Page 116 of King of Envy

“You seem to always be light on the details.”

“You seem to always be heavy on the asks without giving anything in return.”

We glared at each other, but a rustle of noise quickly snuffed out the tension.

Less than a second later, we were out of our seats, our guns drawn and aimed in the direction of the noise. Our reaction was so swift, we didn’t even have time to blink.

A furry gray creature slithered out of the shadows.

What the fuck?

I watched, stunned, as Shadow stretched and yawned. He appeared unfazed by our guns as he padded over, jumped onto an empty chair, and curled up lazily on the seat like it was his throne. A silver collar with the serpentine Markovic crest gleamed around his neck.

Most Serbian families didn’t have crests, but I’d had it designed years ago as a symbol of legacy. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have put it on a pet collar.

“You brought your fucking cat?” Roman asked with disbelief.

“He’s not my cat, and I didn’t bring him,” I growled.

I glowered at the insufferable creature. I’d had every intention of tossing him back on the street after the rainstorm, but my staff had cried and protested until I gave in. Apparently, petting a fluffy little monster was soothing to some people. God knew why.

Much to my displeasure, everyone had insisted I give said monster a name. He had an uncanny ability to sneak around and blend into the shadows, hence his new moniker. If Shadow were a person, he’d make a killer CIA agent, as evidenced by how he’d managed to follow me here without me knowing. He must’ve hidden in the back of my car.

As it was, he was a huge pain in my ass. I couldn’t wait for the day when everyone tired of him so I could drop him off at the nearest shelter.

Shadow flicked his tail back and forth as if to taunt me.They’llnevertire of me,I imagined him saying.That’s why they bought me this collar.

Bastard.

I’dbought him that collar. Quite unwillingly, I might add. The staff had huffed and sighed until I had the collar made just to shut them up.

Roman lowered his gun. He stared at Shadow for an extra beat like he expected the Egyptian Mau to morph into a human assassin. When he didn’t, he lowered his gun and shook his head.

“We’ve wasted enough time,” he said. “I’ll see what I can find out about the last Brother. You start putting together a strategy for the ambush. And Markovic? Remember. If Shepherd finds out what we’ve been up to, we’re both fucked.”

* * *

I didn’t linger at the warehouse after Roman left.

I was tempted to leave Shadow there, but at the last minute, I grabbed his smug ass from the chair and took him home. I suppose Jeremiah and the rest of the staff wouldn’t believe me if I told them Shadow “ran off” on his own. He’d gotten a little too used to his comfy new surroundings and fancy tuna. My butler was waiting for me in the foyer when I returned.

“Good afternoon, sir. You have a guest,” he said. “Ms. Kidane is waiting for you in the living room.”

I stopped short. I dumped an indignant Shadow on the ground before responding.How long has she been here?

“About ten minutes.”

Why didn’t you call me?

“Well, sir,” Jeremiah said, his face placid. “I assumed a phone call wouldn’t magically evaporate traffic.” He reached down to pick up Shadow. “However, you’ll be pleased to know we’ve taken excellent care of Ms. Kidane. We served her the custom-blended tea you like so much. She’s a big fan.”

I ignored his pointed tone. Any other day, I would’ve called him out for giving me lip, but I’d kept Ayana waiting long enough.

I strode across the house to the living room. The initial knot in my throat gradually unraveled into a tangle of anticipation.

I’d respected her wishes and given her space after our talk in Westchester. The bodyguard I’d stationed at her building told me she hadn’t left her apartment since returning home, so the fact she was here meant she’d made up her mind about something.

If she didn’t want anything to do with me, she wouldn’t be here. She could’ve texted to say my past was too much for her and she never wanted to see me again, or she could’ve ghosted me altogether.

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