Page 116

He was going to demand that she explain why he had to hear from Juliette Adams that she’d been attacked.

And he was going to ignore the fact that flying here to have this conversation rather than just calling her wasn’t something he’d have done for any other admiral.And he was going to ignore the sick, churning fear in his gut that she’d been in danger, and he hadn’t known.

Hadn’t protected her.

Not that his protection ever did any good.The women he loved still died.

His combative anger lasted until the moment he actually saw her.

One of her harcosok had let him into the house, after using a fingerprint scanner to verify his identity.Since he’d been a part of her getting the ridiculous new security system, he didn’t complain.

He also didn’t wait for them to verify Regina’s and Tobias’s identities and let them in.

He stormed into the house, heading right for her first-floor office.This wasn’t her real office; that was upstairs.Nikolett’s house was set up so the first floor was for territory business, with offices for herself, her vice admiral, security minister, and headquarters for both her harcosok and security officers.

Nikolett wasn’t in her office.

Eric turned for the stairs, planning to head to the second floor and her real office.

“Fleet Admiral.”

The cold voice stopped him, and he spotted Nyx, Nikolett’s vice admiral standing at the entrance to a branching hallway.Eric turned, stalking toward Nyx, who, without a word, turned as he got close, leading him to a small lounge room.

Had this part of the house been an actual home, it would have been a cozy living room, but as it was, the room felt closer to a waiting room in a private doctor’s office, with sturdy but comfortable couches and chairs set in two groupings.Grigoris stood in the corner, still and cast in shadow, like a dangerous potted plant.Eric took it all in with a quick glance—old habits die hard.

Then he saw Nikolett.

She was sitting on a small couch, half turned with one leg stretched across the cushions.Her back was straight, shoulders back, her expression one of cool indifference that bordered on disdain.

But her leg was in a cast and there were dark circles under her eyes.She looked battered.Wounded.

The bubbling anticipation of a good fight flatlined and died.

As he stared at Nikolett in shock, Eric was forced to acknowledge something he hadn’t let himself consciously think before now.

He’d forced Nikolett into a trinity marriage, knowing it would end their messed-up, undefined romantic and sexual relationship, but he’d convinced himself he wouldn’t lose her.Not all the way.

Because they’d always have this—the uniquely divisive fleet admiral and territory admiral relationship.He might not be able to hold her or kiss her anymore because she belonged to others, but her marriage hadn’t truly been goodbye.She’d always be one of his admirals, and unlike the others who kept to themselves and rarely contacted him—usually he was the one reaching out to them—she insisted on getting involved in everything.

She’d been his loudest critic when he abandoned his duties as fleet admiral to hunt the people responsible for Josephine’s death.

She jumped in offering advice and help when other territories had problems, and every time she had, they might not have been successful without her.

Eric didn’t dare love her, but he hadn’t really let her go, either.

“Nikki,” he whispered, feeling sick that he hadn’t known she’d been hurt.He’d seen her only a few weeks ago at the Trinity Council meeting and she’d been fine…

Hadn’t she?

“No, Fleet Admiral,” Nikolett said in a calm, formal voice.“I don’t think nicknames are appropriate.”

Eric took a step and realized his muscles were shaking, a fine shivering twitch in his biceps.

“Your leg,” he said, voice low and rough with worry.

Nikolett’s mask cracked just a little as she took an unsteady breath.

“It’s just a broken leg.”