Page 50 of Monsters Wear Crowns
He exhaled slowly. “I have my suspicions.”
“Which means yes,” I snapped. “Christ. You bring me into this, and you don’t even–”
“Adela.” His voice was soft. But there was nothing gentle in it. “We’ll handle it.”
“We?” I echoed. “You still haven’t told me who the hell ‘we’are fighting.”
He smiled. “Someone who thinks they can threaten you. And that…” He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a lethal whisper. “Is a fatal mistake. I could deal with him threatening me. But not you.”
My throat tightened. Not with fear, but something darker. Something I had no business feeling when my company was under attack. Rafe Vaughan might have been my most dangerous distraction.
But now, it seemed, he was my most dangerous ally.
His eyes lingered on the screen for a beat longer. But then his focus snapped back to me, sharp and certain. “I’m going to the shipment site tonight.” His voice was calm, but there was a dangerous edge beneath it. “And I want you there.”
I blinked, sure I’d misheard him. “You want me–”
“–There,” he finished smoothly. “You wanted to be involved, didn’t you?”
That was low. I fought the urge to scowl. Across the room, Laura’s eyes went wide, flicking between us like this was the best entertainment she’d had all week.
“I have a company to run,” I said, but my voice lacked conviction.
Laura raised a brow. “I can handle closing up the office.”
I shot her a look. “Laura–”
She held up her hands, grinning like the devil. “Go play with yourunstablenew friend. I’ll make sure nothing burns down here.”
“Helpful,” I muttered. But when I turned back to Rafe, I found him watching me with that infuriating calm, like he already knew I was going to say yes.
“What time?” I asked, my voice cool.
A flicker of something wicked crossed his face. “I’ll pick you up at ten.”
Despite myself, my stomach did a slow flip. “Fine,” I said, as if my heart wasn’t pounding. “But this better not be some goddamn ambush.”
He smiled, and it was far too pleased. “I wouldn’t dream of it, love.”
Liar.
He turned toward the door, already moving with that smooth, predatory grace, but I wasn’t done with him.
“What are you going to deal with?” I asked.
He paused, looking back at me. For a second, I thought he wasn’t going to answer. “A leak.”
The words were soft, but the promise behind them was anything but. My skin prickled.
“And if you don’t find whoever it is?” I asked carefully.
That horrifying smile returned. “Then I’ll set the whole ship on fire.”
“And if you do find them?”
His eyes swept over me. “Then I’ll put a fucking bullet in their head.” He left without another word, the click of the door sealing the threat behind him. My jaw dropped, momentarily stunned by the man that was now my…boyfriend.
The room stayed silent for a beat–and then Laura whistled low. “Girl,” she said, shaking her head. “Yousureknow how to pick ‘em. But I bet he’sincrediblein bed, my god.”
