Page 6 of Air of Seduction

Payton’s body tenses next to me, like she’s getting ready to get up and leave right now. Her lips press together, and I get the feeling she’s struggling to stop herself from demanding the address.

Thankfully, Aidan doesn’t give us the details and saves me the trouble of restraining Payton until we have decided on a plan and are ready to go together.

“That’s not all they managed to find out, though.”

My gaze travels back to Aidan when he lets us wait for a few seconds.

A grin spreads across his face. “They managed to identify one of the master’s trusted servants, who was on the plane with him from Long Island to London. The guy owns a property in South London, and he was spotted near there last night about anhour after we party-crashed the master’s ceremony in Highgate cemetery.”

“Any signs of the master in that area?” Markus leans forward and puts his forearms on the table as he stares at Aidan.

The man at the head of the table shakes his head. “No, but Callum and Vamika aren’t done going through all the material they’ve gathered yet. Something might turn up.”

“Which means it’s a place we should check while it’s daylight.” Lucas reaches out and takes Erica’s hand in his. “If we’re lucky we might end this today.”

“If we do, Lyn will be disappointed she wasn’t there to participate.” Markus’s expression is blank, not revealing any emotions. “But she’ll be happy he’s gone. We just have to make sure it’s really him we kill this time, and not one of his devoted servants who’s happy to die in his stead.”

Most of the people around the table nod and murmur their agreement, including me. The fact that the master is alive at all came as a shock to the whole team. We thought we killed him centuries ago.

But what is even more shocking is that the master has waited this long to start his reign of terror again. There must be a reason for biding his time that we haven’t discovered yet. And I fear we won’t like it when we do.

The sound of a cart rattling its way down the corridor toward us brings the conversation to a stop. Aidan’s staff can be trusted, but we don’t share any more details with them than strictly necessary, both for their safety and ours. What they don’t know, they can’t be forced to share.

Maria smiles when she pushes the cart into the room. “Good morning.”

Chapter 4

Payton

I try my best not to fidget and seem awkward while the server fills the table with various dishes, hot and cold. From the few glimpses I’ve caught through the windows, I’m not sure where exactly in London we are, but it’s clear that it’s an expensive neighborhood, and I have no experience socializing with the rich.

Thankfully, there’s only one fork and one knife to choose from, so I don’t have to worry about making a wrong choice. My upbringing didn’t include more than one set of cutlery at any given meal, and it hasn’t been a priority for me to learn the dining etiquette of the upper class since.

“Please, help yourselves.” Aidan waves his hand at the huge amount of food on the table.

People, indeed, start helping themselves, and I breathe a silent sigh of relief at the informality.

“What would you like?”

I start at the sound of Ronan’s deep voice close to my ear. Turning to look at him, I notice his plate is still empty. “I’m not sure. I don’t usually eat breakfast.”

“Why not?” His turquoise gaze locks onto mine and holds it captive.

My heart speeds up, and I have to take a deep breath before I can get any more words out. “I’m not usually hungry in the morning. What are you going to have?”

He leans a little closer and speaks in a low voice, like he’s sharing a secret that no one else is supposed to know. “Something with bacon.”

I can’t hide my smile. If he’s trying to help me relax, he’s succeeding. “Something? What kind of something?”

He shrugs. “Doesn’t really matter. Everything tastes better with bacon. I tell you what. I’m going to close my eyes, and you’re going to choose something for me and put it on my plate.”

My eyes widen as I stare at him. “What? You can’t be serious.”

He closes his eyes, sits back in his chair, and crosses his arms. “Go on, choose something. And please make it quick. I’m hungry.”

I stare at him for another few seconds, expecting him to open his eyes and tell me he’s joking. But he doesn’t. “Fine. But you have to promise me to eat whatever I put on your plate.”

He nods. “I promise.”

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