Page 69 of Pride: Kneel Before None

Eve’s hands curled into the front of my shirt, fisting the fabric as her forehead rested against where my heart beat with a steady thump in my chest. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. Her energy was wavering as I felt the reach of her precognition flicker with a weak effort.

She whispered against my body, revealing an integral piece of the puzzle, “It’s…a setup.”

There were a million questions floating through my mind about what my Little Spade saw, but here was not the place to press. Not when she was falling apart in my arms.

I saw Rip shift in my peripheral vision, a look of desperation on his face as he fumbled around in his pants pockets. His hands dug deep, no longer settling casually like they had been earlier. His energy was frantic, the veil peeling back from whatever plan he had been concocting.

At the sight of him withdrawing his hands, I prepared to lunge at whatever he held to launch my attack before he could strike first. But instead of a weapon, he clutched a small vial of liquid with an oil-like sheen to it. It was uncorked and swallowed down before I could stop him.

In a flash of blinding golden light, Rip’s body appeared to warp like the desert air during an unforgiving heatwave. It lasted just longer than the time it took to turn with Eve in my arms, shielding her from the visual onslaught.

My eyes quickly recovered, the hue of red dimming while my hellfire pulsed in a lazy rhythm through my runes. Still on high alert, I scanned the room, and there was no sign of the coward.

Whatever magical concoction had been in that vial had been a magical escape hatch of some sort.

Time stretched, and I half-expected Rip to cut through thin air and reappear. The feeling of Eve shifting in my arms drew my attention back to where it belonged.

Her face was pale, eyes heavy as though the effort of keeping them open took every last bit of her energy.

Anger threatened to reignite in me. Rip had done this. Perhaps not intentionally or even directly, but his presence here in my domain had triggered whatever was going on with my Little Spade.

Keeping an arm banded around her waist, my fingers tipped her chin upward so she could look me in the eyes.

“Tell me what’s wrong,” I demanded.

If she so much as uttered that fucker’s name, there wouldn’t be enough shadow demons in Superbia to hide him.

Each breath she took felt sluggish and heavy in my hold.

The effort of her words took its toll on her. Her speech was drawn out, with hardly enough breath to make her response audible.

“Nothing. Just… tired.”

“Bullshit.” The accusation came out harsh. “Don’t lie to me, Little Spade.”

“Pushed too hard,” she confessed.

The admission that probing through the visions with her mind’s eye had tapped her out struck a chord in me that made me both want to admonish and condemn her actions.

“Bed. Now.” I scooped her up in a smooth motion, cradling her against my chest, her head resting against my shoulder.

Her brows drew together as she attempted to protest, but her face went slack before words formed. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and the rest of her body went limp in my arms.

CHAPTER 22

I made the decision to tuck Eve into her own bed mainly to discourage myself from disturbing her. Though it didn’t deter me from removing her blouse and snug pencil skirt in the name of making her more comfortable. The sight of her in nothing but a lace bralette and the matching panties from the collection of high-end lingerie I had selected for her gave me my own warped sense of ease.

A lesser man would have left her to recuperate on her own. Yet I found myself sitting on her vanity stool, a round seat that was far too small for my massive frame. I remained seated there anyway, feet away from where she rested.

With my knees spread wide, I leaned forward with my elbows perched on top of my thighs. My hands were clasped together beneath my chin as I watched every rise and fall of her chest.

My Little Spade had been using her precognition for years. Even with the boost to the range of it, I wouldn’t have expected it to take this much out of her. It left my thoughts digging through the mechanics of what might have happened.

After running into wall after wall of logic, I contemplated reaching out to Val. He had insight into the inner workings of Eve that I wasn’t privy to. However, asking for his assistance after his warning felt impossible.

I was Ace-fucking-Reynard, Knight of Hell, Owner of Sevenfold Casino. There wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle on my own. I knew exactly what was best for my Little Spade, and getting her back on her feet was my top priority. I didn’t need the superiority complex of a Drakyn hybrid trying to dictate how I took care of her.

A small sound escaped her despite the depth of her sleep.