Page 68 of His Ruthless Match (Below #3)

EVA

T he couch creaked softly as I shifted my weight, my phone warm in my hand from how long I’d been scrolling.

Genevieve’s endless stream of messages and photos had become my lifeline, a puzzle I couldn’t stop trying to solve.

Jareth’s cottage was quiet except for the faint sound of waves crashing outside, the rhythm almost soothing if not for the tension knotting in my chest.

I froze mid-swipe, my thumb hovering over the screen as a photo caught my attention.

The image was blurry, poorly lit, but unmistakable.

A rat. Not just any rat— the rat. Its unnaturally large eyes were glowing, and it was perched on the arm of a couch in one of Genevieve’s hotel rooms. A chill ran through me, and my stomach turned as I zoomed in.

“I completely missed this.”

“What is it?” Jareth asked from across the room. His tone carried that commanding edge he used when he knew something was wrong, and my pulse quickened.

I didn’t answer right away, still staring at the image, my fingers trembling slightly. “Genevieve sent this photo to me at some point, but I don’t remember seeing it.” I glanced up at him, then back at the phone. “It’s the rat. The one that kept showing up in her hotel room.”

Jareth snatched the phone out of my hand.

“Hey!” I protested, but it was half-hearted at best. His focus was absolute, his eyes locked on the screen with an intensity that made me swallow hard. The longer he stared, the more the lines around his mouth tightened, his expression darkening.

“Shit,” he muttered under his breath.

“What?” I asked, leaning toward him. “What is it?”

“I’ve seen this before,” Jareth said, his voice low and grim. His thumb tapped the screen, zooming in on the rat’s glowing eyes. “This isn’t just a rat; it’s from The Below.”

The weight in his tone made my chest tighten. “The Below?” My voice wavered, my mind scrambling to keep up.

“Specifically, the Crimson Dominion,” he clarified, his jaw clenching. His knuckles whitened as his grip on the phone tightened, like he wanted to crush it. “They use things like this to spy on and track people. This thing wasn’t in Genevieve’s hotel by accident.”

I blinked, my brain stumbling over his words. The Crimson Dominion. “You’re saying someone sent this thing on purpose?” My voice cracked slightly, betraying the unease clawing at me.

Jareth nodded, his eyes dark and dangerous as they flicked up to meet mine. “Yeah. And whoever did is playing a much bigger game than you or Genevieve realized.”

The chill in his voice sent a shiver down my spine. I wrapped my arms around my middle, thinking of the rat that had been in my apartment. At the time, I’d convinced myself it was paranoia or a figment of my stress-addled brain. But now…

“I think that’s the same rat that was in my apartment. I thought—I thought I was imagining things.”

“I never got a good look at the bastard.” His jaw tightened further, and a low curse escaped him. He handed the phone back to me. “Forward this picture to my phone.”

“What are you going to do?” I asked, my brows furrowing as I took the phone.

“Figure out who the hell sent this thing to spy on you and Genevieve,” he growled. He was already grabbing his coat from the back of the chair with a sharp motion. “Get your stuff. I’m taking you to your brother’s house.”

My heart lurched. “Wait, what? You’re leaving? Where are you going?”

“The black market in the Crimson Dominion.” He shrugged on his coat. “I know someone there who can give me information.”

I shot to my feet. “I’m coming with you.”

Jareth stopped mid-step, his gaze locking onto mine. His eyes narrowed, a warning simmering behind them. “Absolutely not.”

Heat flared under my skin, frustration bubbling to the surface. “I’ve been cooped up in this cottage for days, Jareth. You can’t leave me behind like some helpless damsel.”

“Yes, I can,” he said, his voice low and unyielding. His words were sharp, meant to cut, but they only fueled the fire building inside me. “It’s not safe for you out there. End of discussion.”

I stepped closer, the weight of his words pressing against me, but I refused to back down. “This isn’t just your fight,” I snapped. “This is my case. My life. My reputation. I won’t sit here while you and my brother make all the decisions for me.”

His jaw clenched so tightly I thought it might snap. “And your life is at risk,” he growled, his voice like a warning rumble of thunder. “That’s not negotiable.”

“Then I’ll talk to Raffaele,” I countered, the resolve in my voice steady despite the way my chest felt like it might burst. “He can put an illusion on me. No one will recognize me.”

Jareth exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. The frustration radiating off him was palpable, but I didn’t waver. “Eva—” he started, his voice softer this time, almost pleading.

“Please.” I stepped even closer. I could feel the heat between us, the tension crackling in the air like a live wire. “I need to do this. Let me help.”

Jareth stared at me, his eyes flickering with emotions I couldn’t quite decipher. There was anger there, yes, but also protectiveness, and something deeper, something unspoken.

Finally, he sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. “Fine. If The Shadow approves, I guess I don’t have much choice. But we do this my way. No arguments. No taking risks.”

Relief flooded me. “Deal.”

His eyes lingered on mine for a beat too long, then he muttered something under his breath and grabbed his keys.

“This is a bad idea,” he grumbled as he headed for the door.

“Probably,” I replied, but I was smiling as I put on my jacket. Determination burned bright in my chest. This wasn’t just his fight—it was mine, too. And I wasn’t going to let anyone, not even Jareth, keep me from seeing it through.

Jareth brought the car to a smooth stop in front of Raffaele’s sprawling mansion, the massive structure casting long shadows against the fading evening light.

The sight of it—all sharp edges and overwhelming grandeur—sent a familiar pang of tension through me.

It wasn’t fear, exactly—it was the knowledge that stepping inside meant walking into my brother’s world, where control and authority ruled, and every move was calculated.

“Here we go,” Jareth said, his tone clipped as he stared at the looming building. His grip tightened briefly on the steering wheel, the motion so subtle I might have missed it if I hadn’t been watching him. “Do you know what you’re going to say?”

I nodded, swallowing hard to steady my voice. “Yes.”

I’d carefully considered telling Raffaele the truth about me wanting to follow Jareth to the Crimson Dominion but quickly decided against it.

He’d never allow it, and I couldn’t stand the thought of being kept from the action, especially since this was so closely related to the case I’d been pouring my blood, sweat, and tears into.

Facing Raffaele was never easy, even when I wasn’t actively deceiving him. He could read me like an open book, and the thought of lying to him—even for what I deemed as a good reason—set my pulse racing.

Jareth’s phone buzzed in his pocket, breaking the moment.

He fished it out, frowning as he glanced at the screen.

“I need to take this,” he said, already stepping out of the car.

“Go on in and talk to your brother. If you can convince him to put an illusion on you, I’ll take you with me. I’ll catch up in a minute.”

The guards stationed at the mansion’s entrance nodded respectfully at me as I passed, their stoic expressions unchanging. I didn’t stop to acknowledge them, too focused on steadying my nerves.

When I reached the heavy door of Raffaele’s study, I paused. My hands felt icy, my palms damp despite the coolness of the air. You’ve got thi s, Eva. He’s not your keeper. He doesn’t need to know everything.

Taking a deep breath, I knocked twice.

“Come in,” Raffaele called.

Pushing the door open, I stepped inside.

The study was as imposing as ever, the walls lined with dark wood bookshelves, the air faintly scented with leather and old paper.

Raffaele sat behind his massive desk, his posture relaxed but radiating authority.

His dark eyes lifted to meet mine, sharp and assessing.

“Eva,” he said, leaning back slightly. His fingers steepled as he studied me, his expression unreadable. “This is unexpected.”

I forced a smile as I crossed the room and stopped just shy of his desk. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

He gestured for me to continue, his gaze never leaving mine.

“I’ve been stuck at Jareth’s cottage for days,” I began, keeping my tone even and calm, like I was discussing the weather. “I thought it might be a good idea to see more of your territory. Get a better sense of how things work here.”

Raffaele’s brows furrowed slightly, suspicion flickering in his gaze. “Why the sudden interest in my territory? You’ve never cared about this before.”

My stomach tightened, but I kept my expression neutral.

“I’m curious. If I’m going to be stuck here for a while, I might as well learn more about your world.

Besides, I thought it’d be nice to see what you’ve built without worrying about being spotted.

That is, if you’ll agree to put an illusion on me. ”

Raffaele stared at me for a long moment, the weight of his scrutiny pressing down on me like a physical force. He knew I was holding something back—I could see it in his eyes—but I refused to flinch and kept my smile firmly in place.

“You’re not telling me everything.”

My heart skipped a beat, but I held his gaze. “What else is there to tell?” I said, interjecting a hint of exasperation into my tone. “I just want to get out for a bit. I’m suffocating, Raffy.”