Page 158 of His Ruthless Match

On the outside, I gave her a small, reluctant smile, but inside, all I could think about was how much I missed him. I missed him making me feel safe and infuriating me all at once. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d ruined everything, that I’d destroyed any chance we might have had.

Vivian gave my leg another reassuring pat. “It’s going to be okay, Eva,” she said softly. “Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out.”

I wanted to believe her. I wanted to trust that everything would somehow fall into place. But as I sat there, staring at theopulent sitting room that wasn’t mine, in an estate that wasn’t my home, all I could think about was Jareth.

And I couldn’t shake the sinking feeling that I’d lost him for good.

44

JARED

The Crimson Dominion was a cesspool of chaos and violence, and tonight, it mirrored the storm raging inside me. The narrow streets twisted like veins, shadows flickering in the torchlight as if they were mocking me. The stench of smoke, blood, and rot clung to the air. My boots struck the uneven cobblestones in sharp, deliberate steps, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. I wasn’t here to navigate carefully or play the game of subtleties. I was here to end this—one body at a time, if I had to.

The ache in my chest was sharp and unrelenting. Being away from Eva felt like someone had slammed a blade into my ribs and twisted, refusing to pull it free. Every nerve screamed for me to turn back, to find her, to make sure she was safe. But I couldn’t. I wouldn’t. The only way to protect her was to end this threat for good, and if that meant burning the entire Crimson Dominion to the fucking ground, so be it.

I moved through the streets, my daggers strapped to my sides, my every step fueled with rage, grief, and a longing that gnawed at my sanity. The first target, a low-level informant loitering near a weapons vendor, was too easy. He didn’t see mecoming until it was too late. I grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall.

I pulled one of the flyers offering a reward for Eva’s capture, dead or alive, from my back pocket and shoved it in his smug face. “Who put the hit on her?” I growled, my voice a low, dangerous rumble.

“I… I don’t know?—”

The lie was obvious, and my dagger was in my hand before he could finish the sentence. One sharp slice across his throat silenced him forever. He crumpled to the ground, blood pooling beneath him, and I moved on without a second glance. If he didn’t want to share the information I needed, he was nothing but dead weight.

The next lead took me deeper into the underbelly of the Crimson Dominion. The air in the filthy tavern was thick with the acrid smell of cheap liquor and the dull roar of whispered conversations. As soon as I walked in, every patron’s gaze snapped to me. Death followed me tonight, and no one wanted to be its next victim. Or perhaps it was my blood-soaked shirt that had them on edge. Either way, they were right to fucking cower.

I zeroed in on a wiry man with a twitchy gaze sitting at the bar. He saw me and bolted, but I was faster. I crossed the room in two strides, grabbing him by the collar and dragging him back across the bar. Bottles smashed to the ground, their contents spilling in shimmering puddles, and stools clattered as patrons scrambled to get out of my way.

“Talk,” I snarled, pressing my dagger against his throat. “Who put the hit out for the human woman?”

“I don’t know anything,” he stammered, his voice high-pitched and frantic.

“Wrong answer.” Teeth bared, I pressed the blade harder.

“Wait, wait,” he cried, his hands flailing. “I swear, I don’t know who ordered it, but I’ve heard whispers… someone working with Izo.”

That name stopped me cold, and the fire inside me flared brighter. Izo. The memories of his betrayal to The Shadow and the chaos he thrived on were burned into my mind. If Izo was involved, truly involved, this was far worse than I’d thought.

The rage overtook me before I could stop it. I plunged my dagger into the man’s chest, silencing his panicked breaths. As I yanked the blade free, his body slid limply to the ground. Around me, the tavern was silent except for the creak of shifting floorboards as the remaining patrons scattered, not wanting to be caught in the wake of my wrath.

I stood there for a moment, my breathing ragged as the weight of Izo’s name settled in my chest. If Izo was behind this, I would fucking destroy him.

When I stepped out into the alley, my hands were slick with blood, and my clothes were stained with crimson streaks. I was running on fumes, but the pain was nothing compared to the hollow ache inside me. Each step felt heavier, each breath sharper, as if my lungs were fighting against my own ribcage.

I leaned against the cold, damp wall of the alley and closed my eyes briefly. Eva’s face flashed through my mind. It grounded me, pulled me back from the edge of losing myself completely. But it also hurt like hell.

“I’ll protect you, Eva,” I whispered into the darkness, my voice raw. “Even if it kills me.”

The words were a promise, one I would keep no matter what it cost me. I didn’t trust myself to be near her—I couldn’t risk letting my feelings cloud my judgment again—but I sure as hell didn’t trust anyone else to handle this. No one else could get to the bottom of this the way I could. No one else could make them pay like I would.

I pushed off the wall, my focus sharpening. Izo’s name was burned into my brain now, a target I wouldn’t miss. If he thought he could threaten Eva, if he thought he could come after what was mine, he was about to learn what a big fucking mistake he’d made.

The alley was eerily quiet as I moved forward, my blades still dripping with blood. Each step took me deeper into the Dominion, the shadows closing in around me like a shroud. I didn’t care. Let them come. Let them all come. I would carve my way through every last one of them if that’s what it took to keep her safe.

With a final glance at the alley behind me, I sheathed my daggers and disappeared into the darkness. My mind was already calculating my next move, every thought focused on one goal: taking down Izo and ending this threat once and for all.

For Eva.

After the rampagein the Crimson Dominion, I stumbled into my cottage like a ghost. My muscles ached, my clothes were stiff with dried blood, and the stench of death clung to me like a second skin. I didn’t bother looking in the mirror. I knew I looked just as fucking bad as I felt. The only thing that kept me moving was the thought of a shower and maybe some food to stop the gnawing ache in my stomach.