“How’d he even get in?” Leon asked when I finished. “Weren’t you in a Hestia property? Their security is supposed to be some of the best.”
“Yeah, you’re telling me,” I grumbled. “I filed a complaint, but—” I broke off, frowning as I sat up. “How did you know I was in a Hestia house, Marx?”
His deep chuckle wasn’t even slightly apologetic. “Old habits die hard, DeLuna.”
I cringed. “So… you probably already know I wasn’t there alone.”
A tense silence carried through the phone line, and my stomach twisted up like a pretzel.
“It may have come to my attention that you had a guest,” he gritted out, sounding murderous. “I hoped it was Carlos, but by the sound of your voice, am I to assume it was someone else?”
I exhaled heavily, running a hand over my hair. I’d tied it up in a ponytail to keep out of the way while I worked out, but now it was giving me a headache.
“Swap to video call, DeLuna,” Leon ordered, his voice clipped and angry. “I want to see you.”
“No,” I replied quickly. “It was Kai. I called his sister Moana for help when Carlos wasn’t answering my calls. I couldn’t think of anyone else that wouldn’t sell me out to the Guild, given half an opportunity.”
My phone beeped at me with Leon’s incoming video request, and I gritted my teeth, refusing to accept it. This was hard enough without seeing his reaction.
“Don’t be a coward, DeLuna,” Leon taunted, “you’re tougher than that. Accept.”
Bastard. “Fuck you,” I muttered, angrily stabbing the button to swap to video chat. “Happy?”
A cold smile curved his lips, and his green eyes studied my face. “Yeah, beautiful. I am. You look upset… Are you worried about what I might do to Kai for touching you while my back was turned?”
I blinked, confused by this reaction. “Um, honestly? Yeah, I am. We… talked. I don’t think I’d be very happy if you killed him.” Actually, I’d be fucking devastated. That was the last thing I wanted to come out of this awkward love triangle.
Leon’s expression shifted to pensive, his gaze locked on mine through the screen. “See, now I find myself at a conundrum, my love. My first instinct is to kill him in the most excruciatingly painful way possible. To make him carry the regret of touching you to his afterlife with him and to remind you that you’re mine.”
I scoffed. “I’m no one’s but my own.”
Leon chuckled. “Sure. But then you’ve been very clever breaking this news to me over the phone. Now I find myself with the clarity to understand how deeply displeased you’d be if I hurt this sack of shit, Kai. Much like if I’d killed Carlos when I’d been so tempted after Venice.”
I nodded, my lips pursed. “You’re quite right,” I confirmed. “Killing Kai—or Carlos, Jude, or Sabine for that matter—would make me very angry. I’d be forced to seek vengeance and kill you in return, and then I’d be stuck here all alone without you.”
He ran his thumb over his lower lip, thinking. “And… that would upset you, also? If I were dead?”
“Of course it would,” I replied, frowning. “I like you.”
His lips curled in a smile. “Is that all?”
Panic filled my chest, and my palms turned sweaty. “You’re changing the subject, Bunny. We were discussing how you won’t kill Kai for touching me.”
His expression shifted murderous again. “And has he? Touched you, I mean.”
My eyes widened as I realized what I’d essentially just admitted to. “Um…”
“Where?” Leon practically growled the question. “Where has he touched you, mon cœur?”
I wet my lips, weighing my options. Refuse to provide details, knowing it would drive him nuts? Or give him all the details and hope he was more turned on than infuriated?
Or… I could bargain. “Give me something useful, and I’ll tell you something in exchange.”
Leon’s blazing green eyes narrowed. “What do you want to know, beautiful? I can promise you I’ve not been with any other women. You’re it for me.”
Oof, my heart just doubled in size.
“Not that,” I murmured, feeling a slight blush touch my face. “Tell me where to find one of Blanchet’s guys. I need to go on attack, or I’ll lose my fucking mind here.”
His gaze shifted to pensive, then he ran a hand over his stubbled chin. “Not Blanchet. But I did uncover Layla’s last assignments before her death. One of them is near where you are now.”
Okay, not as useful as I wanted, but it would certainly help Mo if I could uncover Layla’s data cache. And possibly even answer the question of why Blanchet was involved. Why he was targeting me.
“She was given a simple surveillance contract in a club there, something that should have only taken one night at best. But the paperwork says she was there for a full week.” There was a small line between Leon’s brows, and I wanted to reach through the phone to smooth it out.
“You think the extra time was stashing her data?” It certainly sounded plausible. “Wait, you know where I am now, too? Come on, Leon. You’re not supposed to be—”
“I’m not tracking you, beautiful,” he cut me off with a laugh. “I promise. But I recognize the gym you’re in right now.”
I swiveled my head, realizing there was a framed poster behind me for one of The Archer’s old illegal fights at a creepy old amusement park. Whoops.
“Where was her contract meant to take place?” I asked, changing the subject back to Layla.
“A club called Meow Lounge,” he told me with a grimace. “She was sent to run recon on a couple of regular patrons, but her debrief mentions having spoken with the owner, Lee Sheridan. He might be worth questioning.”
I nodded my understanding. “I’ll drop by today and have a chat with him.”
Leon immediately scowled and shook his head. “No, not yet. Just wait for me, I’m already on my way back to you.”
Smiling, I rolled my eyes. “I think this is probably something I can handle, Marx. But thanks for the concern.”
He glowered back at me. “It’s not like that. Lee Sheridan is a suspicious kind of guy; he won’t just talk because you asked nicely. You’ll need to catch him when the club is open, and even then—”
“I wasn’t planning on asking nicely, Bunny.” I grinned through the phone at him.
He stared at me for a long moment, then sighed. “You’re gonna go without me, aren’t you?”
I nodded. “You already know I will. Fair’s fair, though. Want me to tell you about how Kai put a spy camera in my room at Hestia and witnessed our last video chat?”
Leon’s expression flickered with a whole host of emotions. Fury, jealousy, lust…
“But he didn’t realize I was on the phone to you,” I continued. “Until I told him.”
Leon’s lips parted, then he started laughing. Although it was at Kai’s expense, I much preferred competitive mocking between them rather than attempts to kill one another. Now I just had to hope that would hold up if they were in the same room together.