I scowl at her. “You don’t know me.”
She tips her head to the side. “Yes I do, Cal. I’ve known you and men just like you for my entire life. And in order to get what I want, all I have to do is endanger the princess in the castle. You’ll get your knight’s armor on and ride out to save her. You can’t help yourself.” Her lips quirk. “It’s pathetic.”
My fingers flex, aching with the need to wring her neck.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Honor smiles at us both. “If I don’t get my way, I have already paid for a contract with the Ukrainian mob. Unless I’m made very, very rich and very happy, it goes into effect.”
She withdraws a piece of paper that has been stamped with a photo and vital information.
Kaia stares back at me, her doe eyes wide, her lips parted as if she’s about to speak.
I look up at Honor. “You’re…” I chuckle, not knowing how else to respond. “Fucking insane.”
She bites her lip, smiling, and shrugs. “There are worse things to be, darling.”
“You’re going to end up dead,” I tell her.
She starts backing away slowly. “I will give you the night to break the news to your little fuck doll. Tomorrow morning, I’ll be back with the papers for you to sign. You should…” She waves her hand. “Call somebody that can arrange a large transfer of funds.”
Glancing at Lucas, I don’t even know what to say. “You’re literally nuts, Honor.”
She winks at me. “Test me, Cal. Find out just how fucking crazy I am.”
Then she whirls and struts away, her heels clicking on the stone floors as she goes.
I stare after her for a long moment. Lucas clears his throat.
“Is she right?” he asks.
I look up at him, overwhelmed. “What?”
“Do you… have feelings for this girl? Because if you don’t, then Honor has basically nothing on you. You can just walk away.”
Shaking my head, I drop my eyes to the picture of Kaia again. “I don’t love her. I’m not even capable of that.”
He sighs. “No one is throwing around that word but you, Calum. I just asked if you care about whether she gets hurt or not.”
A tendril of emotion creeps out as I stare at her picture. “Maybe.”
“Well… then things are about to get difficult,” he says.
Bile burns the back of my throat. “I know.”
I drop the photo to the floor, turning toward my office. Lucas squints and follows me, not saying a word.
Kaia
Calum is late.
I shiver as I glance at my phone again. I’m waiting for him outside of the Continental, the hip, sleek bar at the bottom of his building. He asked me to meet him here twenty minutes ago… but so far, he’s a no-show.
And I’m way too much of a wuss to try to go inside with Calum there, paying the door guy off.
Are you close?I start typing into my phone.
A hand lands on my arm. I startle and look up, flush at the sight of him. He looks a little disheveled, his hair raked to the side, his tie loosened. He’s still wearing his suit but his suit seems rumpled. His eyes lock in on me, expression unreadable.
He jerks his head toward the bar. “Let’s go.”
