Abby smiled at Ulrik and slid her gaze to Mikkel. “I’d love to find out.”
Ulrik dropped his gaze to her full breasts, accented by her clingy white sweater, to the indent of her waist, and then lower to the tan skirt that skimmed her body, only to have a four-inch flounce of material at the hem.
He’d found pleasure in her arms, but then again, he’d found pleasure in a great many women’s arms. The one thing he couldn’t abide was betrayal—in any form—and that’s exactly what she had done to him.
How Ulrik hadn’t been able to discover she actually worked for Mikkel in his extensive background checks throughout the years, he didn’t know. But he wasn’t happy about it. In fact, it infuriated him.
Abby willingly took part in the duplicity, making him appear the fool. One other woman had done the same thing, but Ulrik didn’t get to dole out his justice before his so-called friends killed her.
In Ulrik’s eyes, Abby could no longer be trusted. It irked him that she knew such intricate workings of his plans. The only saving grace was his lack of confidence in any human, which is why he’d avoided including her in everything.
Mikkel thought he knew everything Ulrik was involved in, but Mikkel only touched the tip of the iceberg. Ulrik might have joined forces with his uncle, but he didn’t trust him. Never had.
Never would.
Despite that, Mikkel was family. After Ulrik was banished from Dreagan, he’d wandered, lost and terrified. What he would’ve done to know he wasn’t alone. If only Mikkel had made himself known then. Perhaps Con could’ve been taken down sooner.
That thought brought a hint of a smile to Ulrik. Seeing his once closest friend, the man he considered a brother, dead was what kept him going day after day.
“What do you say?” Abby asked in a low voice as she took a step closer to him.
Ulrik took her hand and removed it from his chest. “You chose who you wanted. I suggest you remember that.”
Mikkel chuckled from his position against the divider wall that separated the back of the shop from the front. “Now you know why Ulrik was King.”
Abby glared at Ulrik before she put a smile on her face and returned to Mikkel’s side. “But you’re King now.”
“That I am,” his uncle said and touched Abby’s cheek. “Never forget that.”
Ulrik returned to the book, noting how well the leather had been cared for and that there was only a hint of yellow on the pages. He would count the stars a thousand times if it kept him from listening to Mikkel and Abby.
“Put the book down. We have things to do.” Mikkel walked past Ulrik and slapped him on the back.
Ulrik jerked his gaze to his uncle, but Mikkel was already halfway to the door. Abby followed, her hips swaying alluringly. Ulrik carefully returned the book to the plastic bag and secured it in a drawer of his desk.
He didn’t bother to lock it. No one could get into his store without his knowledge, and his uncle could not care less about such a rare and expensive item.
Ulrik followed them outside and locked the door to the store. He turned around to see Mikkel and Abby crossing the street. Ulrik didn’t like being kept in the dark. He’d agreed to join forces with his uncle for a few reasons.
He knew he could defeat Con on his own, but it was going to be pure brilliance for him to keep Con occupied while Mikkel swooped in and destroyed all that Con held dear. Then, Ulrik would kill Con.
Also there was the fact that Mikkel could come in handy in helping Ulrik achieve a few other … things he wanted.
All the while, he was going to have to keep a sharp eye on his uncle. If Mikkel hadn’t already figured it out, he would as soon as Ulrik’s full force of magic was returned. Mikkel could claim to be King of the Silvers all he wanted, but the right belonged to Ulrik.
In order for Mikkel to take the role as King, he was going to have to kill Ulrik before his magic was returned. Mikkel could do it now—or rather he could try.
Perhaps that’s what he was about to do.
Ulrik trailed after the duo as Mikkel led them down one street after another. Ulrik was about to put a stop to it when he turned a corner and saw his uncle press Abby against the side of a building, kissing her passionately. Abby’s moans of pleasure reached Ulrik. He was turning away when Abby’s body jerked, her eyes flying open and astonishment filling her face as Mikkel ended the kiss.
Mikkel stepped back, and Ulrik saw the blade of a dagger covered in blood within his uncle’s hand. Abby struggled to fill her lungs with air, her blue eyes silently begging Mikkel to save her. Without a word, Mikkel pivoted and continued down the street. Ulrik watched as Abby put her hands over the wound to try and staunch the flow of blood, but it gushed between her fingers, the stain of red growing on her white sweater.