Page 43 of Twisted Throne

Elena handed me my coffee, then sat back down with a sigh.

“I don’t have the energy for this today, Lucy,” she said, putting a hand to her temple.

I hadn’t truly noticed until now, but Elena’s face was drawn and pale. Underneath her expertly applied makeup I could see a hint of the purple shadows under her eyes.

“Elena, is everything okay?” I asked her, reaching out to place my hand on her arm.

She sat up straighter and smiled at me.

“Of course it is! I’m just a little tired, that’s all,” she said brightly.

But her smile didn’t reach her eyes.

I tried to think of a polite way to broach the subject with her, but Lucy beat me to the punch.

“Jesus, Elena! You look like shit,” she blurted.

Elena dropped her hand and glared at Lucy until she looked away, muttering under her breath.

“Hey Lucy, who exactly is going to be blowing stuff up?” I asked.

“I dunno, Paul probably. He’s in charge of, like, everything. And Carlos and Alec, I guess. Maybe Bear.”

Paul. Would he be there tomorrow night? What if he gets hurt?

I had to find him.

***

I knocked on the door to his room and it flew open instantly, almost as if he’d been waiting on me.

“Hey, can I come in?” I asked him, feeling suddenly awkward.

“You can come anywhere you’d like,bella,” he said as he stepped back and pushed open the door fully.

Damn, maybe meeting him in his bedroom was a bad idea.

I entered the room, taking several steps away from him before I turned around. Paul closed the door and stared at me, amused.

“Afraid if you get too close you’ll let me fuck you again?” he said.

I could feel the heat in my face as I blushed furiously. It was like he could see straight inside me, see how fast my heart thumped in my chest, feel the heat that was gathering between my legs again.

“Actually, yes,” I answered. No sense in denying it. “But that doesn’t change the fact that we need to talk. Now.”

"As you say,soubrette,” he replied with a small laugh. “I promise I’ll be the perfect gentleman. Until you ask me not to, at least.”

Oh hell, it would be a miracle if I made it through this conversation with my panties still on.

“Lucy told me that there’s something going on with some of Sabitino’s shipments at the docks?” I asked him.

“Lucy needs to keep her nose out of places that it doesn’t belong,” Paul said sharply, the muscle in his jaw twitching.

“So, you’re going to be there?” I said. I didn’t know what I wanted—an answer, a promise, a reassurance. But what did he really owe me?

“I am,” he answered.

I couldn’t stand the thought of him placing himself in danger, couldn’t stand the thought of losing him.