CHAPTER TWENTY THREE | TYRA KÄUTNER |

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•TYRA KÄUTNER•

The election takes place two days later. Tom is all patched up. He needed stitches for the couples of slashes, but now you'd hardly know he'd been in a fight.

I, on the other hand, have to wear a giant cast, since apparently that idiot bouncer broke two of my fingers when he slammed the trunk on my hand. Now I'm extra glad I shot him.

It's making it damn hard to type anything on my phone, which is annoying, because I have a very important project in the works, and I don't want it getting all fucked up because I can't check my email.

"Ich kann Ihnen dabei helfen," Tom says, reaching out to take my phone.

"Sie können diktieren, und ich tippe."

"Nein!" I say, snatching it back. "Ich brauche keine Hilfe."

"Was machen Sie da?" he asks suspiciously.

"Das geht Sie nichts an," I tell him, tucking the phone back in my pocket.

He frowns. He's already on edge because we're supposed to be getting the election results any minute. I really shouldn't bait him.

His phone rings, and he almost jumps out of his skin.

He holds it to his ear, listening.

I can visibly watch as the relief pours over him.

He hangs up the call, grinning.

"Herzlichen Glückwunsch!" I shout.

He picks me up and spins me around, until I lock my legs around his waist and kiss him for a very long time.

"Sie haben es geschafft," I say.

He sets me down again, his dark brown eyes boring into mine.

"Wir haben es gemeinsam geschafft, Tyra. Das haben wir wirklich. Du hast mir die zusätzliche Unterstützung verschafft, die ich von den Deutschen brauchte. Du hast mir geholfen, die richtigen Leute zu überzeugen. Ich möchte, dass du mit mir arbeitest. Jeden Tag. Sobald du deinen Abschluss hast, meine ich."

My heart gives a funny little flutter.

That's crazy. A couple of weeks ago, I hardly thought Tom and I could share a room without murdering each other.

"Mitbewohner und Arbeitskollegen?" I say teasingly.

"Warum nicht?" Tom frowns. "Hättest du mich satt?"

"Nein. Sie sind nicht gerade der gesprächige Typ," I laugh. "Eigentlich sind Sie ziemlich ... beruhigend, wenn man in Ihrer Nähe ist."

It's true. When Tom is not driving me into a rage, he steadies me. I feel safe around him.

"Aber was machen wir mit Zajac?" I ask him.

Ryder and Nash made off with about ¥500K in cash from the Butcher's casino, as well as smashing up a bunch of his machines.

We haven't heard anything since. Which seems like it must be the calm before the storm.

"Nun, Nash meint, wir sollten..."

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