A pulse of stars shot straight to my brain.
I kept my guns hidden as I passed the revelry drinking and chatting, heading for the most secluded location on the side of the building. I was careful where I walked as I stepped on the snow. I turned the corner and raised my guns.
My voice was empty of emotion while I narrowed my sights on the Mage standing twenty yards away. “Hello, Jasper.”
His teeth flashed in the moon’s glow, almost as frightening as the twin guns he had aimed on me. “Hello, Caro.” His head cocked, his golden eyes were steady. “Miss me?”
“Like a pesky spider. You just keep showing up no matter how many times I try to kill you.”
He chuckled softly, the sound snaking on the light breeze. “God, how I truly miss that mouth of yours.” His eyebrows waggled suggestively. “Would you care to give me another demonstration of how you slipped away that last time?”
Unbidden, my own lips twitched. “You always wanted it, so I gave it to you.” My own brows lifted. “If I remember correctly, you weren’t too upset when I escaped on your watch for the first time.”
Again he snickered, the sound quiet and intimate. “No, I wasn’t.” A full minute passed by in silence as we eyed each other, possibly both of us remembering that night years ago when we had actually had a civil conversation. I had then taken full advantage of the situation, or him, using a bit of feminine persuasion and wiles. Jasper’s guns, though, never waved. Mine didn’t either. He stated with a cool tone, “He wants you back.”
“Is that what this is about? You’re coming to do his damn bidding?” I barely withheld my anger at the intrusion. “Are you fucking kidding me, Jasper? You don’t even have anything to hold over—”
I jerked forward, away from the power, with tears slipping over my cheeks. The back of my chair thumped onto the floor as I jumped from it, backing away from Reese where he had snuck up behind me. I stood behind King Collins’s chair, gripping his shoulder hard. Quickly, I wiped the humiliating wetness from my face, though more tears were welling. I glowered at Reese’s completely expressionless face, his eyes dark pools on his creamy complexion.
“Did…what I think just happen, actually occur, Caro?” King Collins asked almost casually, placing a soothing hand over mine while he stared up at Reese. “I mean, other than the asshole across the table kissing away any wish he had for you?”
I quickly wiped away more tears and stuttered, “I…I need…” I sucked in a huge breath. “I need to process this before I accuse anyone of anything.” I giggled, my thoughts a bit crazy. “Because Reese wouldn’t be the one I blamed, since he was blatantly ordered.”
It was so damn silent at the table.
Then King Collins actually started snickering right along with me. “You mean, it would be,” clear distaste, “the One you would punish?”
“Exactly.” I turned my face away, still half chuckling, half crying as I wiped at my cheeks with my free hand. I squeezed King Collins’s shoulder and cleared my throat before I slipped my hand out from under his. “I think I’m going to my room now.” I reached for my purse on the ground and put my feet into motion away from that fucking mess.
Leric muttered, “Reese, I don’t give a shit about—”
“Sir, with all due respect,” Reese cut him off, gruff and blunt. “We need to talk privately and then possibly with the four Rulers.”
I wasn’t far enough away because I still heard Leric’s tone completely alter behind me, changing to an utterly bottomless voice as he asked, “What did you see?”
Chapter Nine
I sat in the bathtub, taking a long shower, or more precisely a long crying jag, letting the water run over me until it ran cold.
Evil had come from him—an apparent asshole—in front of everyone.
An asshole I—fuck me—had feelings for.
The last thing I wanted to hear were multiple voices in my hotel room.
Arguing.
I jerked the freezing water off.
Wiping my face, I sniffed hard and wrapped the towel around me.
I opened the bathroom door a crack and muttered on a croaking voice, “I need my clothes out there, so if—” I gasped, then I grunted as I banged back against the wall as Leric fucking barged into the bathroom, slamming and locking the door behind him. Holding my towel closed tight with one hand, I ran my other hand over my puffy, obviously-been-crying damn face and jammed my finger at the door. “Get the fuck out!”