Page 22 of Exiled Heir

Biting back my irritation, I crossed my arms in front of my chest. “You know about all of them.”

“Yes…” Cade shook his head. “I expectedsomeonewould make a move on you or me. My consort arrives at the house, unattended, and no one tries to get at him?”

“Well”—my blood started to heat, all the tension and exhaustion melting away from the hot feeling that flowed through me, washing away anything but anger—“you could have told me the plan was to drop me in shark-infested waters wearing a wet suit made of raw beef.”

“I told you that you had to keep yourself safe,” Cade said. “You assured me it wasn’t a problem.”

“Yeah, but that was before I realized that your entire plan was for me to wander around like a rodeo clown without any information!” I took a step forward, and Cade met me halfway, staring up at me with sharp eyes.

“You said you could handle a mage if you were prepared. How were you not prepared?” He bared his teeth, but it wasn’t a smile.

“I’m tired.You’retired. I’m trying to help here, but we need a better plan than hoping we fall into a trap. Unless we’re the Roadrunner in aLooney Tunescartoon, that seems like a great way to get killed.” I glared down at Cade. “And if you aren’t going to listen to what I have to offer, then I’m leaving. I have a better chance running from Declan without money or a ride than working with a partner who doesn’t trust me.”

Cade’s expression remained hard, and I realized that he’d never had a partner before. Despite our conversation, he saw me as an employee. A man he’d hired to do a job, who was now asking for longer lunch breaks and medical benefits.

I’d foolishly been thinking of us as in this together, even though I knew better. Declan had never seen me as a partner, no matter how many fires I put out for him. Why would Cade want different?

Slowly, Cade drawled, “Partners?”

“Partners, someone in this with you for more than just the money.” I gestured between us. “If the only reason I was loyal was the money, then I’d have sold you out to Kulsa right now.”

“Well, that would be a shame,” Cade said. “Brett’s a snake. If you trusted him, you’d end up penniless and probably dead. Or worse.”

“Which is why I didn’t,” I said. “That’s not partners.”

“Right.” Cade lingered on the word, his eyes tracing over my face, searching for something. “Because we’re partners?”

“Yeah,” I said. “You have it out for my ex-boss, he has it out for me, so, you know, the enemy of my enemy helps me stay not dead. It’s a win for me.”

“How can I argue with a reason like that?” Cade said, but his eyes were staring at me, as though no one had ever offered him anything nearly as good in his life.

Cade extended his hand, and I clasped it in mine, shaking firmly. His skin was warm, and I wasn’t sure why I had expected it to be cold, why I had expected the ice in his eyes to flow through his veins.

“I’m not paying extra,” Cade said. Our hands were still clasped, and all the heat in my veins had condensed down to that one point of contact. Goose bumps rose on my skin, and electricity seemed to spark between us.

This was just a business deal. I’d shaken hands before. Of course I had. So why couldn’t I let go?

“Fine. Now that that’s dealt with, you have to tell me more.” I ran my tongue over the sensitive skin of my bottom lip. “Tell me about the deaths.”

Cade’s eyes went wide, and he pulled his hand out of mine. Turning away, he strode to the bed, grabbing a pillow. He threw it at me and gestured to the changing bench, the message clear: sleep there.

I opened my mouth, but he walked up to me, glaring before moving around me into the walk-in closet.

“You—” I broke off, my fingers digging into the pillow. Frustrated, I tossed it onto the bench and then lay down, my back to the wall.

I should have left when he refused to share even scraps of information with me, but getting clean and fed only solidified my reasons to stay. If I stayed, I would get paid half a million dollars. If I stayed, I would have a chance to recuperate and get back my ability to shift. I could form a plan before Declan found me. I wouldn’t have to plan on the run anymore, hoping that if I just went far enough, he wouldn’t find me.

If I stayed, someone here had to know what happened to my parents.

I shut my eyes, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to sleep until Cade did. I didn’t like to sleep with someone else in the room. It had put off more than my fair share of lovers. Still, there had been more than enough people willing to keep it casual and not spend the night.

In the closet, I heard the slide of hangers, the soft movement of cloth. When he came back out, I cracked my eyes. He was wearing a high-necked sleeveless shirt, his arms exposed. He had traded his dark pants and boots for soft sweats and a pair of socks. In his hand, he was worrying something with his fingers.

I tensed when I realized what it was: the collar he’d wanted me to wear. Walking to the nightstand, he placed it on the bedside table, the buckle making a heavy metallic clink.

The tattoos I had only seen hints of covered his arms. Unlike when he was using his magic, they shifted sluggishly, barely moving. A black tattoo snake spread from under the armhole of his shirt around his biceps and forearm, the head resting just above his wrist.

Cade turned his head, glancing at me. I raised an eyebrow.