Page 11 of His Ruthless Match (Below #3)

JARETH

I shoveled a forkful of scrambled eggs into my mouth. The yolk-to-egg-white ratio was perfect—a skill I’d mastered after years of being too impatient for complicated meals. Grelth stood with his arms crossed, glaring at me like I’d personally insulted his existence.

“You’re eating that again?” His voice dripped with disdain.

I paused mid-bite. “What’s wrong with eggs and toast? It’s simple.”

Grelth made a dramatic gesture, his fingers twitching as though the mere sight of my plate offended him. “It’s boring. No creativity, no flair. Just... basic. And your ass is getting fat.”

I snorted as I shoveled another bite into my mouth and chewed slowly for effect. “You’re delusional.”

“Am I?” Grelth huffed, pacing in front of me like a drill sergeant inspecting a line of recruits. “When’s the last time you even saw your abs? Hmm? Let me guess. Around the same time you decided you were too good to eat a vegetable?”

I pointed my fork at him. “First of all, I have abs, thank you very much. Second, you’ve been hanging around me for too long if you’re stooping to body shaming.”

Grelth rolled his eyes. “I am not body shaming you. I am giving you constructive criticism. And I’m putting you on a diet.”

“You do realize you’re my housekeeper, not my personal trainer, right?”

“I’m whatever I need to be to fix your life,” Grelth retorted as he straightened his vest.

Before I could fire back, my phone buzzed on the table. I picked it up, the screen lighting up with a text from The Shadow, who always timed his interruptions perfectly.

Boss man: How’d things go with Eva last night?

I took another bite of eggs, chewing thoughtfully as I thought of how to reply.

Jareth: She wouldn’t talk to me. Ate her food and stormed back to her apartment.

Boss man: Sounds about right. She’s pissed she doesn’t have control over the situation.

I smirked, shaking my head. That much was obvious.

Jareth: Great. This’ll be fun.

Boss man: Just don’t get on her nerves too much.

Jareth: I can make no promises.

I tossed my phone onto the table and took a bite of my toast as I mulled over the next steps. Eva’s schedule was synced to my phone, thanks to some arm-twisting on my part, and I’d spotted a court appointment on her calendar. Always moving, always working.

“She never stops, does she?” I muttered as I scrolled through her appointments.

Grelth raised an eyebrow. “Talking to yourself now? Should I be worried?”

I ignored him, turning my attention to more pressing matters. My suit for today’s excursion was still wrinkled, and I had no intention of ironing it myself. “Can you press one of my suits?”

Grelth’s eyebrows shot up. “Press your suit? Do I look like your servant?”

I leveled him with a flat stare. “Yes, Grelth. That’s literally your job.”

With a dramatic groan that echoed through the kitchen, he trudged toward my closet, muttering about “thankless employers” and “poor working conditions.”

“You’re the only brownie I know who complains this much,” I called after him, grinning as I polished off my toast.

“You’re the only shifter I know who eats like a peasant,” he shot back.

I pulled up my notes app and created a to-do list for the day:

Security cameras for Eva’s office.

Talk to Vivian about the bracelet’s calibration.

Bring a flask (because dealing with Eva requires alcohol).

Handle whatever mess Eva inevitably gets herself into.

“Done,” Grelth announced, reappearing with my freshly pressed suit draped over his arm. He handed it to me with a look of mock severity. “Try not to ruin it before noon.”

Smirking, I grabbed the suit and slung it over my shoulder. “Thanks, Grelth. You’re a gem.”

He sniffed, clearly unimpressed. “I expect a raise for putting up with you.”

“Duly noted.” The sound of his grumbling followed me out the door, and I couldn’t help but grin. As big a pain in the ass as Grelth was, I had a soft spot for the little guy.

Not that I’d ever admit it aloud.

The Shadow’s fortress loomed ahead, its sharp angles and dark stone a reminder of the world I operated in. The air carried a faint hum of magic, a constant, low-level vibration I’d long since grown used to.

I headed straight for Vivian’s office, my boots striking the polished floor with purpose.

I needed a solution to this bracelet situation before it turned me into a permanent intruder in Eva’s personal life.

Not that I minded seeing her in short shorts, but that glare of hers could peel paint off walls.

The faint clack of keys reached my ears as I pushed open the heavy door to Vivian’s workspace. Her office was just as meticulous as the woman herself: sleek black furniture, glowing monitors, and a controlled chaos of wires and gadgets scattered across her desk.

She looked up and gave me a warm smile. “Well, if it isn’t my favorite pain in the ass. What brings you here, Jareth?”

I crossed my arms and leaned against the doorframe. “Your tech,” I said dryly, raising my wrist to display the bracelet. “This thing doesn’t know the difference between danger and a cardio workout. I had to crash Eva’s workout yesterday because her heart rate spiked.”

Vivian laughed lightly, and it set my teeth on edge. “That’s not the bracelet’s fault. It’s working exactly as intended. You’re the one who panicked and veilstepped.”

“I didn’t panic,” I corrected, narrowing my eyes. “I responded. Big difference.”

Vivian shrugged. “Let me take a look at it.”

I watched as she connected some type of cord to the bracelet and tapped on her typey thing. After a few moments, she unplugged it and handed it back to me. “The bracelet doesn’t need recalibrating. You just need to learn how to read the signals.”

“So, I have to somehow learn the difference between a spike in heart rate from cardio versus a spike in heart rate from impending death. Is that what you’re saying?”

Vivian nodded. “Use those killer instincts of yours.”

I wasn’t convinced, but I let it drop. Arguing with her wasn’t worth the energy.

“Fine. What else have you cooked up lately? And please tell me it’s not another piece of jewelry.”

Her eyes lit up, and she pulled a sleek, compass-like gadget out of her desk drawer.

“This baby,” she began, holding it up like it was the crown jewel of her collection, “creates wards at multiple sites. Once you sync it to your phone, it notifies you of any breaches—who entered, their heart rate, whether they’re armed or not.

You can even flag regular visitors as safe. ”

I whistled low, impressed despite myself. “How do you come up with this stuff? Don’t tell me it’s all The Shadow’s funding.”

Vivian smirked, spinning the device in her hand. “Funding helps, but it’s passion, Jareth. And honestly, you make a great test subject.”

I rolled my eyes but stepped forward, taking the device from her and examining it. It was lighter than I expected, the surface etched with intricate runes that pulsed faintly under the office’s overhead lights.

“Let’s test it,” I said, setting the device down and activating the calibration.

The runes flared, and a soft chime sounded as my phone buzzed. Pulling it from my pocket, I checked the screen. Two people inside the warded area.

Vivian peered over my shoulder and laughed. “Looks like it works. You’re flagged as carrying seven weapons. Seven, Jareth?”

I tucked my phone and the device into my pocket. “Always prepared.”

She snorted. “Always paranoid.”

“Same difference.”

Vivian crossed her arms, her expression shifting to something more serious. “You know, I consider Eva to be my sister now. Are you really taking this assignment seriously?”

The question caught me off guard. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because you’ve never played nice with anyone under The Shadow’s protection. Including me.”

“I don’t play nice with anyone, period,” I said with a smirk. “But yeah, I’m taking it seriously. She’s a pain in the ass, but she’s not helpless.”

Vivian studied me like I was one of her tech projects. “Just remember, Jareth—you push too hard, and she’ll push right back.”

I nodded, already halfway out the door. “Noted. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to see about fortifying her office.”

“Don’t break anything this time!”

“No promises,” I called back. Vivian’s laugh echoed faintly as I headed to my next stop.

Though I expected it would be a fucking snoozefest, I begrudgingly went to court so I could get a better idea of who and what I was working with. What better way for me to observe Eva than by seeing her in her element?

The courtroom was buzzing when I slipped into the back row, doing my best to blend into the wood-paneled walls. Eva stood at the center of it all, her voice calm and cutting as she dismantled some poor bastard on the witness stand.

She paced with the predatory grace of a lioness, her heels clicking on the polished floor as she asked questions designed to expose every inconsistency and weak spot.

She was damn good at it.

I leaned back in my seat, studying her. If I squinted, I could see the resemblance between her and The Shadow—the jet-black hair, the sharp cheekbones, the no-nonsense set of her mouth.

It wasn’t pronounced, but it was there. Then, against my better judgment, I imagined Eva as The Shadow wearing a wig.

The mental image was so jarring I nearly gagged.

Gods, no. I much preferred looking at her and not seeing The Shadow.

Not that I was looking. I wasn’t one of those men who spent hours dissecting a woman’s appearance.

I was either attracted to a woman, or I wasn’t, simple as that.

But Eva? She was... different. Not that I noticed her hourglass figure wrapped in that fitted pinstriped skirt.

Or how her white blouse clung to her just right.

Or the way her full lips pressed into a line when she zeroed in on her target like a predator.

No, I noticed none of that. Definitely not.

She moved through the courtroom like it was hers. The way she worked the room wasn’t something I’d expected, but it was damn impressive. I could almost forget she was my assignment. Almost.

And her ass didn’t hurt, either.

When court was adjourned, I stayed put, waiting for the crowd to thin out. Eva didn’t notice me at first, but when she did, her face tightened. She turned sharply and headed for the side exit, heels clicking faster this time.

I followed.

She didn’t slow or glance back. “Why are you here?” she whisper-yelled through gritted teeth.

“Spot check,” I said with a shrug. “Noticed you’d be in court today. Happy to report there were no threats in the courtroom.”

She stopped abruptly and spun to face me, her sarcasm cutting. “Whew, what a relief. I feel so much safer knowing you’ve graced us with your presence.”

Before I could respond, something prickled at the edges of my awareness. My instincts homed in on the shift in the atmosphere, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as we stepped through the courthouse doors.

Then came the flash of cameras, the aggressive shouts, and the rush of bodies.

“Eva Delgado? You’re representing Genevieve Witt, correct?”

A swarm of paparazzi descended, their lenses like a wall of eyes.

Bright lights flashed in chaotic bursts, and the crowd surged closer, jostling us.

I glanced at Eva. She wasn’t stupid—she knew better than to respond.

Her head stayed down, her face impassive, but the crowd didn’t let up.

They shoved forward, clawing for a better angle.

When a particularly aggressive shove nearly sent her sprawling, I caught her by the waist. My fingers instinctively curled into her skin as I guided her to the side.

“Back the fuck up,” I barked. “Right now.”

The intensity in my tone must’ve caught them off guard because the crowd faltered. Keeping my arm firmly around Eva’s waist, I steered her toward my car. She didn’t say a word, and her perfect mask of composure remained locked in place.

I gunned the engine and drove away from the chaos, my eyes flicking between the rearview mirror and the road. The paparazzi weren’t following. Eva sat rigid beside me, her phone already out, her fingers flying across the screen. She didn’t thank me, didn’t acknowledge me. Her calm grated on me.

“You good?” I asked after a few minutes.

“Fine,” she said curtly, her eyes glued to her phone.

I bit back the urge to snap at her. She was clearly shaken, whether she wanted to admit it or not. I let the silence stretch between us, the hum of the engine the only sound.

When I pulled up to her building, she finally put her phone away.

“Thanks for the ride.” She opened the door before I could respond, stepping out with all the grace and poise of someone who hadn’t just been swarmed by vultures.

“You want me to escort you inside?”

She turned back, her expression icy. “That won’t be necessary.”

“Too bad. I’m waiting here until you text me that you’re safely inside.”

She glared at me, her lips pressing into a thin line. Finally, she sighed and pulled her phone out again. “Fine. What’s your number?”

I rattled it off, and she punched it in with visible annoyance.

A few minutes later, my phone buzzed.

Eva : Inside. Happy now?

I scanned the street and surrounding area, making sure no one had followed us. Satisfied, I threw the car into gear and headed back toward the Veil tear.