All of a sudden, I’m not grouchy anymore. “Really?” He nods.
Kaiser wanted me? He chose me? It feels too huge to contemplate.
Jaeger says Kaiser doesn’t like anyone, but he does like me. I know it. He lets me sleep on top of him and everything.
What would it be like to really be his? To have him care about me more than anything else? I can’t allow myself to even imagine it.
In the end, it doesn’t change anything. He’s still the enemy. Him choosing me doesn’t mean anything more than that I fit a set of his preferences. I should be happy. If I’m his type, it’ll be that much easier to trick him.
But I don’t feel happy. I’m quiet the whole ride, ignoring Jaeger’s unsettling smile.
When we get home, I make myself scarce. I have a lot of work to do to enact my plan, and I need to take advantage of the fact that Kaiser isn’t here to discover what I’m doing. My greenhouse has a sink and a small lab. With Gianni Schicchi blasting on the surround sound, I pull out the extra packet of fertilizer the bottling company sent me and get to work.
Night has fallen when Jaeger finds me.
“I’m going to leave now, so you need to come inside the house.” I could argue that the greenhouse is attached and therefore part of the house, but he’s glaring at the glass walls as if he doesn’t trust them. “There’s a guard watching the house. Kaiser will be here before midnight.”
I frown. “Why so late?”
“He’s hurt.”
“Hurt? Who hurt him?”
Jaeger raises a brow. “You care?”
“Of course I care. He’s going to be my husband.” I’m the only one allowed to hurt him.
“You want to know his weaknesses.” He gives me a suspicious look, and I suppress a smile.
“I want to help him. Isn’t that what a good wife is supposed to do?”
Jaeger isn’t buying it. “Go upstairs and get ready for bed. I’m locking down the house.”
“Aye, aye, captain.” I salute him and turn away to hide my smirk. I might regret hurting Kaiser, but I can’t wait to deal Fraternitas a death blow.
This is going to be fun.
Kaiser
* * *
When I get home, I can tell that something has shifted. My senses tingle, alerting me as soon as I open the bedroom door. I pay attention to my instincts. Time after time, they’ve kept me alive. Right now, they tell me I’m walking into danger.
And there she is, my little bride.
Kneeling on the bed.
“Hello, husband,” she says in a throaty voice. “I’ve been waiting for you to come home.”
Candles are burning all around the room, releasing a thick, musky scent. I can feel them dulling my senses as soon as I breathe in the smoky air.
In the candlelight, Bella glows.
It’s a trap, and she’s the bait.
But what lovely bait she is.
“You dressed up for me.” She’s in a gold bra and the tiniest pair of shorts I’ve ever seen.
