Page 13 of Love Her

“What would that have changed? You’d still be engaged to a man who doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as you—only you wouldn’t have spent the past two months proving your worth to Corvo.”

She blinked as the elevator door opened. “So you were protecting me? Is that the story you’re going with?”

“It’s not a story. It’s the truth. Plus, I hoped—” I said, my voice drifting, wishing that Nero had been able to see the same version of Lia that I did.

Or, failing that, I thought darkly, hurried up and died, before his spectacularly shitty announcement. I ran a hand through my hair, hating myself for my betrayal of him—but then again, why should I for that particular instance, when the man’s daughter was here?

What could be worse to Nero than that?

Lia lifted her chin, somehow making her look even more aristocratic. “So what’s the plan?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “The less you know about any plans the better.”

Her eyes shot daggers at me. “Because you think I can’t handle it?” Her voice arced and she bent down to take off her shoes—probably to try to stab me with a heel.

“No. Because we’re not married, and so anything I tell you isn’t privileged conversation. I don’t want you getting subpoenaed.”

She was half a foot shorter with her heels off, and her prior full-lipped frown became tinged with concern. “That makes it sound like you’re going to go make bad decisions.”

I spread my hands open in front of her, like I was stilling a horse. “We’re both in the same room alone, aren’t we?”

That didn’t change her mood. “I don’t want you to die, Rhaim.”

“Funnily enough, I also do not want that. But it’s a risk I’m willing to take,” I said, stepping toward her meaningfully.

She stepped back, just as fast, and so I stopped. “And what if I’m not?”

“What do you mean?”

She did her best to look imperious, wrapping herself with the shreds of her pride she’d been denied earlier in the night. “Corvo still needs you, for the IPO.”

“Ahh,” I agreed, nodding heavily. “And that’s the only reason you want me to survive, is it?” Her skin flushed and I crooked a finger for her to come forward. “Come be furious with me from over here.”

She snorted. “I’m sorry, I can’t hear you over the sound of my fucking engagement ring from someone else,” she said, ripping the thing off and throwing it savagely across the room.

Well.

At least we both felt the same about that.

“What—is your fucking—plan,” she demanded. “Because I’d rather die than marry him, Rhaim?—”

I closed the gap between us in an instant, picked her up, and shook her, making her gasp. “Don’t even joke about that.” I knew she’d tried to kill herself before, and she knew I wasn’t having any of it. “You know the rules.”

“I belong to you?” she mocked me, her voice rising in a challenging arc. “Then why the fuck did you let me wear his ring?”

“Because life isn’t fair,” I said, setting her down slowly. “Not till I make it be.” I ran one hand up into her hair, making it through the fine mist of hairspray that’d miraculously kept it intact in the bathroom, down to the softer layer below. “But I can’t tell you about that, Lia. It’s not safe for you.”

“And it’s going to be safe for you?” she said, with the same tone again, only this time there were tears brimming in her eyes. “How do you know?”

“Because I don’t play fair either, little girl. That’s why I’m the best at what I do.”

She savagely wiped her eyes with the back of one hand. “How long?” she asked, sniffling, which was worse than her anger.

I’d made women cry before, so many, many times, but not like this—not from fury twisted up with yearning.

Not because they wanted me to kill for them.

“How. Long,” she repeated, nodding with the words.

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