guided me to the couch and took a seat right beside me rather than on the opposite side of the L shape.
“You know Kellen is gone, right?”
He picked up the beer from its coaster on the coffee table and pointed to it as an offer. I shook my head. He spoke cautiously. “Yeah, of course. But I also know Kellen. She’ll turn up.”
“That’s what I said, but Lucas has gone off the deep end. He’s convinced something has happened to her.”
“He’s been strung somewhat…tight lately. I’m sure Kellen is just toying with him. She was pissed about what he did to you. This is how she would retaliate best.”
I slid the ballet flats off and kicked them under the table before pulling my feet up under me on the couch. “You’re not telling me anything I didn’t tell him. Except maybe the revenge part. He didn’t look like he could handle thinking she would do that to him.”
“He went to see you, then?” The words were more than a little curious. He wanted to know how my visit with Lucas had gone, though what his reasons were I couldn’t tell.
I thought it was better to lump both visits into one, rather than admitting to Desmond that Lucas had first found me in bed with Holden. “He asked for my help, which I was more than happy to give. I mean, I love Kellen.” Desmond nodded but didn’t interrupt. “But then he took it a step further, in true Lucas fashion.”
“Sounds right. What did he do?”
“He said if I don’t find Kellen within a week, he’ll transfer you to the Los Angeles office permanently.”
Desmond stopped mid-drink, choking on his mouthful of beer. Perhaps I should have timed my big reveal better. “He said what ?”
Without waiting for him to stop sputtering, I recounted the story of encountering Mercy’s minions, the case of Petey Giambi, and all the things I had on my plate that had nothing to do with finding a missing heiress. Desmond toyed with the label on his beer bottle while he listened, and then when he finally sensed me winding down, he set the bottle on the table and placed a big, warm hand on my knee.
“He won’t do it.”
“How can you be sure?” I found it hard to look directly at him, considering how nice he was being to me. It was because of me he was being threatened with an unwanted move. So much of what was shitty about his life was my fault.
“You know how Lucas is. He’s the most spoiled toddler in the sandbox, and if he doesn’t get his way, he packs up his toys and goes home. He’s acting like I’m a toy in his sandbox, but he’s overlooking one of the most important details. There’s no way he can send me away without undermining his own power structure.”
I gave him a perplexed look.
“His own wife refuses to be in the same room with him,” he continued, making me flinch. “His third in command defied his rule so completely she had to be sent to Siberia. One of his alphas tried to seize his throne via violent uprising.” With each new point, he ticked off another finger on his hand. “He isn’t in a position to send me away. Without having his second beside him, he’ll lose all respect for his leadership. No one will believe he’s a fit king. In short…he’s talking out his ass.”
I frowned, my brows knitting together. I didn’t like to be threatened. I liked idle threats even less. If Lucas thought this was going to boost my esteem for him in any way, he had another thing coming. And that thing was going to be my size-seven foot planted firmly up his royal tush.
“I’m going to kill him,” I said.
“You won’t.”
“I really want to.”
Desmond got off the couch and disappeared from the room. Rustling and clinking told me he’d gone into the kitchen, and when he returned, he handed me an open bottle of Bud Lite Lime. I made a face at him. “Girl beer?”
“First…you’re a girl. Second, it’s summer beer. I’m getting a head start.”
He propped his feet on the coffee table and tapped his own bottle against
“You know Kellen is gone, right?”
He picked up the beer from its coaster on the coffee table and pointed to it as an offer. I shook my head. He spoke cautiously. “Yeah, of course. But I also know Kellen. She’ll turn up.”
“That’s what I said, but Lucas has gone off the deep end. He’s convinced something has happened to her.”
“He’s been strung somewhat…tight lately. I’m sure Kellen is just toying with him. She was pissed about what he did to you. This is how she would retaliate best.”
I slid the ballet flats off and kicked them under the table before pulling my feet up under me on the couch. “You’re not telling me anything I didn’t tell him. Except maybe the revenge part. He didn’t look like he could handle thinking she would do that to him.”
“He went to see you, then?” The words were more than a little curious. He wanted to know how my visit with Lucas had gone, though what his reasons were I couldn’t tell.
I thought it was better to lump both visits into one, rather than admitting to Desmond that Lucas had first found me in bed with Holden. “He asked for my help, which I was more than happy to give. I mean, I love Kellen.” Desmond nodded but didn’t interrupt. “But then he took it a step further, in true Lucas fashion.”
“Sounds right. What did he do?”
“He said if I don’t find Kellen within a week, he’ll transfer you to the Los Angeles office permanently.”
Desmond stopped mid-drink, choking on his mouthful of beer. Perhaps I should have timed my big reveal better. “He said what ?”
Without waiting for him to stop sputtering, I recounted the story of encountering Mercy’s minions, the case of Petey Giambi, and all the things I had on my plate that had nothing to do with finding a missing heiress. Desmond toyed with the label on his beer bottle while he listened, and then when he finally sensed me winding down, he set the bottle on the table and placed a big, warm hand on my knee.
“He won’t do it.”
“How can you be sure?” I found it hard to look directly at him, considering how nice he was being to me. It was because of me he was being threatened with an unwanted move. So much of what was shitty about his life was my fault.
“You know how Lucas is. He’s the most spoiled toddler in the sandbox, and if he doesn’t get his way, he packs up his toys and goes home. He’s acting like I’m a toy in his sandbox, but he’s overlooking one of the most important details. There’s no way he can send me away without undermining his own power structure.”
I gave him a perplexed look.
“His own wife refuses to be in the same room with him,” he continued, making me flinch. “His third in command defied his rule so completely she had to be sent to Siberia. One of his alphas tried to seize his throne via violent uprising.” With each new point, he ticked off another finger on his hand. “He isn’t in a position to send me away. Without having his second beside him, he’ll lose all respect for his leadership. No one will believe he’s a fit king. In short…he’s talking out his ass.”
I frowned, my brows knitting together. I didn’t like to be threatened. I liked idle threats even less. If Lucas thought this was going to boost my esteem for him in any way, he had another thing coming. And that thing was going to be my size-seven foot planted firmly up his royal tush.
“I’m going to kill him,” I said.
“You won’t.”
“I really want to.”
Desmond got off the couch and disappeared from the room. Rustling and clinking told me he’d gone into the kitchen, and when he returned, he handed me an open bottle of Bud Lite Lime. I made a face at him. “Girl beer?”
“First…you’re a girl. Second, it’s summer beer. I’m getting a head start.”
He propped his feet on the coffee table and tapped his own bottle against
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