Page 21 of His Ruthless Match

I wasn’t convinced, but I let it drop. Arguing with her wasn’t worth the energy.

“Fine. What else have you cooked up lately? And please tell me it’s not another piece of jewelry.”

Her eyes lit up, and she pulled a sleek, compass-like gadget out of her desk drawer. “This baby,” she began, holding it up like it was the crown jewel of her collection, “creates wards at multiple sites. Once you sync it to your phone, it notifies you of any breaches—who entered, their heart rate, whether they’re armed or not. You can even flag regular visitors as safe.”

I whistled low, impressed despite myself. “How do you come up with this stuff? Don’t tell me it’s all The Shadow’s funding.”

Vivian smirked, spinning the device in her hand. “Funding helps, but it’s passion, Jareth. And honestly, you make a great test subject.”

I rolled my eyes but stepped forward, taking the device from her and examining it. It was lighter than I expected, the surface etched with intricate runes that pulsed faintly under the office’s overhead lights.

“Let’s test it,” I said, setting the device down and activating the calibration.

The runes flared, and a soft chime sounded as my phone buzzed. Pulling it from my pocket, I checked the screen.Two people inside the warded area.

Vivian peered over my shoulder and laughed. “Looks like it works. You’re flagged as carrying seven weapons. Seven, Jareth?”

I tucked my phone and the device into my pocket. “Always prepared.”

She snorted. “Always paranoid.”

“Same difference.”

Vivian crossed her arms, her expression shifting to something more serious. “You know, I consider Eva to be my sister now. Are you really taking this assignment seriously?”

The question caught me off guard. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because you’ve never played nice with anyone under The Shadow’s protection. Including me.”

“I don’t play nice with anyone, period,” I said with a smirk. “But yeah, I’m taking it seriously. She’s a pain in the ass, but she’s not helpless.”

Vivian studied me like I was one of her tech projects. “Just remember, Jareth—you push too hard, and she’ll push right back.”

I nodded, already halfway out the door. “Noted. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to see about fortifying her office.”

“Don’t break anything this time!”

“No promises,” I called back. Vivian’s laugh echoed faintly as I headed to my next stop.

Though I expectedit would be a fucking snoozefest, I begrudgingly went to court so I could get a better idea of who and what I was working with. What better way for me to observe Eva than by seeing her in her element?

The courtroom was buzzing when I slipped into the back row, doing my best to blend into the wood-paneled walls. Eva stood at the center of it all, her voice calm and cutting as she dismantled some poor bastard on the witness stand.

She paced with the predatory grace of a lioness, her heels clicking on the polished floor as she asked questions designed to expose every inconsistency and weak spot.

She was damn good at it.

I leaned back in my seat, studying her. If I squinted, I could see the resemblance between her and The Shadow—the jet-black hair, the sharp cheekbones, the no-nonsense set of her mouth. It wasn’t pronounced, but it was there. Then, against my better judgment, I imagined Eva as The Shadow wearing a wig. The mental image was so jarring I nearly gagged.

Gods, no. I much preferred looking at her andnotseeing The Shadow.

Not that I was looking. I wasn’t one of those men who spent hours dissecting a woman’s appearance. I was either attracted to a woman, or I wasn’t, simple as that. But Eva? She was... different. Not that I noticed her hourglass figure wrapped in that fitted pinstriped skirt. Or how her white blouse clung to her just right. Or the way her full lips pressed into a line when she zeroed in on her target like a predator.

No, I noticed none of that. Definitely not.

She moved through the courtroom like it was hers. The way she worked the room wasn’t something I’d expected, but it was damn impressive. I could almost forget she was my assignment. Almost.

And her ass didn’t hurt, either.