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The thought blasted me back into focus. My pounding pulse threatened to ruin my hearing for good. I had to get away. Fast.
I twisted out of his hold without an iota of elegance. My spine knocked against the metal railing, another bruise under my belt.
“Personal bubble!” I screeched. I drew a furious archway around myself. “Do you see it?”
My body had betrayed me. It wanted the complete opposite. It thought the untrustworthy prick was a commendable companion. It tingled in every place that he’d brushed or bumped or pressed.
I was overreacting and only getting so pissed because he’s beautiful and thrilling.
Razai gave me the equivalent of puppy-dog eyes, which looked strange on his ethereal face. “You hug Azra all the time. And Jasmine. And even some of your clients!”
“Are you… pouting?” My panic subsided a teeny bit.
He turned his face away.
“Oh my gods,” I sighed, thoughts rearranging around this new information. He felt close to me. He felt like we were already friends. “Listen, you’ve been watching me for a long while, Razai. Have you ever heard of a parasocial relationship?”
He shook his head, still wounded.
“It’s a one-sided thing. You clearly feel like you know me well after watching me for so long, but I’ve only been aware of your disturbing presence for a few days, most of which I was certain you were out to kidnap me. You’ve observed me interact with people I’m close with. Azra is like my sister. I’ve worked with Jasmine for two years. I’m comfortable with them. I trust them. We,” I said, pointing back and forth between the two of us, “aren’t there yet.”
His expression brightened. “So you’re saying there’s a chance.”
“Dear gods,” I cursed under my breath.
Razai was already grinning wildly. “I’ll just have to make sure you know me just as well. Of course. Get ready for a crash course on everything Razai Karah. By the end of the month, we’re going to be partners in crime, Gray!”
“Terrible wording,” I said in quiet horror. This didn’t feel much better.
“You said you wanted a thrill,” he shot back.
Then I remembered what we’d been discussing before. “Wait, Razai. About the protective magic? That still doesn’t explain everything. Why haven’t I encountered a block like that before?”
He watched in fascination as a bee hovered around his ear, sniffing out his daisy, and answered, “Well, people have so far asked you to find things they want found. Plus, you don’t really have a wealthy clientele, as far as I could see. This time, your culprit is hiding. And who knows what other spells have been laid or what kind of charms are throwing your magic off?”
“You know a lot about this, I take it.”
The bee landed on the flower, and Razai froze in elation and shock. Not moving a muscle, he replied, “Of course. I have my own protective charm.”
My stomach flipped. I stared at him and ran my eyes over his body. He had on plenty of earrings, but that didn’t seem right. No real accessories besides a belt, nothing to indicate—
The chain of his necklace glinted in the sunlight.
“Take it off,” I ordered softly.
Mischief gleamed behind that gaze. “Out here in the open? Detective, you’re shameless…”
“Your necklace,” I stated coldly. “Your necklace is the charm, isn’t it?”
The dangerous side of Razai shone through again. The one that he’d briefly revealed to Azra.
His teasing smirk faded.
Chapter Thirteen
Was he angry because he was hiding something? Or pissed that I was suspecting him? I lifted my chin and prepared for the blistering display of power and influence I’d come to expect from archangels.
But just as quickly as it appeared, his seriousness vanished with a rueful roll of his eyes. “Right as ever. If you insist on wasting your time, I’ll humor you.”
