Addict (Hunter #2)(71)

He nodded and stood suddenly. There was a distance between us, a remoteness to his stance that I hated. I reached out with my mind, but his was closed to me. “Then I am no longer needed. You have made your choice, and it seems my counsel cannot change your mind. Good night, Kelsey, Your Highness.”

I had known he would probably walk. People do that when you don’t live up to their expectations. I’d known that eventually he would leave me, but his walking out that door was like a kick to the gut. My heart felt like it was about to burst. It took everything I had to stand my ground. What I wanted to do was run after him, beg him not to leave me. Instead, I forced myself to sit. I had a job to do.

Sometimes, having a job to do is the only thing that keeps me sane.

“Kelsey.” My uncle got my attention. I took a deep breath to banish the tears that were threatening. I could cry later, when I was alone in the bed I should have shared with Marcus. My uncle pulled me up and didn’t even try to contain himself. He hugged me tightly. I felt him breathe in my scent. “I’m really proud of you.”

I nodded because he was managing to do what Marcus hadn’t. I pulled a tissue out of the box on his desk and wiped my eyes as he let me go, and I took my seat again. It was time to move forward. That was what I did best. “So what’s the plan?”

“You’ll go to the lieutenant’s tomorrow.” Donovan sat back down in his chair, a grim look on his face. Though he had gotten his way, it was easy to tell that he hadn’t liked the cost. “This party at Winter’s is at seven o’clock. I talked to Sloane extensively about it earlier today. He seems to know what he’s doing. All you have to do is keep your eyes and ears open. Try not to bring too much attention to yourself.”

“How much do the demons know about the new Nex Apparatus?” Zack asked. “If they know who she is, I think this is too dangerous. It could be a trap.”

Donovan drummed his fingers along the heavy wood of the table. “I can’t be completely sure, but I think she’s safe. I haven’t made a big announcement for obvious reasons. A lot of people saw her in the arena a few months back. They might question why I championed her…”

“They know,” I said confidently. “Scott knew. It’s a small world. They might not know exactly who I am, but they know there’s a new death machine in town. What am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to hide because someone might know who I am? I won’t be effective that way. I’ve already met Winter and if he knows who I am, I couldn’t tell. I think he sees what he expects to see. I know he hasn’t asked for my name. Gray wouldn’t give it to him.”

“I agree. Sloane is trustworthy when it comes to your safety,” Donovan said. “I still wish I could send you in with backup.”

I shook my head. There was no way we were getting Trent into that party. Despite the fact that the king, the queen, and Quinn had made threesomes fashionable, no one would believe Gray was involved in one. Though the idea was kind of hot. “Gray and I will be fine. I’m assuming Jamie will be monitoring the situation.”

“Yes,” the king acknowledged. “The lieutenant mentioned he was working with your brother. I think you’re in good hands. Sloane and I might have had our trouble in the past, but I don’t doubt he thinks he’s doing the right thing. I have a very specific order for you, Owens, and I expect you to follow it.”

“What’s that?” I’d decide if I would follow it after I heard what it was.

“Don’t die.”

I gave him a jaunty salute. “I’ll do my best.”

The door to the office came open and Lisa Owens popped her head in. “Dinner’s ready. I’m serving it even if you continue your business meeting. That might not mean anything to the king there, but once it’s gone, the two of you are on your own.”

“She means that.” Zack stood and smoothed down his shirt after his wife had quietly closed the door. “She’s serious about dinnertime. If we don’t get out there, she’ll leave us with a bowl of carrots or something.”

I shuddered. After a really shitty day, I couldn’t handle a vegetarian dinner. Zack walked out and I stood to follow him. I wasn’t letting all that cheese and beef get away from me.

Donovan reached out and grabbed my hand. “Don’t give up on Marcus.”

I shrugged, unwilling to show him my true feelings. “I don’t think there’s anything to give up on. He was my trainer. That’s the way these things go. If you feel like I still need a trainer, I’ll take Hugo. I promise to keep my hands firmly to myself.”

I was supposed to keep a lover around so I wouldn’t feel alone. I was supposed to form attachments. I wondered if the king would consider a vibrator a proper physical outlet. I could get attached to one, and my vibe wouldn’t dump me when I acted out.

The king stared at me for a moment, and I could practically see him trying to figure out how to handle me. He was silent for a moment before speaking. “You know what I’ve had to put up with every day for the past ten years? I’ve had to hear Marcus call my wife cara. That means dear in Italian. Never cara mia, which is my dear, just dear. He’s done it since the day he met her. Z’s always been a favorite of his. If I hadn’t been around, he’d have been all over her.”

“Are you trying to make me feel better?” If he was, he was doing a shitty job. Marcus probably would have stuck around to fight it out with the queen.