Page 109 of King of Envy

After a beat of hesitation, I knocked on the door and waited for her soft “Come in” before I opened it.

I walked in. The curtains were drawn, but a trickle of late-afternoon sunlight leaked through the edges and cast a pale glow on the floor.

Ayana sat on her bed, dressed in an oversized T-shirt and sweats. I’d had my team bring some clothes and toiletries for her last night. Shadows of exhaustion smudged her eyes, and her dark hair tumbled past her shoulders in natural curls.

I closed the door behind me and sat next to her.Have you eaten?

I yearned to touch her, but what did I know about consolation? What business did I have comforting her when I was the one responsible for her distress? My skin was clean, but my hands were bloody.

“A little. I’m not that hungry.” She wasn’t in shock anymore, but I could tell she was still processing yesterday’s events. She drew her knees to her chest, her face vulnerable. “Is Jordan still…”

Unconscious. But he’s stable. He’ll pull through.

I tried to look reassuring. I wasn’t so confident about the last part, but he had to survive. There was no other option.

I hadn’t wanted the wedding to happen. Hell, I’d been on my way to stop it before I got Roman’s call. That didn’t mean I wanted Jordan dead or injured.

If he never woke up, our last conversation would’ve been one of anger.

Regret punched through my chest, making my ribs tremble. I set my jaw and forced the ache aside. I didn’t have time to dwell on what-ifs right now. My top priorities were making sure everyone was safe and hunting down the last Brother.

Ayana expelled a shaky sigh of relief.

She’d wanted to stay at the hospital with Jordan; I’d insisted we leave after an hour. I hated saying no to her, but even with my men standing guard, it was too dangerous.

The Kidanes had believed me when I said the “gang members” were neutralized, but I’d had to tell them the rest of the gang might be looking to eliminate witnesses in order to get them to Westchester.

The Brotherhood likely needed time to regroup after their failure yesterday, but I wasn’t taking any chances.

My team is escorting your family back to D.C. on Monday. You should join them. Get some breathing room.

I’d checked in with Roman last night. He was still in the dark about the Brotherhood’s next plans for me, but he said both factions were closing ranks. They were congregated in New York, and their presence along the rest of the coast was sparse.

I would feel a hell of a lot better if Ayana was out of the city until we caught the last Brother and interrogated him.

“No.” Her jaw set with determination. “I promised my parents I would stay with them next weekend, but I’m not running away before that. Not while Jordan is in the hospital and allthisis happening.” She gestured at her phone. Every few minutes, it lit up with a new notification. She must be inundated with calls and texts from everyone with even the smallest connection to her.

“I just…I need time alone. You can stay,” Ayana said when I moved to leave. “I meant I need time away from all the hovering and questions. I know my family means well, but I can’t think when they’re constantly checking in on me.” She offered a wobbly smile. “You’re different.”

Because I rarely talk?

“Because you always know how to make me feel better.” Her smile faded, and emotion glistened in her eyes. “Can you hold me?” she asked, her voice small. “Just for a little bit.”

Fuck. My heart cracked straight down the middle.

I didn’t say a word. I simply gathered her in my arms while she curled into a ball against my chest. She didn’t cry, but she felt so fragile and vulnerable I wanted to go out and annihilate anyone who dared to eventhinkabout hurting her.

We sat in silence for minutes or perhaps hours. This was my first time truly holding her since I left the hotel. What happened then seemed so inconsequential compared to yesterday, especially after Jordan’s admission of truth, but we had to acknowledge it eventually.

“I’m sorry for what happened in the hotel.” It was as if Ayana had read my mind. “I was sending mixed signals, and I didn’t mean to imply that you…that I wanted to marry Jordan in public and hide you away in private.”

My heartbeats tied into an uncomfortable knot in my throat. “I know.”

The thought had passed through my mind. She was the beauty, and I was the beast. What person would look at us and think I was worthy of her in any way? But Ayana wasn’t that shallow. She judged people on their character, not their appearance. I wasn’t exactly an upstanding citizen, but for some reason, she seemed to find my presence appealing.

“Jordan told me about your arrangement,” I said, my voice low.

She raised her head and pulled back, her eyes widening with surprise.

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