Page 9 of Lords of Misrule

“I could teach you a thing or two. Give you some new tricks that would bring him to his knees.”

“I’m sure you wish you could.”

He brings his face a hairsbreadth away from mine—so close our lips are nearly touching.

“Or I could bring you to your knees. Would you like that better?”

I nearly bite my tongue to keep from saying yes.

“Fuck. Off,” I say through gritted teeth.

“Oh, I will. To thoughts of my come dripping down this chin.” His hand moves back to my face, running over my jaw again.

“Get out. Now.” I shift my eyes to the door. I desperately need him gone before I do something stupid.

“We’re not done. Iwillfigure it out.” He pulls away from me and heads for the door. My heart rate starts to slow again from the distance.

“Good luck.”

“Sleep well.” He smirks and then disappears out the door.

Five

Hudson

That night Rowan comes home absolutely fucking pissed off. Throwing his phone and wallet on the table before he sits down across from me as I eat a late-night bowl of cereal and scroll my phone. I never know on any given day what sets him off. His temper takes a while to ratchet up, but once it’s up, it’s difficult to bring it back down.

“Rough night?”

“Still no gun.”

“Went to see her, I take it?”

“She won’t be moved, but I know why now.”

“What’s that?”

“She wants to steal them herself.”

I drop my spoon into my cereal, setting my phone down to look up at him.

“Shewants to steal them?”

“Yes. I don’t know why. Or how she plans to do it.”

“Or why she hasn’t done it yet?”

“That too.” His brow furrows as he picks at a dent in the wooden table.

“Maybe she hates him.”

“Or maybe she needs the money.”

“Maybe both?” I offer.

“Whatever it is, she has a million more chances than we do. She doesn’t have to sneak in and out. She knows his routine. She fucking sleeps there regularly given how she was dressed. We’re fucked, and I need the fucking money he owes me or shit’s going to start falling apart fast. Assuming we could even get money for the paintings.”

“Why wouldn’t we?”