.”

“What?” I ask, surprised.

“If you want to see him, I’ll take you to his hotel. We can go right after dinner.”

“That won’t help. Devil checked out of his hotel. I uh… I checked yesterday while I was in town.”

“Oh—”

“I should have told you. I’m sorry, Wolf,” I rush to tell him.

“It’s dangerous, Tor. I’m not sure what went on with Dodger. I’ve been trying to figure it out and tracking down leads, but until I can explain why the Koreans involved you at all, I don’t feel comfortable with you going someplace I don’t know.”

“I’m a grown woman. I can take care of myself, Wolf.”

“But you can’t. You didn’t listen before and you were kidnapped. Because of that your father lost his life. You need to be more careful, Torrent,” he chastises and his words kill me.

They’re true, but having them spoken out loud by someone who loves me, destroys me.

“I need to go see him, Wolf.”

“See Devil?”

“Yes. I need to face him and at least try to explain everything.”

“Torrent, I can’t let you go that far on your own.”

“Then you can take me. Please? If Devil could hear from you that I’ve explained everything, it might help. If he could see us together, maybe he would understand.”

“Torrent, your father left a mess behind. I can’t pick up and leave right now. I only just got back.”

“But—”

“Besides, you don’t even know if he’s there. Devil could be anywhere. You don’t know anything about him. He might even have another woman, baby. You need to face the facts. He left you, and a man that could do that without an explanation can’t be trusted.”

I listen to Wolf and think about what he says. Devil… with another woman…

It feels like I can’t breathe. I don’t think he would do that. He cares about me. No. There’s no way.

I feel certain of that for about a minute. Then I remember how we first met... Devil at a store with a buggy full of condoms, planning to party.

Shit.