Page 26 of His Ruthless Match (Below #3)

JARETH

S omething was off. My feet landed on hard tile instead of plush carpet, and the air was suffocatingly still. I blinked, my eyes adjusting to the dim light of a small, cramped room. The scent of antiseptic soap and hotel linen hit me, jarring my senses.

This wasn’t Eva’s apartment.

I scanned the room, my ears picking up the faint hum of an overhead light and distant traffic outside. It didn’t take long to piece it together—white porcelain sink, beige wallpaper, and a cream shower curtain hanging slightly askew. A hotel bathroom.

I turned toward the tub, and my stomach twisted. Eva was curled up into herself, her knees hugged tightly to her chest. Her usually composed face was streaked with tears, her shoulders trembling. She looked up, her eyes glassy and unfocused.

And her fucking nose was bleeding.

“Eva.” I was at her side in an instant, dropping to my knees beside the tub. “What the hell happened?”

She flinched at my voice, like she was waiting for another blow. Her wide eyes found mine. She stared at me, like she couldn’t believe I was really there.

I reached out, hovering my hand just over her shoulder, unsure if she’d let me touch her. “Eva, talk to me. What happened? Who did this to you?”

Her voice shook. “Jareth…” Her lips trembled as fresh tears welled in her eyes.

“Breathe,” I said, my voice firmer now, though my heart was threatening to tear out of my chest. “You’re safe now, but I need you to tell me what happened. Who the fuck hurt you?”

She took a shuddering breath and wiped at her nose with the back of her hand, smearing blood across her cheek.

“I came to Genevieve’s hotel room to talk about the latest photos,” she started, her voice thick with emotion.

“We were just… talking. And then we heard this noise. Like… something falling over.”

I clenched my fists, barely holding back my rage. “Go on.”

She sniffled, her hands shaking as she clutched her knees. “We weren’t worried at first. Security was right outside. At least, we thought they were.”

I clenched my jaw, and my cougar growled deep within me. Someone was going to pay for this.

“Then someone came out of the closet,” she continued, her voice breaking. “A man. I don’t even know how he got in there. He just… he rushed Genevieve. I tried to stand, but?—”

She stopped, covering her face with her hands.

“Eva,” I said gently, my anger simmering just below the surface. “What did he do?”

She dropped her hands, her voice rising with desperation. “He shoved me into the wall! I didn’t even see his face. By the time I got my bearings, he was gone. And so was Genevieve.” Her voice cracked, and she buried her face in her knees. “I didn’t know what to do. I froze. I fucking froze.”

“You did exactly what you were supposed to do,” I said, tentatively putting my hand on her shoulder. She didn’t flinch, so I left it there. “You pressed the button. That’s what matters.”

Her head lifted slightly, her tear-streaked face a mix of guilt and fear. “What if he hurts her? What if I?—”

“Stop. This isn’t your fault. Whoever this asshole is, he’s the one who’s going to pay. You hear me?”

She nodded, though her tears kept falling.

I gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze and stood. “Stay here. I’m going to sweep the room. I’ll be back in two minutes.”

“Jareth, wait?—”

“You’re safe,” I said as I pulled a dagger from my boot. “No one’s getting past me. I promise.”

I stepped out of the bathroom, every nerve in my body on high alert.

The hotel room was trashed—furniture overturned, glass shattered on the floor, and the faintest trace of magic lingering in the air.

Why the hell would a magical being get caught up with this Hollywood bullshit?

I wondered if I should fill in The Shadow, though I didn’t want to bother him with theories. I needed proof.

I checked every corner, every possible hiding spot, but there was nothing. No clue as to where he’d taken Genevieve. No sign of where they’d gone. Cursing under my breath, I returned to the bathroom. Eva looked up at me with a mixture of hope and dread. “Well?” she asked, her voice small.

“Nothing,” I admitted, frustration lacing my words. “The guy covered his tracks well. But I’ve got his scent. If I can track him?—”

“No,” she cut in, standing shakily. “We’re going to the police. I hate to do it, but this is too big for us. I have to report her as missing.”

I raised an eyebrow. “The police?”

She crossed her arms, a flash of her usual defiance breaking through. “Yes, the police. It’ll draw more media attention to Genevieve, but I don’t have a choice. I have to report that she’s been abducted. This has gotten out of hand, and it’s above my pay grade.”

I couldn’t help the smirk that tugged at my lips. “I didn’t realize there was anything above your pay grade.”

“Jareth,” she said, but there was no real bite to it.

“Okay, but first, let me get you home and clean you up.”

She shook her head. “No way. I want you to take me directly to the police station.”

“Fine,” I relented. “I’ll take you to the cops. But I’m not leaving your side. Not for a second.”

She surprised me by not arguing. Interesting.

I moved to her side, slipping an arm around her waist to steady her as she stepped out of the tub. She was trembling, and she tensed under my touch. But gods, the way her body fit against mine was enough to send my thoughts spiraling into dangerous territory.

Focus, Jareth. Stop being a fucking sicko. She’s bleeding, for fuck’s sake.

“You’re bleeding,” I said, forcing myself to think about her injuries instead of how good she felt in my arms.

“I know. It’s fine.”

“It’s not fucking fine,” I muttered as I guided her toward the door.

She let me lead her without protest. I could tell she was scared, and every protective instinct in me was screaming to make whoever did this suffer.

But first, I had to get her safe. Everything else could wait.

The car was too quiet.

Eva sat in the passenger seat of her car, her knees bouncing incessantly as she wrung her hands in her lap.

The tension radiating off her was palpable, filling the confined space like a pressure cooker about to blow.

I gripped the steering wheel tightly, glancing at her every few seconds.

It wasn’t like her to be so quiet, so still—well, except for the damn knee. The silence was unnerving.

“You okay?” I asked, breaking the quiet. My voice sounded rougher than I intended.

Her gaze flickered toward me, and for a brief moment, I caught the vulnerability in her eyes before she quickly looked away. “Fine,” she muttered.

Fine. Right. Sure, because a bloody nose and a missing celebrity screamed fine.

Her knee kept bouncing, the rhythmic movement grating on my nerves—not because it was annoying, but because it was a glaring sign of how shaken she was.

Eva Delgado didn’t fidget. She stood tall, mouth sharp as a blade, always ready to tear someone apart.

Seeing her like this messed with me more than I cared to admit.

This was my fault.

If I hadn’t been screwing around in the Crimson Dominion, I could’ve stopped the bastard who did this. The Shadow had made it clear: Eva was my priority. Above everything else. And I’d let her down.

She needed someone focused, someone who wouldn’t get distracted. I silently vowed to myself, and to The Shadow, that I wouldn’t leave her side again. Whatever fight she put up, I didn’t care. I wasn’t leaving her side until this was handled.

And when I got the chance, I would update him on the situation.

Fuck. What a mess.

I pulled into the police station parking lot and killed the engine. “Come on,” I said, getting out and walking around to open her door before she could argue. She didn’t even give me her usual snark about chivalry being dead. That alone was unsettling.

Inside, the fluorescent lighting buzzed faintly, and the faint scent of burnt coffee made me wrinkle my nose. Eva stepped up to the front desk, her movements stiff but purposeful. The officer on duty looked up, his gaze immediately zeroing in on the blood smeared across her face.

The guy tensed, his eyes darting to me.

Before he could say anything, Eva raised her hands. “He didn’t do this,” she said quickly. “He’s a… friend.”

Friend? Really? Since when? I thought she couldn’t stand me. I bit back the snarky remark that was on the tip of my tongue and kept quiet.

“I need to speak to Detective Brooker,” Eva said firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument. “Tell him Eva Delgado is here to see him.”

The officer raised an eyebrow but picked up the phone. A moment later, he hung up. “Have a seat. He’ll see you in five.”

We didn’t even have to wait that long. Soon enough, we were led down a hall to an office with a placard that read Detective Allen Brooker. The man inside was tall, with white hair and an easy smile that quickly disappeared when he saw Eva’s face.

“Eva,” he said, his voice warm with familiarity before it turned sharp. “What happened?”

She gestured to me without looking back. “This is Jareth. He’s my... personal security guard.”

The detective’s brows lifted. “Security guard? Why do you need a security guard?”

“Genevieve Witt,” she said simply, as if that explained everything.

Brooker leaned back in his chair, his expression shifting to mild amusement. “Ah, yes. The golden girl of Hollywood. I’ve been keeping up with the tabloids. Guilty pleasure, don’t judge me.”

Eva wasn’t amused. “Genevieve was abducted.”

Brooker’s smile vanished. “Excuse me?”

“We were in her hotel room,” Eva began, her voice trembling slightly but steadying as she spoke. “A man burst out of the closet. He rushed Genevieve and knocked me into the wall.” She touched her nose briefly. “By the time I got my bearings, he was gone. And so was she.”

There was a beat of silence before Brooker’s lips quirked into a smirk. “Is this some kind of joke?”

Eva stiffened, her confusion evident. “What? No! Why would I joke about something like this?”