Dirty Dealers

“Did you find a favorite verse?”

“I found two.”

“Tell me one.”

A warm hand touches my cheek. A large thumb tugs on my lower lip, not too hard. “If your eyes are opened, you’ll see the things worth seeing.”

I want to pull his thumb between my lips, touch it with my tongue. I want to kiss his palm, but I never get the chance.

With a deep exhale, he moves me off his lap and stands. My heart stills, but he walks away, leaving me on the chair silently aching for him.

Bait

Logan

Back in the war room, Reggie is sharing the information gathered by his network of spies.

“He’s gone deep undercover,” the grand duke says. “One report says he’s somewhere in Tunis. He could be as far as Morocco.”

“Would Fayed help us?” Freddie looks to Rowan.

Prince Fayed Patel is a longtime friend and friendly rival of the king’s.

Rowan shakes his head. “If we involve more people, he’ll only sink further into hiding. We have to draw him out.” He stands and walks around to the laptop. On the screen is the map of our region with little red points on all the possible locations.

“We have to give him what he wants.”

Apart from money, Blix only wants two things, and one of them the king would never risk.

“What exactly do you mean?” I say, locking eyes with Rowan.

His brow lowers, and my stomach tightens. “We have to send Kass back. She can’t stay at Occitan.” I’m ready to fight this when he continues. “She won’t be unguarded. We’ll assign someone to watch her, but she has to appear to be on her own. It’s the only way to break this holding pattern.”

He’s right. I know he’s right, and I’m mad as fuck. “Let me do it.”

Reggie leans back in his chair. “If you guard her, we might as well keep her at Occitan.” My attention is diverted to him, and I realize he’s in on the plan.

I look to Freddie, and his lips are pressed into a line. His eyes are trained on his computer screen.

Stepping back, I can’t fight the rage firing in my chest. “You discussed this without me.”

“It came up when we were discussing our options,” Rowan says, his voice calm. He’s attempting to placate me. “No one is going behind your back. You were working.”

I haven’t left Ava’s watch since she came to Occitan. I tell myself it’s my job. I’m simply doing what I’ve been assigned. Still, I haven’t slept a night at my apartment in a week. I’ve eaten every meal, showered, and slept here. When Ava takes personal time with the king, when I would normally have my leave, I go to Kass.

She often falls asleep on the patio, and I watch her through the night. Her hair is spread behind her and the tension leaves her face. Those nights, it’s difficult not to touch her, kiss her.

She likes to walk along the shoreline, and I follow her from afar. It’s too chilly for swimming, so she pulls a pashmina tightly around her body. I ache to replace it with my arms, but I don’t.

I believe her when she says she had no choice before, but I’m still angry she didn’t tell me the truth. She’s still vulnerable as long as Blix is a fugitive. So I maintain the distance. Only twice I’ve broken it. The last time nearly made me forget everything.

She reached for me, and I couldn’t hold back. I stretched my hand out, almost daring her to find it. She did, and I held her in my lap, stroking her hair. My eyes closed and I remembered every night she’d slept in my bed with her face nestled against my chest, allowing me to care for her the way I always want to do. The Cassandra-shaped hole in my heart was momentarily filled, but even then she was guarded.

I want to tell her not to be ashamed or afraid because I already know everything, but if I do that, I’ll remove the option for her to trust me. It’s an important gesture I need from her. She has to meet me halfway. So I continue to wait.

Now Rowan is telling me to send her back into danger, and he won’t even let me follow.

“I can’t agree to this.” My fists are clenched. “It’s too risky. He could take her and disappear. If he captures her, he will hurt her. She betrayed him, and we’ve seen what he does to people who betray him.”