“I wanted to say thank you,” Arlet began, sounding just shy of uncertain. “For helping with Muse.”
“I hope you’ve both learned your lesson.” Being reminded of that odd night only darkened his mood more.
“Oh,” she shook her head. “We’re not together. That was…We just play around sometimes. Clearly things went too far. I don’t know what we would have done if you hadn’t arrived.”
“Kelevra called me.” Zane tipped his head, taking Arlet in. She’d dressed up for the evening in a glittery silver gown that didn’t even reach her knees and eye shadow to match. It was pretty, in a disco ball kind of way. Not unappealing. It’d been a long time since he’d taken another girl to his bed…perhaps—
Zane heard the loud cracking sound to the right and reacted without thought. His hand lifted and caught the white pool ball just before it was about to connect with the side of Arlet’s head. His palm stung, but he held still, glaring daggers over at the table where the culprit was currently straightening from his bent position.
Pavel didn’t seem the least bit apologetic. He took his time handing off the stick to Ledger and then slowly rounded the table and approached.
Arlet had curled into Zane’s side, shaking as she clutched at him, but the other Retinue member paid her little attention.
“My mistake.” Pavel’s left hand lightly took Zane’s wrist, holding it still as his other plucked the ball out of his grasp. Once he had it, he rolled it absently in his palm, the hand still holding Zane dropping.
But not letting go.
Zane shook him off and scowled. “You could have killed someone.”
“Not someone,” he corrected, jutting his chin toward Arlet. “Just her.”
Did Pavel and Arlet have a history? It wouldn’t surprise him. Zane didn’t know much about the man’s personal life. They’d always sort of just orbited around Kelevra and the other Retinue members, not really coming into contact with one another.
Zane gently eased Arlet off of him, separating them by a couple of inches, but not going too far. She was clearly in shock from almost having her face smashed in and he wasn’t about to push her away. But that didn’t mean he’d be willing to come between her and another Devil of Vitality either. There were rules. Agreements.
Not messing with someone’s love interest—or plaything or whatever else they may be—was top of the list.
Whatever their relationship, Zane’s clear statement was well received, some of the tension draining from Pavel’s wide shoulders.
“Rin isn’t the type to overlook a murder,” Zane said. “You should be more careful.”
He snorted. “Rin is exactly the type to overlook murder, actually.”
“Not when it’s an innocent person getting killed.”
“Innocent?” Pavel’s dark brow lifted. “Her? You have an…interesting definition of the word innocent, Doctor.”
Kelevra and Rin were on the opposite side of the room in a sitting area, surrounded by most of Rin’s closest friends. So far, neither of them seemed to have noticed what was going on over here, but that wouldn’t last.
“Just apologize and let’s leave it at that.” Zane needed to defuse this situation.
“I don’t think I will.”
He frowned, admittedly, not expecting that response. “Excuse me?”
“I don’t feel like it. Besides,” his dark gaze finally turned to Arlet, “I’m not entirely sure it’s my fault. How can it be, when she isn’t even meant to be here?”
“I…” Arlet glanced between the two of them. “I didn’t mean to crash, I just wanted to thank Zane—”
“The Prince of Medicine is busy.” Pavel waved her toward the stairs. “Run along now.”
She must not have wanted to thank him all that badly, because she practically turned on her heel and fled.
Zane blinked after her. “One would think you were holding a blaster to her head.”
“Disappointed?” Pavel smirked and then moved in, immediately situating himself in Zane’s personal space. “You didn’t honestly think she was going to be the one who finally wants you, did you?”
He stiffened as he felt a rush of ice shoot down his spine. “What the hell—”
