Page 161 of Lethal King

A subtle sigh escapes my fearsome consigliere as he looks around, as if to make sure the coast is clear.

My heart catches my throat.

What could Maksim possibly be this worried about? He’s usually the one with the cool head.

“The girl,” he sighs. “Is she worth the obsession?”

Fuck.

Of course this is about Rozalia.

I hate how Maksim can see right through me. But what I hate even more is that I already know the answer to his question, and I know it’s not what he wants to hear.

Yes, she’s worth it.

“It doesn’t matter if she’s worth it or not,” I deflect. “The threat she and her brother pose is mine to handle. And I need to deal with it before they or their new ally decides to attack us.”

“How will you do that if you’re stuck here?” Maksim asks.

The implication is clear.

“You think Tytus returned the painting and scared Mel just to keep me housebound?”

Maksim sighs.

“They might be the biggest threat to our empire, but you’re the biggest threat to them.”

He’s not wrong. But I’m also not convinced. Not entirely.

Roz doesn’t want me to stop chasing her. She’s just as lost in our game of cat and mouse as I am. So why would she want to keep me caged?

… Unless she’s just been stringing me along this entire time, leading me around like a dog on a leash…

A stone drops in my gut. But it only exists for a moment before a visceral rage melts it away.

No. I’ve felt Rozalia’s desire. It’s just as strong as mine.

She wants me.

But does she need me?

Because it sure as hell feels like I need her.

“What are you suggesting?” I ask Maksim.

Before he can answer, though, both of our phones blare alive. It’s immediately clear we aren’t getting any ordinary call. The devices vibrate at an emergency frequency.

It’s impossible to ignore.

“What the fuck?” My uncle curses as he looks down at his phone.

“What does yours say?” I ask, pulling out my own.

“It says, ‘tell your king to look at his phone.’ There’s no number…”

I don’t need to be told twice.

I’m sorry about what happened to your sister. Let me make it up to you. How about dinner at La Forcina? Tonight. Say 9 pm? Don’t show me up.