Going Home

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I stepped off the train and glanced back to make sure Ciro was behind me. He grinned as he followed me and we turned to track down a taxi to take us back to the Le'Roy estate. The warm feeling in my chest was a little strange, until I realized what it was I was feeling relieved about. I felt like I was almost home.

The sensation was strange considering I had only belonged to Le'Roy for roughly two weeks, and most of that had been spent miles away in the country of my birth. I didn't care to fight it however. I'd make my home where I was wanted, and for the time being, that was with Ciro. I just hoped Le'Roy still wanted me after I got done telling the story of how badly I had failed him.

We had barely walked in the door when we were already being hustled along by a manservant. He showed us to an office and gestured us in. I took in a deep breath to steady my nerves before following Ciro through the door and into the grand office where Le'Roy sat behind a massive desk. He glanced up from the stack of paperwork he was going through, then raised his head to regard us with a little surprise.

"Ciro and Kasimir." He muttered something in French and gestured for us to be seated in the chairs set before the desk. He made an expectant expression as he settled back in his seat and set aside his pen. Ciro began speaking first, telling his account of the mission. I eyed the ledger he produced from a jacket pocket and passed to Le'Roy. The book made Le'Roy raise a brow, then get an intensely satisfied gleam in his eye as he started flipping through it.

I supposed the book had come from Dominic's office. Ciro must have lifted it while I was just standing there, frozen and numb. I blinked and looked up when Le'Roy turned to me.

"Alright Kasimir. What's your side of the story?"

I swallowed and began to recount everything. From my actions to my reasoning for those actions and the emotions affecting me at every turn. If it was too much detail, Le'Roy never said anything. I resisted the urge to apologize at every turn, figuring I would just extend one big blanket apology for the whole mess when I was done.

Le'Roy eyed me when I recounted the doctor, and I quickly put in that I had never admitted to what I actually was, nor given any sign. And even if I had, everyone was now dead.

"You're sure?"

I quickly nodded. "Yes Sir. I was told I left none alive, and Red and Ciro burned everything behind me, so there is no evidence that I was ever there."

Le'Roy slowly smirked. "Kasimir, I do believe my exchange with Liesel should have been the other way around. You should have been the one offering her up as the blood gift in exchange for your own induction into my family." He leaned forward on his elbows when I blinked in surprise. "If I had known you had that sort of tenacity, resolve, and hunting instinct, not to mention the Dragon in your pocket..." He huffed in amusement and shook his head.

I licked my lips. "But I- I almost ruined everything. The entire mission would have gone so much better if I hadn't even been there."

Le'Roy gave me an incredulous look. "How so?" He shook his head and continued without letting me speak. "No. The mission was a success because of you. And Ciro here. Matteo and Niklas should have known better than to leave you two on your own, and they have been severely reprimanded for it. They also should have known that physical proof is much more valuable than a verbal account." He tapped the ledger Ciro had brought. "This is not only proof that Dominic was going behind my back, but a detailed list of his dealings and who he dealt with on a frequent basis. I can root out his entire operation with this."

I glanced at Ciro, sitting back easily in his chair like he was perfectly content letting Le'Roy heap all the praise on me. Any redirecting I might have done was quickly interrupted as Le'Roy continued.

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