Hideaway (Devil's Night 2)

Her head finally turned, and she locked eyes with me. I swallowed my food.

“Come in,” I told her, pushing the bowl back.

Hesitantly, she stepped toward me, entering the dining room. “Which bedroom is mine?”

“Mine.”

Her stubborn shoulders fell a little. “I’m tired, Kai.”

“You’re also my wife.” I picked up my glass, taking a drink of water. “Your precious, big brother must be crawling the walls right now.”

She shook her head, looking disgusted by me. “I’m not your pawn, so trust me when I say marrying me won’t make me any less difficult.”

Oh, I hope not.

I stared at her, taking in the gown she wore today and nothing else. She’d come completely empty-handed, unless she had her little knives tucked in a garter under that dress. Did she think she wasn’t staying long enough to move in?

I’d have to have her clothes brought here. Or she could wear mine.

“I’m not worried,” I said. “You’ll bend.”

She scoffed, and I took a clean bowl and a fork, loading some of the yakisoba into the dish. “Come and eat.” I set the food and utensil on the table, nodding at the chair across from me.

She just glared at me.

“Eat, and I will show you which room is yours?” I bargained.

But she didn’t sit down. Instead, she walked over to the buffet table and grabbed two more bowls. Coming back over to the table, she took the fork and loaded up both bowls with noodles, piling them high, and taking nearly everything that was left.

I usually made enough for leftovers to last three days.

“What are you doing?” I asked her.

“My men are outside. They followed us here.” She stuck forks in both bowls and picked them up. “They need to eat, too.”

What—who?

“Your men?” I challenged. “Those pricks who work for Gabriel? Tell them to leave.”

I shot out of my chair and stalked toward the window, pulling back the curtain. And sure enough, that same black SUV sat in my driveway. I could see the bald one in the driver’s seat.

“You tell them,” she shot back. “They put themselves on the line for me tonight, and that’s how you reward loyalty?”

“Put themselves on the line? What do you mean? What happened?”

She looked away, shaking it off. “Nothing. Just…” she paused, searching for words. Then she looked straight at me. “They won’t leave. They work for me, and they can’t go back there. That’s it.”

She turned and walked for the front door, stacking one bowl on top of the other to open the door.

“They work for you?” I raised my voice. “How do you plan on paying them?”

“Easy,” she said, her eyes shooting around her to the house and everything around us. “Half of what’s yours is now mine.”

And she walked out the door, slamming it behind her.

I just stood there, strangling the air in front of me. Son of a—fucking—God—what the fuck?

Dammit, she’s such a little shit! What the hell did I want with two guys hanging around my house all the time? They were going to be in my way, and I don’t like people in my space and messing my stuff up. I was just getting used to having her around, dammit!