But unlike Max’s darkness, which had been a shield, Morty’s ran deep. With dark brows, full lips, and sharp cheekbones, he had a decent face.
Plus, he was tall. And the slightly manic look in his eye put him high on the Hot/Crazy scale.
If Gia met him on the streets, she’d be into him.
No doubt about it.
But the thought of her getting mixed up with any of the Camelot Court insanity flared protectiveness in my chest wilder than it had been for anyone else.
I turned up my nose, my tone icy. “She’d never stoop so low.”
“Ouch.” He pouted, but his feigned hurt lasted all of two seconds before he brushed it off with a smirk aimed at my smug grin. “But that’s fair, I guess. And I’m picking up what you’re putting down.”
“What are you talking about?”
He shrugged. “I might need something to sweeten the deal. A friend, perhaps? Is she into two, or does she also like her lovers in threes?” He waggled his eyebrows as I stepped into his body, thumb ready on the syringe. “Oooh. Maybe, another gal pal?”
Before I killed the asshole for breathing a word about Gia, a creak broke the rising tension between us.
The bookcase slid away, and Kingston appeared.
As soon as he saw us standing there in the same position he’d left us, he released a deep exhale.
Relief eased the stress in his features, and I averted my stare back to Morty.
Suspicion laced through my veins, but I didn’t register how tightly I gripped the syringe until Kingston wrapped his hand around mine.
“Quinn…?” he spoke softly, as Morty lifted his chin in a challenge to me. “It’s alright now, love. You can let go.”
But I didn’t answer him. I spoke directly to Morty. “How did you know that?”
He cocked his head and arched a brow. “You already know the answer to that, little princess.”
Eyes narrowing, I growled. “Answer the question.”
Kingston squeezed my hand. “Quinn?—?”
“It’s about Gia,” I snapped.
He released me immediately, and I sensed the shift of his focus to Morty.
Morty rolled his eyes. “Cameras? Remember? Surveillance is sort of my thing?” He glanced between us. “Any of that sound familiar?”
My mind raced over my calls with Gia. “You put a camera in my room?”
“Jesus,” Kingston sighed. “What the?—”
Morty scoffed and pushed forward into my hand, embedding the needle in his skin without me moving an inch.
Spots of blood appeared in the vial as the needle sank deeper into his neck. Tiny crimson clouds bloomed in the clear fluid, a pulsing beat like the heads of jellyfish swimming through the ocean.
I hyper-focused on it.
Mostly, to avoid why I didn’t press the plunger down.
Why I froze, as he pressed forward.
Kingston’s hand on Morty’s chest stilled his progress. “Explain. Now.”
