“I don't want you to use this on a person unless I have them. A soldier can disarm a civilian too easily. Emergency only.”
Kira took it, averting her eyes because how embarrassing that he knew the slightest touch would quiet her. “It's not too late to change your mind. I don't want you to regret it.”
“I will never regret this.” He checked his gun, glancing at her. “Now stop.”
“What about your family and Mellie?”
“My father and brother can deal with this. My sister is strong. She'll be okay. And I already broke up with Mellie.”
“What?”
Zayne nodded. “She just doesn't know it yet.”
Kira raised her brows. “What does that even mean?”
“She actually thinks we got married.” Zayne's eyes shifted from hers to the ground and back again. “So you'll probably hear that on the news or something.” And away went that gaze to his stupid gun.
Her mouth stopped working for a second. “Mellie thinks you got married...”
He nodded, jaw tightened enough for her to notice.
“Whatmade Mellie think you got married?”
A shrug.
Yeah, an actual shrug.
“What did you do?” Kira stomped toward him.
“Well,” he said, “There was a ceremony, and I said some words, and signed some papers.”
“Some papers?”
“Just legal documents that don't mean anything to me.”
Her heart slowed. “So, you married Mellie.”
“I pretended to marry Mellie.”
“You literally married her, Zayne.”
“I didn't mean it, so it doesn't count.”
“What, did you cross your fingers?” It physically hurt to swallow down the screaming and force out a quiet enough voice. “What were you thinking?”
“I was thinking, who gets married the week they plan to betray their country and leave forever? The Phaedra is happy. I avoided suspicion.”
“You did a terrible, terrible thing.” Kira grabbed her pillow to throw at him, but hesitated when she remembered he held his weapon. “How could you do that to her?”
“To her? She got what she wanted. Now she has my name forever. She'll be the beloved grieving widow of the high general's son. She'll be happier in the long run not having me around.”
Barely controlling her voice, Kira seethed. “You're the dumbest man in the empire, Zayne Riven.”
“We can discuss this later.” He holstered his gun. “It's almost time.”
“You waited to tell me so I couldn't yell at you for very long.”
“It didn't come up sooner.”
