“Did he say anything?” Silver asked absently as he picked up the document. He didn’t so much as glance at it, however, opening the bottom drawer of his desk and dropping it in there with little care.
Nuri felt his spine stiffen but convinced himself he was only being thorough. “He was understandably upset, but there was nothing of great importance.”
“No?”
“It isn’t the first time I’ve had to deliver legal papers to one of your—”
“Fuck buddies,” Silver interrupted.
“I was going to say one-night stands,” Nuri corrected. “And I’m sure it won’t be the last.” Though they’d never dealt with a sex tape before, he’d been sent to get signed NDA’s more than time or two. He checked the clock on his multi-slate. “The work day has ended. Will you be heading home now?”
“Why does that sound like you’re in a rush to leave?” Silver didn’t sound pleased by this prospect.
“There are things I need to do before my trip tomorrow,” Nuri admitted. “Ah, about that. I’ve already spoken with Marta and she’s prepared to take over my duties for the next three days. She has my direct line and has been instructed to contact me with any questions she may have, so she shouldn’t be a bother to you.”
“This whole thing is a bother,” he grumbled.
Nuri pretended not to hear, lifting his multi-slate to go down the checklist he’d created to ensure he didn’t forget anything before he left. “She’ll be using my desk while I’m gone as well, so she’ll be right outside if you need her during the day, and she’s already been trained and introduced to all the important contacts in each department. Finally, when I checked this afternoon, the beta testing for the HX has gone well and production has been approved, so we’re on schedule.”
“Come to dinner,” Silver said, giving Nuri pause.
He frowned. Had he been listening to him or not? “Majesty?”
“Now.” He made it clear that it wasn’t something Nuri could refuse. It took him no time at all to put his coat on and then like every other day he exited without waiting to see if Nuri would follow.
By the time Nuri caught up with him at the elevators, he was flustered, mind reeling with all the possible excuses he could use to get out of going. None of them seemed like they would work.
“Majesty, my personal schedule—” He began the second they were both in the elevator and the doors had closed, but Silver wasn’t hearing it.
“There’s no such thing,” he stated, slipping his hands into his jacket pocket. “Your time is my time. Or have you forgotten?” His expression was steely when he turned to Nuri. “I own you.”
For a moment, a rush of heat flooded through him at the possessive statement, but then Nuri got a grip. Silver didn’t mean it in a romantic, or even a sexual, way. For him, it was a matter of fact. When he’d been sixteen his father had “gifted” him Nuri in order to keep him in line.
Typically, he wouldn’t be bothered that the Emperor considered him an object, but after his conversation with Ackor, and running into Romeo, his patience must have hit its limit.
“Iworkfor you, CEO Rien,” he said firmly. “I’m an employee the same as anyone else. There is no ownership in that.”
The air in the elevator seemed to change in an instant, becoming heavy and stifling. Silver’s eyes heated and darkened, and when he turned to fully face Nuri, the movement was slow and calculated.
“Say that again,” Silver ordered, the challenge clear in his tone as he advanced.
Within a few seconds, Nuri found himself pressed against the elevator wall, Silver crowding his front so that if he tipped his face down, his nose would surely brush against the Emperor’s red tie.
When he remained silent, Silver lifted his arms, planting his palms against the wall at either side of Nuri’s head. His warm breath danced across Nuri’s cheeks as he leaned in, his body coiled and ready to strike.
“Say it again, Nuri,” he demanded, the usage of his first name causing the smaller man to jump a little.
It was rare for him to do so, even after all their time together, and though he always loved hearing it, Nuri had long since discovered that Silver really only called him that when he was angry with him.
He needed to be careful otherwise he was going to be the one who found himself sent to the Bridges.
Silver would do so without batting an eyelash too. That’s just how he was. Keng, who’d been loyal from the start, had just had his job threatened for a matter completely out of his hands. People only maintained their relevance to Silver so long as they served a purpose. The second they were no longer useful he discarded them the same way one would toss a used paper cup. Somehow, Nuri had managed to avoid that fate thus far, but it was always a possibility. That was one of the major reasons he’d risked upsetting his siblings and had canceled on them so many times in the past. This job had been the only thing keeping them afloat before.
Last year, Nate had started earning a steady income of his own, which was why Nuri had considered quitting. Now, with Neve also about to graduate, those same familial pressures that had kept him biting his tongue, stuck in this position, were gone.
“Under the Intergalactic Treaty act,” Nuri found the words pouring out of his mouth, “it is illegal for an employer to treat their employee as a slave or property.” He exhaled slowly and went all in, meeting Silver’s gaze head-on despite the way his heart was thumping wildly in his chest. “I’m my own person. I belong to myself.”
The elevator came to a stop then, the sharp ding before the doors swept open slicing through the tension like a knife. Still, Silver didn’t immediately pull away, taking another moment to glare down at Nuri.
