Page 20 of His Ruthless Match (Below #3)

JARETH

G enevieve’s hotel suite was all muted tones, tasteful décor, and a panoramic view of the city that only the uber rich could afford. I stepped inside behind Eva, scanning the room for anything suspicious. It was habit by now. Instinctual.

Genevieve was perched on the edge of a cream-colored couch. “And who’s this?” she asked when she saw me.

“This is Jareth,” Eva said, shooting me a look over her shoulder that practically screamed don’t embarrass me. “He’s my security. Completely trustworthy. You can speak candidly in front of him.”

Genevieve’s gaze darted to my leather jacket, probably imagining the arsenal that had been hidden beneath it. Fair enough. She wasn’t wrong.

I gave her a disarming smile. “I promise not to bite.”

“Jareth,” Eva hissed under her breath.

I shrugged, keeping my mouth shut. For now.

Eva’s phone rang. “It’s Gabe,” she said, before putting the call on speaker. “Gabe, I’m with Genevieve now. What have you found?”

Gabe’s voice came through, smooth and confident, with that annoying lilt that made my jaw clench.

“I’ve got good news and bad news. Good news is, I traced the origins of some of those posts.

Turns out they came from a handful of disgruntled former co-stars.

It seems they’ve been holding a grudge and decided to band together for a little revenge.

This suggests the smear campaign is organic, though coordinated.

Social media trolls, of course, amplified the accusations, adding to the chaos. ”

Genevieve frowned, and Eva leaned forward. “And the bad news?”

“Well,” Gabe continued, “whoever orchestrated this did a hell of a job covering their tracks. It’s been difficult to uncover, even for me, and you know how good I am.

I finally found a couple of solid trails that have led me to a PR firm called Burned Toast, but I need more time to get more details. I’ll keep you posted.”

Eva smiled, and it lightened her tone. “Oh, I know. You’re the best, Gabe. I love you. I’ll even bake you cookies as a thank-you gift.”

When Gabe laughed, it grated on my last nerve. “You don’t bake, Eva. Don’t lie to me and get my hopes up.”

“For you, darling, I’ll bake,” she teased, her voice dripping with charm.

I crossed my arms and leaned against the wall, silently mouthing, “ Bye, Gabe ,” with an exaggerated roll of my eyes.

Eva shot me a look. “Email me everything. I’ll review it as soon as I’m back at the office.”

“Already sent. Let me know if you need anything else.”

“Will do,” Eva said.

“Gabe, huh?” I said once she’d ended the call. “Seems like you two are pretty chummy.”

Eva didn’t look up from her phone as she said, “He’s good at his job. And unlike some people, he doesn’t make me want to tear my hair out.”

I let that slide, though I had a really strong urge to comment on her priorities. Cookies, really? So, I roamed the room, opening drawers and checking behind doors.

Genevieve watched me with narrowed eyes. “What are you doing?”

“Making sure everything’s secure,” I said as I peered behind a curtain.

Eva’s wide-eyed glare could’ve burned a hole through me. Get your grubby paws off her shit, it said.

“Relax,” I muttered, holding my hands up in surrender. “I’m just doing my job.”

Eva turned back to Genevieve, her voice softening.

“Gabe’s going to bury the defamatory posts and tabloid articles, and we’re coordinating with your PR team to release positive content to counteract the damage.

As soon as I get back to the office, I’ll review the new information he sent.

If it’s as damning as it sounds, we can file a complaint to get the defaming information to stop.

Then, with stronger evidence, we can pursue a lawsuit. ”

Some of the tension eased from Genevieve’s shoulders as she nodded slowly. “That sounds good. Thank you, Eva.”

“For now, stay here,” Eva said. “Just because we’ve identified some potential culprits doesn’t mean it’s safe to go back to your apartment. There’s still work to do before this is behind you.”

“I appreciate everything you’re doing,” Genevieve said as she walked us to the door.

Eva offered her a small smile. “It’s what I do, and I’m happy to do it.”

As we stepped into the hallway, I began the long, tedious process of rearming myself. Knife in the boot, grappling hook at my belt, a blade up my sleeve—it was all muscle memory, but it still took time.

Eva sighed. “Do you have to do this here?”

“You want me unarmed?” I asked, sliding another knife into its holster. “Seems risky.”

“Ugh. I swear, you’re like a walking armory.”

“Damn right.” I grinned as I tucked the final weapon into place. “All set. Shall we?”

She rolled her eyes and started down the hall. “Cats always have to show off.”

Chuckling, I followed her to the elevator.

The office was buzzing, but my focus was entirely on Eva. I leaned against the wall, keeping an eye on her while she paged through documents and fielded Theo’s incessant chatter. Theo was a bundle of chaotic energy, bouncing on the balls of his feet and throwing far too many glances my way.

“So, Jareth…” Theo sidled closer. I could tell from his toothy grin that he was fishing for something. “You’re Eva’s bodyguard? Or something else entirely?”

“Security.”

My flat tone didn’t deter him. “Do you also, like, wrestle bears? Scale mountains? You know, classic bad boy stuff?”

I arched a brow. “You writing my biography, or just trying to flirt?”

Theo turned bright red, and Eva groaned from her desk. “Theo, stop harassing Jareth. And Jareth, stop encouraging him.”

“I wasn’t harassing him! I’m just... curious.”

“Curiosity killed the cat,” I muttered, which earned me an unimpressed look from Eva.

She stood, exasperation etched onto her face. “Jareth, do you really need to stand there all day? I’m perfectly safe here.”

“Until you’re not.”

“Seriously?” She massaged her temples. “Theo, can you give us a minute? I need to talk to my security.”

Once we were alone, she turned on me, her voice low but firm. “Look, I get that you’re just doing your job, but you don’t have to babysit me twenty-four-seven. This is my office. It’s secure. And frankly, you’re a distraction.”

“A distraction?” I echoed, smiling slyly. “From what, exactly? Theo’s relentless attempts to figure me out?”

The look she gave me could’ve frozen hell itself. “I’m serious. Go check on my apartment or something. Surely you could be doing something more productive.”

She wasn’t wrong. Her office was safe, and frankly, I could use a break from Theo’s starry-eyed attitude.

“Fine. But don’t think I’m letting my guard down.”

She sighed in relief, waving me off. “Good. I’ll see you later.”

Getting into Eva’s apartment was laughably easy since The Shadow’s wards gave me automatic access.

The moment I stepped inside, I was hit with the scent of her: a heady mix of flowers with just a dash of arrogance.

The place was still perfectly pristine, which only made me irrationally irritated. Not a single thing out of place.

I made a quick sweep of the apartment, then checked the wards for any weaknesses, but they were holding strong. Satisfied, I drifted into the kitchen, my stomach growling.

I opened cabinet after cabinet, finding little more than ramen noodles and coffee. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered as I closed the cupboard. “How does she survive on this crap?”

Since food was a lost cause, I wandered into her bedroom, where her scent was stronger. There wasn’t a single crease on her bed, not a pillow out of place. Gods, she really was a control freak. There wasn’t a single crease on her bed.

I walked over to her dresser, trailing my fingers along the smooth wood. I hesitated for half a second before pulling open the drawer and taking out the black lace panties I’d discovered the other day.

My mind instantly conjured an image of her wearing them. My cock twitched at the thought of the delicate fabric hugging her curves, and I cursed under my breath, dropping the panties back into the drawer like they’d burned me.

“Focus, Jareth. You’re here for security, not... this.”

Trying to shake off the image, I turned to her nightstand. Pulling the drawer open, I found a small journal, a pen, and a half-empty bottle of lotion. I shut it quickly, my curiosity at odds with my conscience. For all my bluster, I didn’t really enjoy invading her privacy.

I sat down on her bed. It was absurdly comfortable. The exhaustion of the day—first the Crimson Dominion riots, then looking for Eva and trailing her around—caught up with me, and I flopped onto my back.

“Ridiculously comfortable.”

Eva’s voice echoed through my mind. I don’t want to get cat hair on my Egyptian cotton sheets.

Smirking, I closed my eyes. “We’ll see about that.” I wiggled out of my shirt and pants, tossing them onto the floor.

Within seconds, I was out cold, the lingering floral scent wrapping around me like a blanket.

A piercing scream woke me. My heart lurched into overdrive as I bolted upright. The room was dark, disorienting, the scent of faint lavender pulling me back to reality. Not my home. Not some random hookup.

Eva stood in the doorway of her bedroom, her face a mix of rage and disbelief. “What the actual fuck are you doing in my bed?”

Right. I was at Eva’s place. And apparently, sleeping in her bed like an overgrown Goldilocks. “Good morning to you too,” I mumbled, groaning as I stretched. The mattress was so comfortable I nearly curled up and dropped off to sleep again.

“Don’t give me that crap!” she shot back, storming into the room and flipping on the overhead light. “How dare you break into my apartment, crawl into my bed, and—ugh!”

She ripped the comforter off me, leaving me sprawled in just my boxers. Wincing at the blinding light, I brought a hand up to shield my eyes. “Can’t you see I’m trying to sleep here? You’re really ruining the vibe.”

Eva looked like she was on the verge of throwing something at my head. Her voice hit an octave that made me regret having supernatural hearing. “Explain. Now.”

I sat up slowly, scrubbing a hand over my face. “I didn’t break into your apartment. You told me to come check on it, remember? So, I checked the wards. You know, the ones your dear brother installed to keep you alive? Everything was secure, but I was... exhausted.”

“ Exhausted ? That’s your excuse?” she snapped, arms crossed so tightly I thought she might snap her own spine. “You can’t just?—”

“It’s been a long day, Delgado,” I snapped. “Let’s just say it involved a riot, a bomb, and faceless creatures that don’t seem to die. So, I crashed. Sue me.”

Her mouth opened, then closed, her expression shifting from anger to confusion. She was silent for a blessed moment, staring at me like I’d grown a second head.

I glanced at the clock on her nightstand. Seven p.m.

“Look,” I said as I sat up, “I’m starving because, clearly, you don’t know how to order groceries. Why don’t I make it up to you? Come to my place for dinner.”

Eva blinked at me. Once. Twice. Then she laughed. “Not a chance in hell. I’m not going to The Below, and I’m definitely not having dinner with you.”

I clutched my chest dramatically. “You wound me, truly. Trust me, though, it’ll be the best meal you’ve had in years. Grelth is a fantastic cook, and he only occasionally gets his hair in the food. It’s black, so easy to spot.”

Her face twisted in horror. “What the hell is a Grelth ?”

“Great guy,” I said as I stood and stretched, ignoring the way her gaze darted away when my muscles flexed. “You might even like him.”

She glared at me as I made my way to her bathroom. “If you don’t mind...” I gestured vaguely before closing the door behind me. I could hear her muttering and grumbling even as I relieved myself.

When I stepped out, Eva was pacing like a caged animal. Her arms were crossed, her glare sharp enough to cut steel. “You’re unbelievable.”

“So I’ve been told,” I said with a smirk.

Her glare deepened. “Why the hell would I have dinner with you in The Below?”

“Because,” I said, crossing the room and stopping just short of her personal space, “your boyfriend’s theory about Genevieve is wrong, and I’m willing to tell you why. Over a nice meal.”

Her eyes narrowed to slits. “If you think Gabe is wrong, just tell me why now.”

“Nope,” I said, popping the P. “You’ll have to come enjoy yourself at dinner with me first.”

She searched my eyes like she was trying to decipher my angle. Truth be told, I didn’t have one. I never invited anyone to my place, let alone frustrating women like her. But for some inexplicable reason, I wanted her to say yes.

After a long, tense silence, Eva sighed. “Fine. But if this turns out to be some elaborate joke, I’ll make you regret it.”

Grinning, I picked my shirt up from the floor. “Looking forward to it, Delgado.”