Page 97 of The King's Man
“But that’s going to—”
I squeezed her hand to cut her off, though my stomach churned. The fierce light in Melek’s eyes said he didn’t want me to question it. Any of it.
“No matterwhatthat news is, Jann. I need you to find it, pursue it, and then warn me. Do you understand?”
His eyes bored into mine, a warning. I growled as his words ran through my head.
No matter what that news is, Jann. I needyouto find it, pursue it, and then warnme.
As the women looked at each other with worried frowns, I closed my mouth and nodded slowly. But my guts churned.
He was setting me up to look like a Betrayer so his enemies would trust me. A strategy we’d used with assassins in the past. But beyond that… he wanted me silent now because he wanted me to find the answers without Yilan being involved. He didn’twant me to lay this out in front of her. He wanted to me to get out there and deal with it. And if there was action to be taken, he wanted Diadre and I to take it before Yilan could hear and attempt to avenge her sister herself.
But that meant Melek was asking me to putmymate at risk to ensure the safety ofhis.Wasn’t he?
Or was this part of the ruse?
“Yes, Sire,” I said quietly. Reluctantly.
Melek’s lips thinned, but he nodded and patted my shoulder as he stood. “Thank you, Jann. I knew I could trust you with this.”
I nodded too, but with a slightly sick feeling.
‘Are you okay?’Diadre asked in my head as Melek and Yilan conferred on how soon Diadre and I should leave.
‘No, but I will be.’
‘I can do this, Jann. I’mgladto do it. This is my job. He’s right that I can help you if anyone comes for you. And I’ll be a lot safer if we’re away from the Neph.’
‘I know you can—and I’m glad we can do it together, too. Safe? For a time, yes. But, let’s keep it that way,’I sent back.
Melek caught my look and took a deep breath, but didn’t speak for which I was grateful. Because as I analyzed what this mission could become, anger spawned hot coals in my chest. For the first time I could remember, I wanted to put my best friend—and my King—to the ground. I wanted to dominate him. To make him swear on his life that he wasn’t using my mate as bait. But I couldn’t because the women were here.And he didn’t want Yilan to know.
Obviously he had some idea of what Diadre and I would find when we hunted the trail to Gall and Istral. And he believed if his mate was embroiled in it, it would be the end of her.
But did that mean he offered mine for the slaughter?
36.Time to Go
~ DIADRE ~
I could sense the tension in Jann as we spent the following hours preparing to travel. It was a surreal sensation to remain side-by-side as we gathered, packed, informed, and whispered plans, our hands bound.
In moments when he was distracted by conversations or responsibilities that didn’t require my attention, I’d catch myself staring at our bound wrists, marveling that this was even real. Then I’d follow the length of his arm with my eyes, climbing to his shoulder, then his jaw and—
‘As much as I appreciate the admiration of my mate, you’re making it difficult for me to focus, Dee.’
God, I loved it when he called me Dee.
Tearing my gaze from him, I avoided his eyes, knowing that when I met that golden gaze the desire already thrumming in my belly would surge and that was the opposite of what he neededright now. But as the conversation rolled to a close with one of the Officers he was preparing for their command in his absence, he shifted his weight closer until his thigh brushed me. The Neph saluted, hesitated, then nodded once to me before turning on his heel and jogging off to fulfill his orders.
I blew out a breath as Jann turned his bound hand to grip mine tightly like we might still be torn apart. He led me back to his tent, his body tight and the bond humming.
“I want nothing more than to ignore everything but you,” he muttered under his breath as he strode the trail between tents and I trotted at his side. “But, sadly, we have a choice to make,mate.”
I loved it when he said that, too—even though that little scream of anxiety in the back of my mind suggested I liked ittoomuch. I was far too willing to trust and it had burned me in the past. I needed to take care with my heart.
Jann looked down at me sharply because I hadn’t responded. I cleared my throat. “What, um, what choice?” I asked breathlessly.
