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Who woulduse melike that, so easily, without any remorse.
“So… You’re really going back tomorrow?”
I pull myself from my misery long enough to glance over and nod glumly at Annika. Her master suite in the main house has become my safe haven for the last three days. Which, yes, means I’ve essentially kicked Kenzo out of his own bed.
I do feel kind of awful about that, even if Annika’s told me a hundred times that he’s a big boy and can sleep on the couch, or in any of thefourguest rooms in their palatial home.
But I know she’s just saying that to make me feel better and to try and lighten the mood for my moody, heartbroken ass. She’s my ride-or-die like that.
She’s also been the only one wholeavesthe room—to get us food and snacks, drinks, clean towels, that sort of thing. I mean, Iknowwhen she comes back with her hair a mess and bruises all over her neck two hours after going out for “seltzer” that she’s probably doing abitmore than getting a drink—and itprobablyinvolves Kenzo and one of those guest rooms.
But she always comes back to me.
The two of us been holed up in here for days now. The outside world has gone quiet for me, and she’s been my steady companion, not complaining once. But it can’t go on like this.
I sit cross-legged on the bed, picking at the quilt, while Annika lounges next to me, half-watching a ridiculous Japanese game show. She slides her eyes toward me and nudges me with her elbow.
“You don’thaveto leave, you know.”
I stares down at the comforter dully. “I can’t stay here. I’m drowning, Anni.”
She sighs, folding her arms under her head as she stares at the ceiling. “I get it, Frey. But, goddammit, it’s gonna suck without you around.”
I roll my eyes, snorting. “You used to be a lot better at bullshitting, you know.”
She sighs. “I did, didn’t I?”
I giggle and smile wryly, turning to her. “I’m gonna miss you,” I mumble, my voice cracking. “But I need to clear my head. This whole thing with…asshole…” I grunt my new name for him. “I can’t get past it.”
The dossier I found on Mal’s computer has been the subject of many long, late-night conversations between Annika and me.
“I still can’t believe it,” she mutters, shaking her head. “Whatever it was, it wasn’t sanctioned by Kenzo.”
“Oh, now, did you confirm that with him on your way back from the kitchen with snacks for usbeforeorafterhe fucked you into the floor in the second-floor guest room?”
Annika’s face turns bright red. “Hey, Ibroughtthe snacks…”
“As long as you two didn’tusethem.”
She makes a face. “Eww?” She shivers and then shakes it off before she gives me a much more serious look. “Idid, though. Confirm with Kenzo, that is. Whatever that shit was on Mal’s computer, that isnothingKenzo ordered or even knew about. The Mori-kai and the Nikolayev Bratva are allies now. No one on Kenzo’s end of things has any interest in digging into whatever weird shit Mal was trying to pin onto Kir. Oryou, for that matter.”
“Not entirelyno one,” I mutter.
Annika looks away, shaking her head. “I just don’t get it. I mean, I know Mal?—”
“Asshole,” I correct. “The name we’ve agreed to use going forward isasshole.”
“Right. Sorry. But Iknowasshole,” she sighs. “Not as well as you, obviously?—”
“Lucky you.”
She smiles wryly. “But well enough that this seemsreallyoff for him. It’s not on brand at all. Neither is disappearing this long without a trace. A day? Yeah. Mayyybe even two, but that’s pushing it. Three going on four days is weird for him. So is compiling crazy conspiracy theory dossiers on people he lov?—”
She snaps her mouth shut.
“On…people. Allies and family and stuff.”
I frown, looking back up at the ceiling. “Isit, though? I mean, he’s always been secretive. And he’s gotdemonsfrom his past, Annika. Big ones.”
