Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 171450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 857(@200wpm)___ 686(@250wpm)___ 572(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 857(@200wpm)___ 686(@250wpm)___ 572(@300wpm)
The tension left his shoulders as she collapsed forward onto his chest, resting her head on his tattoo. His fingers came to her hair, stroking gently through the tangled strands.
“My little thief,” he whispered, his mouth against the crown of her head, “you’ve stolen my heart.”
A warm smile came to her lips. “One of my more difficult heists.”
“Not your most difficult?”
She met his storm-cloud eyes. “You certainly didn’t make it easy.”
“Not in my nature.”
“You don’t give yourself enough credit.”
“In matters of the heart, I have failed time and time again. If I can’t read it in a book or from my powers,” he said, splaying his fingers across her back, “it has eluded me.”
“Not this time.”
He pressed a kiss to her head, and finally her mind completely emptied of all thoughts. There was no Lorcan lurking in the corners. No bond keeping her awake. She had other worries—the stone, the Fae Killer, the Monster Treaty convocation—but they could wait for another day. Right now, she just wanted to sleep in his arms.
She was certain she was completely asleep and Graves with her. She wasn’t sure she heard Graves say anything. Her mind must have been playing tricks on her, because it sounded like he said, “I hope you’re right, Wren. I hope you’re right.”
Chapter Fifteen
Hell’s Kitchen Sushi was a hole in the wall on the west side of Manhattan. Some celebrity chef had recently opened it, and everyone was talking about it as a promise that better was coming to the city. As if no one saw the trolls with Men of Valor logos in the subway. Or the shifter patrol she’d spotted on 8th Avenue in leopard form in broad daylight. Or Amberdash’s ads on the buses that claimed he was the voice of the people—the “people”—i.e. monsters.
Her city was falling apart again, but sure, let’s celebrate a sushi joint.
The inside looked like any other dive in the city—a mix of dilapidated tables and booths, a long glass bar with sushi on display, and an array of frazzled waiters. Most of the noon crowd had already left, leaving the place in a state of undress, with bus boys rushing to clear space for new arrivals.
The closer she got to Hell’s Kitchen and one o’clock, the more the bond turned back on, as if a radar under her skin led her without needing any sort of directions. She’d never been here before, but she could have found it with her eyes closed. The scent alone was nearly overpowering—ocean waves, sunshine, spring.
Lorcan came to his feet with one of his genuine Hollywood smiles as she approached the cracked red booth at the back of the shop. He was in khaki trousers and a sky-blue polo that matched his cerulean eyes. His hair had recently been shorn, and it didn’t quite fall forward into his face.
Her heart skipped a beat to the rhythm of his. She could almost feel exactly how he felt about seeing her, and that she was here of her own volition. She pushed those feelings aside. They didn’t belong to her. They didn’t matter to her.
She sat across from him without so much as a hello. “You have twenty minutes.”
He remained standing for a beat too long. As if he couldn’t quite help himself wanting to reach for her. Finally, he took his seat. “Sure. Right. I ordered for us.”
“You don’t even know what I like.”
He shrugged. “I guessed.”
At that moment, a starry-eyed waiter appeared with a plate full of sushi. Kierse eyed it suspiciously, but unfortunately…her favorites were already there.
They reached for the rainbow roll at the same time. Their hands brushed, and she jerked back.
“You can have it.”
“They’re my favorite, too,” he said, splitting it down the middle and depositing half of it onto her plate. “Wasabi?”
She stared at it, suddenly nauseated. She was usually an extra wasabi person. Were even her sushi preferences out of her control? It showed how little she knew of this so-called “soulmate” business.
“I’ve suddenly lost my appetite,” she said, pushing it away. “Tell me what you know so we can end this.”
Lorcan’s eyes were still on the sushi he’d put on her plate. “You need to eat.”
“What I need is literally none of your concern.”
He dumped the other half of the roll on her plate as well. “Have the whole thing, then.”
“If you’re going to be difficult, I can go.” She shifted to leave, and he held up a hand.
“Wait,” he said with something like desperation in his voice. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to run you off. I just…” He paused as if he had to collect himself. She faced him and he opened his eyes, regret in those blue irises. His next words were more of a plea. “Don’t leave. Stay. Eat.”
She counted to three slowly in her head. The sound of him asking her to stay had something like persuasion in it, and magic didn’t work on her. Which meant that it was the bond that was urging her to stay. A serpent’s tongue sliding insidiously down her back.