“This room is not secure, sir,” Yuval said. “We need to move him somewhere safer.”
Vitki nodded. “I agree.”
Ivo rolled his eyes. “Look, just have someone guard me from in here. I’m tired. I’m going to bed.” Ivo started across the floor, heading toward the bedroom. He pointed to the body on the floor as he passed it. “And get that out of here before I wake up.”
“Ivo, you can’t—”
Ivo shut the door and leaned back against it. He was just about at an end to what he was willing to endure. This was insane. All of it. The money. The assassination attempts. Even the undeniable attraction Ivo had toward Vitki. It was all insane.
Ivo rolled his eyes when someone tapped on the door. “Go away.”
“Ivo,” Vitki said through the thick wood. “I must speak with you.”
“You are speaking with me.”
“Open the door.”
“No.”
“Ivo—”
“Do you have any hot chocolate?”
Ivo’s lips curved up when his question was met with silence.
“Hot chocolate?” Vitki finally asked.
“Yes, do you have any hot chocolate?”
“I can have some brought to you.”
Ivo sighed. “Never mind.”
Ivo pushed away from the door and walked over to stare out the window. The rain was still falling, and Ivo had an insane urge to go out and dance in it. Too bad he didn’t think that would be allowed.
He heard the door open and close but didn’t bother looking to see who it was. He knew who it was. Vitki. “Do you think Max knew all of this would happen when he left me all that money?”
“I think Max knew a great many things,” Vitki replied. “Very few of them did he share with anyone else.”
Yeah, Ivo knew the feeling.
Ivo sighed as he leaned his forehead against the cold glass. “I feel as if I’m losing my mind. People are trying to kill me for reasons I don’t understand, people I trust are keeping secrets from me, and everyone seems to know something I don’t. Just once, I wish someone would tell me what in the hell is going on.”
When silence again met his words, Ivo wasn’t surprised. He closed his eyes against the pain he was feeling. He so deeply wanted to trust Vitki, but he knew the man was keeping things from him, just like everyone else was. That did not instill confidence in him.
“You are Ivo Koubek Vítkovský,” Vitki said, surprising Ivo, “the rightful heir to the throne of the Vítkovský Clan, and you are a dragon.”
