Page 37 of His Ruthless Match (Below #3)

JARETH

T he room seemed to close in on me as I tried to process what I’d just read. I crossed my arms nonchalantly to mask my agitation.

“Are you saying,” I asked, my voice low, “that Eva is now being targeted by someone in The Below?” My cougar let out a low and protective growl from within me.

The Shadow’s sharp gaze flicked between me and Eva before settling on me. “It seems that way.” His voice was calm, almost clinical, but the worry in his eyes betrayed him.

Eva stiffened beside me. She’d wrapped her arms around her middle, as if to keep herself together. My chest ached at the sight. She was strong, but she didn’t understand The Below. She wasn’t supposed to be part of it. This was my world, my kind of mess.

“Why now?” I demanded.

The Shadow steepled his fingers and leaned back in his chair.

“Her increased publicity is the most likely explanation. Her name is everywhere, and after the wedding, someone desperate for leverage against me must have connected the dots. This was deliberate. Whoever found out has been digging, and they’ve clearly found something they believe they can use. ”

I started pacing to help my mind work. My worries about The Shadow finding out what had happened between me and Eva last night now seemed trivial.

All that mattered was fixing this and keeping Eva safe.

The thought of her being a target sent ice down my spine, and fear clawed at my chest. Whatever this was, it was dangerous.

And I was in too deep to leave now. There was no fucking way I’d let anyone else take over this assignment. Eva was mine to protect.

“What’s the plan?” I asked, turning to face The Shadow. My voice was steady, but my hands were jammed into my pockets to hide their shaking.

The Shadow’s gaze sharpened. “The plan remains the same. You stay with her. Wherever she goes, you go. I chose you for this job because I trust you, Jareth. But this is no longer about rogue paparazzi or petty human issues. She’s in real danger now, and she can’t fight you on this anymore.”

Beside me, Eva huffed in frustration.

“I have a job,” she said, her voice taut. “An important one that’s kind of spiraling out of control at the moment. I have to work. I can’t just hunker down in my apartment until this blows over.”

The Shadow turned his attention to her, and his expression softened slightly. “I understand that, Eva. And I don’t expect you to completely stop living. But sacrifices have to be made. Wherever you go, Jareth goes.”

Eva’s shoulders sagged, and she looked down at the desk.

“Hey,” I said gently, my voice so low it was like we were the only two people in the room. “Nothing’s really changing. You can still work. We’ll make it happen. I’ll keep you safe.”

Her eyes met mine, and for a moment, I got lost in them. There was a trust in her eyes that I didn’t deserve, but I would fight like hell to keep it.

Fuck. What had she done to me?

The Shadow cleared his throat. “I don’t even want her in public restrooms alone,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “She needs to be at home, inside the wards, as much as possible.”

I turned back to him. “Do you know who’s behind this? Who do you have working on it?”

The Shadow’s eyes narrowed. “I’m heading the investigation myself,” he said. “I’ve got Luca and my top trackers on it. I’m not leaving this to chance.”

It wasn’t enough.

“I want in,” I said firmly. “I need to know what’s going on to protect her properly.”

The Shadow’s eyes went dark. “Your focus is on Eva. That’s the job. Period.”

“I can’t protect her if I don’t know who or what I’m up against,” I argued. “I need to be in the loop.”

The Shadow stared at me with that unreadable expression I loathed. Something I couldn’t quite place flashed through his eyes, then just as suddenly, his usual mask fell back into place.

“You’re not disposable, Jareth. But I need you to trust me to handle this. Stay focused on Eva.”

The words settled uneasily in my chest. Not disposable? Maybe. But I wasn’t convinced he saw me as anything more than a tool. And if that was the case, I’d be damned if I let him dictate how I handled this. I wasn’t just going to sit back and wait. I’d find whoever was targeting Eva.

I shoved my hands deeper into my pockets. “Do you know anything else? Do you have any leads?”

The Shadow exhaled sharply. “My list of enemies is long, Jareth. Especially with my territory no longer illusioned. It could be anyone vying for power. Anyone wanting to push me, throw me off my game, in order to make a move.”

“What about the magistrate?” I asked, though I already knew what his answer would be. “Maybe you should reach out to them, let them know what’s happening.”

“No,” he snapped. “They’ll only complicate things with their bureaucracy and red tape. Let me handle it.”

Eva’s shoulders sagged, and I could see the exhaustion in her eyes. I wanted to offer her some kind of comfort, but I held back. The Shadow might trust me, but one misstep could change everything.

Instead, I stood there silently. The tension in the room was like a coiled spring, ready to snap. Eva glanced at her watch, the subtle tap of her nail against the glass loud in the quiet room.

“If there’s nothing else to discuss,” she said, her voice clipped, “I need to get back to the human world. I have business to take care of.”

The Shadow stood, his towering form as calm and composed as ever. “There’s one more thing.”

Eva groaned softly, tipping her head back in exasperation. “Of course there is.”

“I’d like to illusion you so that you’re unrecognizable,” he said, his tone leaving no room for debate.

“Absolutely not,” she shot back, her voice firm. “You can’t illusion me. My clients need to know it’s me. How the hell would I even explain that to my staff?”

The Shadow’s expression didn’t waver. “I was afraid you’d say that.” He folded his hands behind his back. “Which is why I’m going to have to insist you do things the old-fashioned way.”

Eva’s arms tightened across her chest, and her eyebrow arched in a way that screamed danger . “And what exactly does that mean?”

“It means,” The Shadow said, his tone maddeningly calm, “you’ll need to wear a wig, big sunglasses, a hat… Whatever works to conceal your identity whenever you’re out in public. It’s the smart thing to do, Eva, and I’m not asking you. I’m telling you.”

Her lips parted, clearly ready to argue, but he held up a hand. “If I see any social media posts or tabloid photos of you out and about without a disguise, I’ll have no choice but to illusion you against your will.”

Eva’s face flushed with anger, and she turned her back on him, her silence speaking louder than any words she could’ve thrown at him. I could practically feel the rage radiating off her, and it wasn’t helping the suffocating tension.

I tried my best to lighten the mood. “I don’t know, Delgado. You in a wig? Could be a good look. Maybe a bright pink one? Add some flair.”

Eva didn’t turn, but I caught the slight twitch of her shoulders—maybe amusement, maybe a new level of rage. It was difficult to tell with her.

The Shadow, however, wasn’t amused. “You’ll need a disguise, too.”

I blinked. “What? No, I don’t think that’s necessary. I’m fairly stealthy.”

He gave a humorless laugh. “I’ve seen photos of Eva with you either by her side or in the background. You’re already linked to her, Jareth. Some are even suggesting you’re her boyfriend.”

Heat rose to my face, and I cleared my throat. “That’s fucking ridiculous.”

The Shadow inclined his head slightly. “Completely asinine, I agree. But the rumors are out there. Disguises are non-negotiable, at least when you’re not in court or at your office.”

My ears burned as I caught Eva’s quick glance in my direction. This wasn’t exactly the moment I wanted to revisit the fake boyfriend act. I cleared my throat again, avoiding her gaze.

“Fine. We’ll pick up some disguises on the way home. Shame to cover up the magnificence of my hair, but…” I gave a mock sigh. “I’ll do as I’m told.”

Eva’s lips twitched like she wanted to grin but couldn’t muster the effort. Instead, she muttered something I didn’t catch as she crossed her arms again.

“Remember to go say goodbye to Vivian before you leave, Eva.”

Eva, still visibly upset, didn’t turn around. “You can give Vivian my regards.”

The Shadow’s brow furrowed, and for the first time since we’d arrived, his voice softened. “Eva.”

She didn’t look at him.

He sighed. “I know you never wanted anything to do with The Below. And now, because of me, you’re getting dragged into it. I didn’t want this for you.”

Eva shifted slightly, but she still didn’t turn.

The Shadow stepped closer. “I’m going to do everything in my power to protect you, Eva.

But I need you to trust me and do as I ask.

Whoever is targeting you isn’t fucking around, and we can’t leave anything to chance.

If you want to keep living your life in the human world, this is the only way.

If it’s not enough…” He hesitated, the words seeming to cost him.

“You can come live here. With me. Where I can keep an eye on you at all times.”

The silence that followed was deafening. I shifted my weight uneasily as I glanced at Eva. She didn’t say anything as she walked out of The Shadow’s study with her back stiff and head high.

I hesitated for half a second before following her. As the door closed behind us, I blew out a breath. “You okay?” I asked.

She kept walking, her steps echoing in the maze-like hallways of the fortress. I followed in silence, my mind racing. Whatever The Shadow’s plan was, it wasn’t enough. Not for me. Not for Eva. And whether he liked it or not, I was going to find out who was behind this—and I was going to end them.

My boots scuffed against the cold stone floor as Eva strode ahead of me, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. The air outside was brisk, but it did nothing to clear my head. Eva was in danger, and I would do anything— anything —to keep her safe.

As we approached the car, I pulled out my phone and started searching for wig shops in New York City.

“What are you doing?” Eva sounded irritated, but I was used to that by now.

“Looking for a wig shop,” I replied, not looking up from my phone. “We’re supposed to get disguises, remember?”

She groaned as she leaned against the car door. “I already know where we need to go. There’s a place I send my clients to when it’s best for them to go incognito. I’ve never been there myself, but they’re discreet and good at what they do.”

“And you didn’t think to mention this earlier?”

She gave me a pointed look. “I was too busy being pissed off at my brother. But if you’re done Googling bad ideas, I’ll give you the address.”

I opened the door for her, then walked around and slid in behind the wheel. “Lead the way.”

Eva stared out the window, her profile illuminated by the faint glow of passing streetlights as we drove.

I pulled into the parking lot near the tear in the Veil but didn’t move to get out of the car.

Instead, I stared blankly out the windshield as my thoughts raced.

The last twenty-four hours had been a whirlwind.

Eva’s lips on mine. The taste of her. The scent of her.

It was all burned into my memory and a constant, maddening distraction.

And now the revelation that someone from The Below was targeting her, had connected her to The Shadow, perhaps because of my connection to both of them.

The two things felt like entirely separate storms, but they were colliding in my head in a maelstrom of chaos.

She shifted in her seat, glancing at me with a mix of confusion and impatience. “What are we waiting for?”

I let out a heavy breath and gripped the steering wheel. “Eva, what happened last night can’t happen again.”

“Excuse me?”

I forced myself to meet her gaze, even though it felt like I was ripping myself apart. “I need to focus on keeping you safe. That’s my job. And I’m sorry I let things cross a line last night, but it won’t happen again.”

I caught the faintest shift in her expression as she clenched her jaw, and her fingers curled against her thighs. She gave me a curt nod but didn’t say a word.

Gods, I wanted to take her hand, and tell her that it wasn’t because I didn’t want her. Because I did. Fuck, did I want her. But what I wanted didn’t matter. I had to keep her safe. And if I couldn’t stay professional, if I couldn’t put distance between us, I’d fail her. And that wasn’t an option.

I dragged a hand through my hair, trying to rein in the storm of emotions threatening to break loose. “Right. Well,” I said, forcing some levity into my tone, “I guess we should go pick out some wigs.”

Eva huffed a laugh, though it lacked any real humor. She opened her door without looking at me, her movements stiff and deliberate. I followed her out of the car, my jaw clenched as I tried to focus on the task at hand.

As we made our way toward the Veil tear, I couldn’t help but glance at her again.

Even with everything weighing her down, she moved with a magnetic confidence.

And it was that fire, that strength, that made her dangerous.

Because the more I was around her, the more I realized I was in too deep.

And I wasn’t sure I’d make it out unscathed.