Jules pressed a kiss to my forehead, and I leaned into the warmth of his lips. My back was already feeling better, and that was because of him. He’d spent the last few weeks massaging my sore spine and muscles, and he’d made me walk around so I didn’t stiffen up. While my injury was far from completely healed, I was impressed by how good it felt.
“Do you remember the phone call I took yesterday?” he asked quietly.
I thought about it and recalled after he’d made me stand about midday and walk around the house that his phone had trilled a chirpy sound and he told me to keep moving as he took the call. While I’d paid attention to the deep lull of his voice, I hadn’t listened to the words.
“Yes.” I narrowed my eyes on the grin he gave me. “Why?”
“The guy who called me was the one who goes by Knockout Boy. He’s Derek Uhlig’s fighter. When I visited the other day, he took a shine to me.”
I stiffened and my jaw tightened as images of what I’d do to this man for touching my Master flashed in the forefront of my mind.
Jules caressed my cheek, and I stilled. “Calm yourself, little killer. He liked my style of defending you, that’s it.”
“Well, he’s lucky that’s all, or I’d slit his throat.”
He shushed me.
I glared because I fucking hated that.
Jules kissed the tip of my nose. “He decided to apologize for Uhlig’s shitty move and gave me a list of fighters. He said if we do our research and want to pick a fighter for our first match, we could talk to Janus about a one-time offer of choosing our opponent.”
“And this is him?” I glanced at the lifeguard again. He didn’t look like much, and I wanted to make an impression. Disappointment swelled in my chest.
“Yes.”
“He’s boring, Master.” I pouted at Jules and his laughter only irked me more.
He leaned in closer until his lips were inches from mine. “He’s a rapist.”
I froze, warmth spreading through me. It was like a lit Zippo falling into a heap of matches, and a need exploded inside me. I grinned. “How do you know?”
“Because I recognized the name on the list he gave me. That’s Colin Greenwich. Looks like an upstanding citizen, but he’s been arrested for raping seven young women. His daddy has money and pull, and he has been released without charges every time.” Jules bared his teeth in Colin’s direction like an angry wolf. Colin’s name ignited a memory and the picture on his license flashed in my mind. Of course. I remembered him in Jules’s treasure box. “He’s attractive enough to date women, but he prefers totakewhat he’s not given. He enjoys the power. And this pool is his hunting ground. He chooses his victims here.”
I let out a breath and touched my hands to Jules’s shoulders, turning us so I could stare at Colin without looking suspicious, and the hair on the back of my arms stood up in the most delicious way. His gaze slid across the pool, and now that I was staring at the true him, I noticed the hunger in the way he watched. He was a predator, starving for prey, and the giggling women who’d annoyed me before were what had caught his attention.
“What’s the plan?” I asked, heat igniting my insides.
“What do you think?” He slid his palms down my neck, across my shoulders, and along my arms until he entangled our fingers. “We don’t need a reason to track him down now, little killer. No one will think twice when youaccidentallykill him during a fight, will they? Uhlig will just get rid of the body.”
Pleasure simmered low in my belly and my cock twitched in the trunks I wore. I smirked. “Oh, what ashamethat will be. Oh well.”
Jules—Master—laughed.
15
JULES
I didn’t like beingmad at Ari. This wasn’t the same as the irritation that picked at me when Paxton wanted to do something I found dull while we were on duty, but so much deeper. I’d never quite felt like this. Ari wasn’t doing anything except staring out the passenger window of the truck at the darkness outside, but normally he tracked my movements with intrigue and admiration—right now he was ignoring me.
Completely.
I’d never had someone dismiss my existence so hard.
I fucking hated it.
“You’re going to do what I say.” I tickled my fingers over his arm, and he jerked it away from me.
“I’m here, aren’t I?” He didn’t look at me, though, and his voice was barely a whisper through the cab, which I almost didn’t hear over the rock music thudding from the speakers. I was surprised I didn’t want to hurt him for getting under my skin—I just wanted him to stop scowling at his reflection in the glass. I reached over to take his hand, and he let me have it. The squeeze of his fingers on mine as he returned the gesture soothed some of the rage bubbling away in my gut. I took deep breaths. This was Ari, and he wasmine, and I liked that he had a will of his own—stronger than that of most men.
