My dragon twists in my torso, loving that idea. I rub the back of my neck. “Consider yourself called, Seb.”
“Where and when?”
“My place. We need to stay on-world or I won’t get Donovan’s response to my message. Be there tomorrow night. Eight sharp.”
“I’ll call my pilot and tell him to ready the jet.”
I brace myself on the desk, images of Lucy Vale’s desecrated body burning in my mind. “Tell me we’re going to kill the fucker who did this.”
Seb answers with a growl. “Fuck, yeah. I swear it to the creator.”
Chapter Two
FIONA
What a day to oversleep! I stride as fast as I can toward the bistro, feeling hungover despite having not touched a drop last night and hoping that my friend Vivian hasn’t given up on me. I’m almost twenty-five minutes late for our lunch date. I practice my apology in my head as I turn the corner and navigate toward the patio. Her latest text says she’s already chosen a table outside in the sun.
Vivian’s smile cuts through the crowd. She raises a massive glass of red wine and waves me over to an annoyingly wobbly table for two. I leave my jacket on as I take the seat across from her. It’s sunny but on the cool side. Typical weather for the south of France at the end of March.
“Sorry, Viv. I set my alarm but slept right through it.”
“C’est la vie.” She waves a perfectly manicured hand through the air, her sleek black hair falling over oneshoulder. “You’re in the south of France. Kick back, relax.”
I breathe a sigh of relief that she’s not cross. “Thanks for understanding. Even the French Riviera isn’t enough of an excuse for how late I am.”
“Honestly, if the worst thing I have to do today is sip wine at this bistro for a half hour waiting for a friend, it will be a good day.” She demonstrates the wine sipping, and I’m convinced she wasn’t put out by my tardiness.
“That’s what I love about you, Viv, always looking on the bright side.”
The corner of her mouth lifts. “So… are you sure you’re late because the alarm didn’t go off? Or did that new billionaire fiancé of yours require your attention this morning?”
I give a theatrical gasp at her probing question and clutch invisible pearls around my neck. “Vivian! I don’t kiss and tell.”
“What good is it being best friends with a romance author if you can’t discuss the steamy parts?” Her eyes fixate on my left hand. “Oh my God, is that the ring?”
I hold the new edition to my left hand out and wiggle my fingers so that the diamond catches the light. She gives a long, low whistle. The thing’s an iceberg. “Honestly the largest diamond I’ve ever seen in my life. The American man at the neighboring table looked twice at it like he thought it might be ice for his flat water.”
“It’s enormous!”
“Roman had it specially designed.”
“Right after he hired a bulldozer to carry it to the jeweler. Fuck, your hand must get tired.” Viv snorts.
I bite my lip to keep from following that train of thought. Any woman would be proud to have a ring like this, and I refuse to let on that I’m anything but grateful. But no way would I have ever picked this ring for myself. It catches on everything, and I’ve cut myself on it twice. As soon as I’m married and enough time has passed, I plan to store it permanently in my jewelry box. I change the subject so I’m not tempted to complain. “Thanks for agreeing to be my maid of honor on such short notice.””
“Your relationship has moved fast! From first date to engagement in a month. I’ve had car repairs that took longer.”
Our server arrives, and I point to the wine I want to order, then to a dish withcanardin the name because I know it means duck. Vivian fills in for me in fluent French.
“When are you going to learn French, woman?” she asks. “Once you’re married to a jet-setter, it would help to speak a second language.”
“I’ll get right on that.”
She plants her elbows on the table and rests her chin on her threaded fingers. “Now, about this morning and why you were late…” She bobs her eyebrows.
I roll my eyes. Vivian and I share a publisher, which is how we met. I’ve made my career in thrillers, specifically the Alex Rogue series about a retired military police officer who is now a private investigator specializing in crimes committed by fringe religious orders and secret societies. Vivian writes steamy contemporary romance.
I know that look in her eye. She wants all the details.
