Page 272 of Shadowman

Or maybe that has nothing to do with it… And I just love him,becauseof his quirks and emotional baggage, not in spite of it.

Gulping down a mouthful of saliva and some nausea that’s making me dizzy, I grab onto the nearest piece of furniture.

Jesus Christ, did I just say that Ilove himin my mind?? Is that real??

It has to be, right? I mean, why else would I have thought it if it weren’t… true?

This is getting so far out of hand, it’s fucking levitating. Turns out, I was clinging to the idea that I didn’t really know Trevel, because it allowed me to keep him at a distance. And now that he’s told me all of his secrets, there’s nothing left for me to hide behind. No more excuses to keep me safe and warm in denial…

God, I think he might really be my boyfriend.

Someone call an exterminator… I think I’ve caught the love bug.

Oh, God… barf times a million.

Taking a deep breath, I continue mulling around the study, because it’s safe and quiet and I need some alone time to gather my thoughts. Unfortunately, it’s not as secluded down here as I’d thought, because I hear sudden voices coming from the atrium.

They must hear me at the same time that I hear them, because two of The Ivory’s men swing around the corner, guns in hand. When they see that it’s me, they lower their weapons, and one of them rumbles, “It’s just Kang.”

Yup. Just me… The former inmate having a secret meltdown about the state of his prison marriage. Nothing to see here.

“Oh, good,” I hear Manuel Blanco murmur. “Send him in.”

“Wait… I wasn’t…” I start to protest, but give up noting their uninterested expressions and sigh, “Never mind.”

Wandering carefully onto the veranda that leads out to the garden’s patio, I balk at the first thing I see… The Ivory sitting on a loveseat with someone kneeling at his feet. It only takes a moment before I realize it’s Hancock—practically naked, andmuzzled, with a leash connected to the collar around his neck.

“Holy balls…” I mutter under my breath, gawking at the former Alabaster Pen guard in a position I never would have expected to see him.And I’ve seen him in some pretty precarious positions. Mostly thanks to Ren.

“To what do I owe this pleasure, Byron?” the Warden says calmly, tugging the leash until Hancock stumbles. He seems out of it, but I think he’s registering my presence, eyes gleaming up at me from behind the thing covering his face.

Hancock was captured by The Ivory’s men a week or so back, after some shootout in the woods went sideways. He was treated for his gunshot wound, hence the gauze pad on his shoulder. In fact, that, the muzzle, a jockstrap, and a furry tail appear to be the only things he’s wearing.

Okay… Let’s look somewhere else.

From what I’ve heard, nabbing Simon Hancock was a win for The Ivory. It forced Velle to retreat and regroup, in the interest of keeping Hancock alive. I have no idea what any of that means for the outcome of this war, but I’m finding the state Hancock is in right now troubling. He was always one of the good guys. Not innocent by any stretch of the imagination—none of them were—but much less of a bastard than some others.

Oh, Jesus. Jasper… He’s probably freaking out.

Recalling that The Ivory asked me a question when he cocks a light eyebrow at my awkward silence, I clear my throat. “Uh… Just checking in. Seeing if you… need anything.”

Who are you, the butler now??

The Ivory’s gaze narrows, but he’s still smirking, and it’s wringing my stomach like a wet dishcloth. “As of matter of fact, I do need something from you. Well,needis a strong word. You’ll do it, or you’ll be dead. Sound good?”

I just stare at him with my mouth agape.What am I supposed to say to that??

“I’m expecting company,” he goes on, watching me closely. “One visitor, and one… not. You know both of them. Anyway, I need you nearby when they arrive.”

My brows crush together in obvious confusion. “Why…?”

“That will become readily apparent very soon, my darling fighter.” His smirk spreads into a devilish grin, and he pats the seat next to him.

I don’t move right away, not until his dark eyes sparkle with threatening urgency. Reluctantly, I step over and I sit down on the loveseat with as much space between us as physically possible. I can’t stop my eyes from repeatedly flicking to Hancock, fingers curling into a fist.

“Where is Trevel?” The Ivory asks, and I stiffen.

Truthfully, I don’t know where Trevel is right now. I haven’t seen him since he said he was going to check on Dr. Love, and that was a few hours ago. He could be anywhere at this point.