Page 27 of Silk and Sirens

Lang pressed two fingers to Kent’s wrist before nodding.

Great.

I returned my attention to Aeris, who, without her heels, had to crane her neck to hold my eyes.

“Oops.”

She didn’t sound particularly sorry.

“Seems you’ve become a problem.” Irritation churned, but I didn’t express it. Instead, I kept my face cold, impassive. “Put the knife down.”

Aeris held her ground. “No, I don’t think I will.”

Not giving her any warning, my hand snapped out, grabbing her arm and forcing her wrist back until the knife was pressed against her own throat. I held her there as she struggled, completely calm so she understood the gravity of the situation.

I forced her back, the knife still precariously close to breaking her skin, until her shoulders hit the wall.

“Well,” she said evenly, her breath only slightly quickened. “Isn’t this a familiar position.”

“What are you doing with a partner from my father’s firm, sweetheart?”

“Having sex, clearly.” She rolled her eyes, and I pressed the knife a little harder. “Not everyone’s into missionary.”

“Did you know who he was?”

“Did you?” Aeris licked along her bottom lip, almost a nervous gesture rather than a seductive one. “I wonder if your father knew about Kent’s extracurricular activities.”

I didn’t react, and I saw the flicker of frustration in her eyes. She couldn’t play me if I wasn’t willing to be played.

An acrid, familiar stench. Giving her one last bit of pressure I stepped back, turning to find Langdon burning Kent’s fingertips with his lighter.

“Get dressed,” I ordered before switching to French so she couldn’t follow. “Fingerprints and teeth,” I said to Langdon. “Make sure everything incriminating has been destroyed, then toss him in the Thames.”

Lang nodded his understanding, the skin of Kent’s finger splitting as it blackened. Stepping back, he shot Aeris a wink as if he wasn’t just playing with a corpse, then wandered out of the bedroom to search the house.

Pulling out my phone, Dad answered after a few rings. “Caden?”

“Kent’s been terminated,” I said flatly, my gaze never leaving Aeris in case she tried something. “Clean up your end. Erase everything.”

“I told you not to⁠—”

I hung up before he could finish and slipped the phone back into my pocket.

Aeris stood with her arms crossed, fully dressed, her eyes dropping pointedly to the knife still in my hand.

“Come with me,” I said, tossing her blade onto Kent’s lap for Langdon to deal with.

“No thanks.”

This fucking woman.

“I wasn’t asking.”

Chapter 13

Aeris

Well, that took an interesting turn.