Jessiah
“What the hells are they doing out at this hour?” I paced back and forth in the room. All common sense had been thrown out the window, and goddess above, I was going to throw myself out next.
Xavier sat on the chaise, entirely unbothered by the late hour.
It was after midnight. Who in all hells ate dinner this late? It wasn’t right.
Hewasn’t right.
“Relax,” Xavier ordered. “She’s obviously eating up his charms, and he clearly has an interest in her. If anything, it’s a good sign that they’re still out. It means they’re getting along.”
“Why the fuck should I care about whether they get along? She could be in danger.”
He dropped his head back. “She’s not.”
“She could be. That woman said he wants toraise the dead,for fuck’s sake. I should go find her. I should make sure she’s not?—”
My words were cut off when I was hit square in the face with a decorative pillow.
I stomped closer, fists clenched at my sides, ready to?—
“Say one more thing about flying out of this window to find your woman,” he gritted out, “and I’ll be forced to tie you to this bed. So you better watch what you say next.”
I shut my mouth before Xavier would actually kill me.
Distant footsteps had me whirling toward the door. My hearing was more heightened than Xavier’s, but he sat up, on guard, eyes fixed on me.
Had we been waiting here all damn night for her to return?No, that would be absurd.
But we’d been here for a while. Of course we had. I assumed she’d return hours ago. And waiting here for useful information was better than lingering around the damn castle, pretending like we had any clue what was going on.
Rummy was our best bet at getting information. It made sense to debrief her as soon as she returned from her date with the suspicious king.
Xavier froze when he heard the footsteps, too.
When I realized there were two sets, I took two silent steps toward the wooden door and pressed my ear against it.
“It’s been a lovely night,” the king said. “I hope I didn’t scare you away with my directness.”
Even his voice made me cringe.
But Rummy laughed, and though I was accustomed to the way her fake, forced laughs sounded, the sound still made my stomach curl.
“I enjoy the directness,” she replied, her tone lighter than usual, flirtier than usual. “There’s no use in wasting such a valuable man’s time, is there?”
A silence filled the air. The fucker was probably smiling at her. And she was definitely fluttering those dark lashes.
“Think about what I’ve said, okay? You were sent to me for a reason, Rummy. I can’t sit idly by while the fates offer me this one chance at my destiny. This could be our future. Together.”
What. The. Fuck.
What the hells had transpired during this damn date of theirs? I darted a look at Xavier, but he only shot me a warning look in response.
“Don’t,” he mouthed.
My restraint was quickly slipping. I was about to yank that damn door open. I was about to wrap a hand around Cornelius’s useless throat and demand he tell us what the fuck he wants with Rummy, what the fuck he’s been doing in this damn kingdom of his.
But then Rummy turned the knob.
