Page 82 of His Ruthless Match

“It’s no problem,” I said, though the thought of Jareth and his incessant hovering made me grit my teeth. “Really.”

Vivian turned to Raffaele. “Don’t you let her leave without saying goodbye to me, okay?” Then, with a polite nod to Jareth, she stepped out of the room.

The air grew heavier without her, and I could practically feel Jareth sweating beside me.

Raffaele didn’t speak right away. He simply pulled a picture out of a folder and slid it across the desk. I leaned in to look, expecting something serious, but stopped short. It was a glossy photo from my award photoshoot. Frowning, I glanced up at my brother.

“That’s from the interview,” I said slowly. “What’s the big deal?”

Raffaele leaned back in his chair, his face stone cold. “The big deal is what came with it.” He pulled out another photo, this one candid. I recognized myself immediately—I was walking down the street near my office, completely unaware that someone had been watching. Then, he placed a letter on the desk between us.

“Just tell me what’s going on,” I said, frustration lacing my voice. My brother had a penchant for theatrics, and I wasn’t in the mood for a slow reveal.

Raffaele’s lips pressed into a thin line as he slid the letter toward Jareth. “Read it.”

Jareth scanned the letter, and I peered over his shoulder to read it.

Lookslike you’ve been keeping something from us, Shadow.

23

JARETH

The 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.”