Page 131 of Fall Before Her Throne

“When we get home?” I hated how hopeful my voice sounded, but I couldn’t help it. There was something about how we could go toe-to-toe in almost everything. Completely equally. At first, that drove me crazy, but now I had the insane desire to see how far that could go. Could he match me in everything? I’d spend my whole life finding out.

He smirked. “Maybe. If you’re lucky.”

I groaned quietly. “You’re killing me, bodyguard.”

“You like the tease.” His knuckles brushed against my pants.

I let out a huff and dropped my head back against the headrest. “I do.”

Fuck me, I loved it. He was using my own moves against me, and I was falling for them every time.

“You’re just horny all the time,” he sighed.

“Not all the time,” I said earnestly. “Most of the time, sure, but not all the time. And not with everyone.”

It used to be with anyone who garnered my interest, but now only two people did. Only this family. There was nothing else.

A thought struck me then. We’d been dancing around our attraction to one another for months now. I hadn’t seen him flirt with any of the other guys, but we had a newcomer now. A man he’d known forever.

“What about you and Max?”

He gave me a sideways glance before he chuckled. “Are you asking if I want to be with Max?”

“Yeah. I guess.”

He shook his head. “No. Never felt that way about him. He’s just been my best friend for years.”

“But with me…”

“Are you jealous, Ryu?”

My lips pursed as I considered his question. “No, not jealous. Curious.”

He shook his head again. “No. You’re the only…”

I grinned. “The only…what? What, bodyguard? The only what?”

“Shut the fuck up.”

I pressed my fist against my mouth to suppress my stupid, giddy laugh. Who the fuck was I, feeling like this with a fucking controlling, asshole bodyguard? I was out of control. Clearly.

The rest of the ride, our knees kept brushing against each other, and I kept imagining what it would feel like to kiss him. God, as soon as we got home, I was going to either fuck Leona or fuck him, or I’d go out of my mind.

“The address Max gave us is up here,” Ciel said. Obi drove the car down a small graveled street. I could see the sea peeking through the different houses. “Leona said Chiara would be ready to leave.”

When we pulled up to the little cottage, all the lights were off, and it was quiet. It didn’t exactly look like someone was waiting. Maybe she was nervous since Leona didn’t come?

“You think she’s just hiding out in there?” I asked as we hopped out of the car. I opened my mouth to shout her name, but Cas put his hand out and stopped me.

“Look.” He nodded toward the door. It was cracked open. The hinges creaked slightly.

I frowned and pulled a knife and my pistol. Something about this wasn’t right.

Obi stepped forward to lead us all toward the cottage. With hand gestures, he told Wynn and Ciel to go around the corners toward the back. I followed him, and Cas followed me. Obi nudged the door open with the muzzle of his gun. Then, with a nod, he burst inside. I covered him, immediately sweeping the cottage’s foyer for enemies.

“Shit,” I breathed as I got a good look at the room. The cottage would be cute if it wasn’t totally trashed. Furniture was upturned. Glass shattered. My heart sank. This did not bode well for Chiara’s wellbeing, and Leona would be devastated if she were hurt.

Obi and I stepped forward, each taking one side of the house while Cas took the stairs to explore upstairs. Quietly, we cleared each room. Checked each corner. Looked under every bed, in the closets, and behind the doors. Ciel and Wynn looked everywhere outside for any trace of her. Blood. Clothes. Anything.