Page 96 of Feral King

“No. About you.”

He leans forward and reaches across the desk. He takes my hand, tenderly tracing the bumps of my knuckles with his thumb. It’s a little surreal, knowing that the hand touching me so gently is the same hand that breaks bones—and worse. I shake the thought away.

“I want you to work from home,” he says.

There it is.

“No.”

“Lyra—”

“No, Julian. We talked about this. I will keep working. Here. That was the deal.”

“The deal was made before the council was three days away.” He lets go of my hand. “This Friday night, every syndicate head in the northeastern corridor will be gathered in one room. If something’s going to happen, it’s going to happen then. And you’re the target. We know that now.”

“I’m a target everywhere I go. That hasn’t changed.”

“It’s different now.”

“Because of the baby.”

“Because of everything.” His tone of voice drops. “There are an infinite number of things that could go sideways at this council. I can only guess what plans Dobrov, Alexander, and Yang have in mind. And if something does go wrong, and I’m in a position of weakness, attacks will come—and not just for me.”

I shift in my seat. He’s right, but I don’t want to admit it.

“Ethan is here, along with ramped-up security. It’s not like I’m unprotected.”

“True. But even I can’t ensure 100 percent protection at every moment of the day. If you work from the office every day, that introduces dozens of potential failure points twice between the ride into the office and the ride home. You’re more exposed. All we need to do to eliminate that exposure is keep you locked down. Just for now.”

I lean back in my chair and fold my hands across my stomach. I want him to hear clearly what I have to say next, and I don’t want him to be on the defensive.

“Julian, I care about you deeply. I’m carrying your child. And I get the danger, I really do. Hell, I’ve lived it.” I holdhis gaze. He gives no indication that he wants to interrupt me. “But you’re crazy if you think that staying locked up in your apartment is an option for me. I can’t do it. I won’t do it. Besides, you promised you wouldn’t keep me locked up like some prisoner.”

“Someone tried to kill you.” A muscle works in his jaw. “Multiple times.”

“Yet I’m still here. The work I’ve done, the work I’m doing… it can make such a difference in the lives of so many kids. I can’t stop the momentum we’ve started.”

“Just until the council,” he says. “That’s it.”

“No. Because this week is important. I’ve got meetings lined up, calls to make, and a ton of other stuff. I can’t just put the brakes on. I just can’t tell these people to wait a week, maybe longer. Not to mention the way it’ll feel to be stewing around in the apartment, thinking about what’s happening and worrying myself sick. I need this, Julian. And the kids I’m fighting for need it, too.”

He’s quiet for a long moment, and I watch as he processes everything I’ve just said. He’s running scenarios, weighing risks, calculating outcomes.

When he looks away and nods slowly, I know he’s arrived at the conclusion he didn’t want to.

“Ethan doesn’t leave your side—ever. Even the bathroom.”

“Julian—”

“These are my terms: I know exactly where you are at all times. You leave the apartment, you tell me. You leave the office, you tell me. I don’t plan on watching you like ahawk permanently. But for now, it’s essential. I cannot, at any time, question whether or not you’re safe.”

“Agreed.”

“And if anything, and I meananything, feels wrong, you call me. Not Ethan, not 911. You callmefirst.”

“Agreed.”

He taps the paper bag.