The problem was that I didn’t want to be rational at all.
It took serious effort to continue conversing with Jasmine when all I wanted to do was grab Calina and claim her in front of the entire damn room.
I suddenly possessed even more admiration for Darius and his ability to maintain such a stoic air when other men admired and touched his Juliet.
Hell, I was impressed that he’d never punched me for the things I’d done to her.
Because I very much wanted to punch Lajos right now.
No. Fuck that. I wanted to kill the bastard. His fingertips were far too close to my desired heaven. Stroking up just enough to tease the lace between Calina’s thighs before venturing back down to her stockings.
I’m going to enjoy stabbing him one day,I decided as I outwardly asked, “So how are things in Jasmine City?”
I didn’t particularly care. I just wanted to get this discussion over with. Jasmine wanted something from me. The faster I could decline her request, the faster I could return to Calina.
Jasmine prattled on about her region and their newest technology exports. I saw through her attempts to seduce me with her trade potential, knowing full well that she was leading me into a conversation about exchanging her revered tech for human blood.
I stood at the cocktail table in the roped-off area of the club, pretending to hang on every word Jasmine said while intently listening to the conversation behind me.
“So where did Jace find such a pretty little toy?” Lajos asked, his attention entirely on Calina now. She could feel his eyes on her but tried to ignore it by playing out the various scenarios in her head. I listened, fascinated by her ability to compartmentalize such a dangerous situation.
“I see,” I said, responding to Jasmine in an effort to encourage her to keep speaking.
It worked.
She dove into a whole layout of her production line, talking about how humans were used to create her latest devices.
“He found her in a hole somewhere.” Darius’s tone held the perfect note of derision. He didn’t mean it, but that wasn’t the point. He had a part to play, and he excelled at it better than most. Which was why he made the perfect sovereign. “I suppose she qualified as a beneficial reward after everything he went through with Ryder.”
And there was Darius’s attempt at a distraction.
“Ah, yes, Lilith mentioned her intent to visit,” Lajos replied, his voice giving nothing away.
Yet I found myself pondering that statement, wondering what he wasn’t saying.Does he know she’s dead? Is he one of the allies mentioned in the logs? Does he know who the liege is?
Calina had distracted herself as well with similar questions. But she also analyzed Darius and his masterful ability at deflection.
“I believe she’s still there, although I can’t precisely determine why.” Darius maintained an air of boredom. “There’s no helping Ryder. The male has a complete disregard for the rules.”
“Well, you know Lilith. She’s a fighter.”
“Indeed,” Darius agreed smoothly. “But so is Ryder.”
Calina focused on their words to distract herself from the upward shift of Lajos’s palm. However, as he brushed her sex again, she swallowed and forced herself not to shiver in revulsion.
My grip tightened again around my wine glass.
Jasmine was now detailing the hours she kept for her human slaves and the amount of food they required to stay productive. Given how little she fed them, I wasn’t surprised when she added, “But it doesn’t seem to be enough. They wilt and die far too quickly.”
I nodded. “They are frail beings.”
“Too frail,” she replied, taking a sip of her wine.
“I’m surprised Silvano didn’t have this beautiful female in his harem,” Lajos said, drawing the conversation back to Calina once more, his intrigue grating on my nerves.
I’d expected him to be interested, but there was something about his tone and touch that felttoointerested. It was a sense I picked up from Calina, but also one I noticed as well. Darius’s deflection to Ryder should have piqued more intrigue on Lajos’s part.
Ryder was a fellow royal and had recently acquired new territory.
