Page 81 of Pride: Kneel Before None

Ignatius had been the voice of reason—an annoying trait of his. He had suggested I at least wait until brunch hours were over before leveling the entire supernatural shithole in which we lived.

Continuing my hawklike vigil by the doors, I checked my watch again for the umpteenth time. Forty-five more minutes. Twenty-two if we went by the hours of the value buffet in the basement of the Sin-N-Go convenience store down the street.

My trusted associate acted like an angel sitting on a demon’s shoulder, standing watch with me and looking far too unbothered by Eve’s absence. His humming of some quiet tune that sounded far too cheery for the situation only ceased when he sipped from the offensive concoction he’d tried to offer me.

The seconds passed painfully. Inside my head, I’d already envisioned which place I’d demolish first—Argian’s Forked Tongue casino. It needed a renovation anyway. After that, I’d torch the path straight to Hell itself if I had to.

Between the destructive fantasies playing out inside my mind, more unsettling thoughts crept in. Images of my Little Spade hurt, crying, scared, or alone. Worse? Some greedy asshole eye-fucking what belonged to me.

A growl vibrated in my throat, dying down quickly when Ignatius’s hand settled on my shoulder.

“The simplest explanation is usually the correct one, Ace,” he offered softly.

I snorted.

“Fuck the simplest explanation. Nothing about Eve is simple,” I retorted. “The simplest conclusion is that Rip got his dirty fucking hands on her and instead of me being there to⁠—”

The doors opened, and in strode Eve. She walked right by me, her head in an oblivious cloud. Seeing her unaware only pissed me off more. What if I had been Rip or his men? I could have snapped her pretty damn neck before she ever saw it coming.

Pushing away from the wall, my arms fell to my sides. Silently, I stalked behind her, my hands clenched into fists.

I hadn’t made myself known yet. Instead, I merely followed a few paces back.

My eyes drifted over the way her locks swayed with her movements, the shade of honey red looking like dawn’s light in an otherwise dark city. The admiration of her backside didn’t stop there. It continued south to take in the sight of her. The oversized lavender sweater hid some of her curves, but not nearly enough that I couldn’t appreciate the way the black leggings clung to the round shape of her ass.

Focus, Ace.

I’d have my chance to dick her down later. For the moment, I needed her to understand the gravity of what she’d done and what she’d put me through.

All around us, the casino continued its operations as normal. Gamblers threw away their money like my whole world hadn’t just gone tits up.

A gorgon hissed over a busted hand of blackjack, some mangy-looking shifter drooled over the craps table, and a sleepy spectre haunted the lounge bar. As we passed the slots area, a group of rambunctious warlocks looked like they’d spent all night celebrating their buddy’s one-hundredth birthday.

They were all standard sights in a business designed to rob you in plain sight.

Meanwhile, my Little Spade didn’t seem to grasp how easily someone could do the same to her outside of this building. Precognition or not, regardless of my claim on her body, she had put herself at risk, and I wasn’t going to let that slide.

When she continued straight towards the elevators, I surged forward. I grabbed the back of her arm and tugged her to the left.

Eve gasped in surprise, her head turning to stare at me.

“Ace, what are you doing?!”

My jaw was locked tight with tension. I didn’t bother responding to her. Without hesitation, I tugged her along, my grip unbreakable without being painful.

I pushed open the door to the private high-roller room, currently closed for cleaning this morning.

Several workers looked up, but one pudgy troll in the back refused to acknowledge anything but the task of working the vacuum over the black carpet.

“Out.” The command left no uncertainty that the consequences of staying would be more than just their jobs.

Each of the staff members scrambled to leave the room, one brave enough to nudge his friend in the back to leave the vacuuming for later. The troll looked put off that his task completion would be delayed, but grudgingly relented.

The room was clear. We’d have the privacy I wanted for this conversation.

I pulled my Little Spade into the room with me, releasing her after the door shut behind us.

She spun around to face me, flustered and angry.