Page 171 of The Night Firm

He shrugs. "I'm enjoying the afternoon before a meeting I have scheduled."

"A meeting?" I scoff at that. "Does your meeting involve killing dragons?" I ask. Though I sound flippant, my heart is racing in my chest and I feel close to vomiting again. I can't bear for him to be guilty of this crime, but I can't ignore who he is, or what he is capable of.

"What are you talking about?" he asks.

"Lyx. She's dead. Stabbed through the heart with something that looks suspiciously like that unicorn horn dagger you've got there."

His face pales and he stumbles back a bit. "Lyx is dead? Are you sure?"

"I saw her body myself."

His eyes widen. "Her body remains? How? Why?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out, Cole," I say with as much cool as I can muster. "The Mother of Dragons herself showed up and is pretty pissed. Things will not end well for me if I don't solve this murder, and right now, you look like the prime suspect."

"Mon couer, I didn't do this. You must believe me. Look at your ring if you think I am lying." He glances down at my hand and raises an eyebrow when he sees all the dragon rings lining my fingers.

I don't even bother considering his suggestion. "Do you really think I still believe this ring protects me from your lies?" I ask. "I've known for some time that it's a tracking device more than anything."

He cocks his head, his dark eyes unreadable. "You are a surprising woman. If you know, then why do you still wear it?" he asks, stepping closer to me until we are inches apart from each other. He raises a hand to caress my cheek, and though a part of me wants to turn away, I find I cannot. I'm mesmerized by him, as I always have been, and despite everything, I still crave him, body, mind and soul, and the bastard knows it.

I force myself to step back, just out of his reach, though the action pains me. "I wear it as a reminder not to fall for a pretty face."

He grins, stroking his chin. "I am rather dashing, it's true."

I roll my eyes but can't help but laugh. "You're impossible is what you are."

"By the looks of it, you're quite skilled at handling the impossible,mon cher."

"I'm not here to flirt with you," I say, though my voice lacks the confidence I try desperately to instill in it.

"Of course not. How can I be of service? If you do not believe me, how shall I prove my innocence to you?"

"Where did you get the dagger?" I ask. "And where are you going with it?"

"It was not easy to track down," he says. "When the Collector went missing, he left a certain gap in the underground industry. I, in my benevolence, have volunteered to fill that gap by acquiring that which is hard to find for people with the right resources."

My face hardens. "I hope you haven't picked up all his criminal behavior," I say, thinking of the girls he trafficked in.

Cole frowns. "No. Never. You know me better than that. I would never trade in lives. Not for any amount of money. Only hard to come by goods."

I nod, believing him this time. I know his past, know what he's been through, and I know he wouldn't put someone else through that.

He cocks his head, studying me. "You wouldn't happen to know what became of the Collector, would you?" he asks.

I shrug. "Why would I know anything about that?" I say. I mean, it's not exactly a lie. Just a question.

He chuckles. "Of course. How silly of me."

"So you were hired to find this dagger," I say, bringing us back to the point of the conversation.

"Yes," he says. "But I'm under strict orders of confidentiality."

I cock my hip and stare him down. "Cole."

He glances down at my hands again, at the rings lining them. "Merdre," he says, cursing under his breath. "I literally can't tell you. I'm bound. But there's nothing saying I can't show you. Come with me to my meeting."

"Yes. I will. But how is that better for you than telling me?"