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“You followed her name with a request for medical records.”
“And that’s relevant information.”
“You asked whether she owned a cat.”
“Also relevant.”
“To what?”
I ignored the question, huffing and turning away from him.
Vale released a breath through his nose. “Explain the plan slowly, so I know which part requires the most concern.”
“She knows nothing about Lux Draven beyond whatever rumors have reached her flower shop. The second she sees my face, she’ll know me as the ruler, the tower, the money, and the mark waiting to appear on her neck.”
“Yes. Those things are your life.”
“They change people and their motivations.”
Vale watched me for a long moment. Some of the frustration left his face, which somehow made his attention worse. “You want to know whether she likes the man before she learns what comes attached to him,” he said.
“The monster. Not everyone can love what I am.”
His mouth tightened. “That concerns me.”
“She spoke to me while I was covered in blood. She asked whether I was injured.”
“You stumbled into a desk.”
“She could have run.”
“She works in customer service. Fleeing from armed men tends to affect gratuity.”
My jaw flexed. “She needs to know this version of me first.”
Vale pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fine. Keep the mask on. Speak to her without announcing your title. Pretend you’ve discovered restraint for the first time in your life.”
“I have restraint.”
“You murdered an entire nightclub before dinner.”
“They aided an invasion.”
“Yes, Lux. I read the report.”
I reached for the tablet, but Vale pulled it against his chest.
“What you will avoid,” he continued, “is turning her life into one of your operations. She is a nice, simple girl. Don’t throw her into the deep end.”
“I protect what belongs to me.”
“She’s an innocent woman who has no clue what’s happening.”
The mark beneath my jaw burned.
Vale saw the reaction and grimaced. “There. That face.”
“What face?”
