Page 108 of Emperor of Corruption

“Is that so?” I can’t hide the amusement in my tone. Surely, at this point, she knows that there isn’t a chance in fuckinghellI’ll let her go. She’s carrying my heir inside her. In short, she is nowunequivocallymine.

“We should talk tomorrow,” she says. Her tone has turned business-like, mimicking the way she used to speak to me before I licked, bit, and came on every part of her—not to mentioninher.

“I intend to do a lot more thantalk,” I assure her. “Movers will be coming to your apartment at noon, and Locke will pick you up to bring you to me—”

“No,” she cuts me off.

My eyebrows rise. “No?” I repeat, confused. A chuckle escapes me. “Lyra, was I unclearearlier—”

“You were perfectly clear, but I’m telling you that we need to talk, and for once, you will respect my wishes. I know that listening to others has turned into a foreign notion to you, but youwilllisten to me.”

“Or what?” I taunt, even though I admire her grit.

“Or I will destroy you,” she says simply, with a certainty that unnerves me. She soundsso sureof herself, it makes discomfort flutter about my chest.What’s my woman playing at?“Come before the movers. 10a.m., preferably, and come prepared, Killian.” She hangs up without further ado.

I frown at the phone, contemplating calling her back, when I get another call—this one fromLocke.

Irritation courses through me as I pick up. “What?” I snap.

“I found out who sent the guys after Lyra a couple weeks ago,” Locke says.

I blink, giving my head a shake. So much has happened since Lyra got mugged, I almost forgot about it—especially since Locke told me he’d hit a dead end and couldn’t find out anything more than he already had.

“I thought that door was closed.”

“I found a window to open. I managed to get the name of the guy who paid Floyd, but when I chased the lead, it turned into a dead end… so I kept digging.”

“Spare me the explanation,” I say impatiently, gazing up at the hotel where the gala’s taking place. “Who was it?”

“Silas Cornell.”

My jaw clenches. My mind goes blank for one, two, three heartbeats—and then, explodes in a flurry of thoughts accompanied by images. Me pinning Silas against an alleyway wall and having some goons threaten to rapehim, so he can see what it feels like. Me tankingevery single one of Silas’s investments and tearing away his only stable piece of business, which I could do through one conversation with Carter.

Me, putting a bullet in Silas’s skull.

It’s one thing to fuck with me. It is another entirely to go aftermy woman. The fact that I hadn’t yet pulled my head out of my ass and claimed her when Silas sent men after her is irrelevant.

“Why?” I demand. I gave Silas what he wanted—a snippet of Lyra’s sex tape to shut him up. In hindsight, that wasn’t the best decision, but I didn’t have many options with him threatening to tell The Eyes that Lyra’s a threat. They'd already expressed wariness of her.

Why thehellwould he keep chasing this bone?

“My best guess? He sent people after her to see what your reaction would be.” Locke pauses. “You played right into his manicured hands.”

Yes, I did, and I’d do it all over again if it meant keeping Lyra safe.

Now, I have a mission for this evening; something to distract me from thinking of whatever the hell Lyra’s playing at.

Ice skitters over the back of my neck. I look around the backseat, even though I know I’m alone. Somehow, it feels like I’m being watched, even though the windows of my SUV are tinted and the doors are reinforced to withstand a spray of bullets from a machine gun.

Intuition is an interesting thing, though I’ve had very little experience with it—but the icy feeling on the back of my neck hasneverpreceded anything good.

“Boss.” Locke’s tone has turned faint. “Fuck…”

“What is it?” I bark. “Is she okay?”

Locke doesn’t respond. For the first time in the decade since I’ve met him, he’s too afraid to speak.

The driver releases a gasp, and I can see through the open partition that he’s staring at something on his phone. Something that’s making his eyes bulge.