Page 74 of Lethal King

“Tell me everything,” I snarl.

A sliver of sympathy has invaded my gut. I want to get rid of it as quickly as possible.

The truth can’t be that bad.

“How long do you have?” Gabriel asks.

Reaching out, I pull up the nearest chair and point for him to sit in it.

Bianca takes the cue and goes to tend to Jakub.

“Until dawn tomorrow. That’s when I’ll meet her next.”

“No, you won’t be meeting Roz,” Gabriel says, shaking his head. “At least, it won’t be the Roz you think you know. She’s not who you think she is, Rian. Not entirely. There’s more to her than meets the eye. And I worry that pulling back the curtain might hurt you more than it helps.”

“How could it possibly hurt?”

“Because it might make you realize she’s an actual person, and not just your prey.”

Gabriel’s words make me pause. But only for a moment.

“I’ll be the judge of that.”

“Alright,” he says, taking his seat. “I’ll start at the beginning.”

8

Rozalia

“I’m not getting on that fucking boat.”

My thighs are still sore from the thrashing they took in the alleyway. My mind is on the verge of shattering.

At any moment, the vibrating could return.

There’s no way I’m willingly giving up any more power.

Not even if it means losing out on Leander’s gift.

Drago.

“It’s a yacht,” Leander casually points out. “Well, technically, it’s classified as a super-yacht.”

“I don’t care what it is,” I tell him. “You didn’t say anything about a boat.”

“That’s because it’s not a boat,” he repeats, agitation rising. “It’s a—”

“Is Drago on board?” Tytus interrupts, trying to cool things off between us.

“No,” Leander responds, wiping the frustration from his over-manicured face. “But I was going to take you to his hideout.”

“Why don’t you take the yacht,” Tytus compromises. “Lead the way. We’ll follow behind in one of those motorboats.”

Pointing down the dock, Tytus draws our attention to a row of speedy-looking vessels. Each one has the Onasis name engraved into the starboard.

“Have you ever driven one of those things before?” Leander asks, intrigued.

“I’ll figure it out.” Before Leander can respond, Tytus starts walking away. “Have someone bring us the key,” he says, looking back over his shoulder. “And please don’t make us wait around again.”