Page 140 of Captive Audience

He frowned. “No, strange woman. My smell turn very bad.”

I guessed sarcasm got lost in translation. Or maybe Drax had left his sense of humor behind in a Belarusian forest.

He looked me up and down. “I like woman with red hair.”

“Let me guess. You heard we’re fiery.”

“Yes, some say this. But my people have folklore that red-haired woman is…what you call it…magic. Like witch.”

I picked up my martini glass. “You know what, Kirill? You might be onto something there. I have this one magic trick where I make men disappear—and don’t let the haters tell you I've been ghosted. All it takes is for me to show a little interest and then, poof.” I made an exploding gesture. “It’s like they’ve vanished off the face of the earth. With the unfortunate exception of the one guy I wish would leave me alone.”

I brought the glass to my lips and?—

No.

Oh, hell no.

I was an idiot. A grade A dumbass for not seeing this sooner.

How had I never connected my dating drought to Rook’s lurking in the shadows?

He’d found out I was Inferno a year ago. That was when the back-to-back ghostings had started.

I must’ve been too distracted with the wholeGuess what? You’re married to a mobstershit show to consider how Rook might’ve been ruining my life long before our one-night stand.

The white-hot rage coursing through me drowned out the sounds of the bar. I looked atHusband dearest. He was too busy giving Drax a murderous scowl to notice the one I aimed at him.

All those times I’d felt like a fool, sitting in bars on my own, my messages left on Read, waiting for someone who’d never shown up. The hollow, sinking feeling of being rejected again.

The epic dry spell hadn’t been my fault at all. It was just another red flag to sew onto Rook’s mile-long banner.

I downed the last of my cosmo and shoved Drax’s shoulder. “Out of the way.” But he was deep in conversation with his buddyin their native tongue and didn’t care about the small, annoying woman swatting at his arm.

This was taking too long, so I climbed onto the table on all fours.

“Asha!” Beth shrieked. “What are you doing?”

Everyone snatched up their drinks as I crawled my way to the aisle. “I’m going to pick a fight with my soon-to-be-deceased husband.”

“Yes, girlfriend!” Daisy’s arms shot into the air. “Go show Bad Sugar Daddy who’s boss.”

I’d show him, all right. I’d wipe that smug, self-righteous scowl off his stupidly good-looking face.

Back on two feet, I straightened my dress and charged for Rook’s booth. Bad idea to move so fast in heels. My ankle buckled, and I almost fell on my ass. Luckily, I saved myself—not so much my dignity—and kept moving.

When I reached Rook’s table, he removed a small earpiece and stashed it in a pocket. Then he had the audacity to lean back in his seat, casual as anything. “Hello, pet.”

I sneered. “Don’tHello, petme.”

Aidan laughed. “Oh man. The pair of you makes so much sense now.”

We both shot him an unimpressed glare, and I locked mine back on Rook. “Before we met, did you interfere in my love life?”

A muscle beneath his eye twitched. “You didn’t have a love life before we met.”

I slammed both hands on the table. “That’s what I’m talking about. Did you sabotage my dates?”

He lowered his chin. “You already know the answer to that.”