Page 56 of Queen of Spades

That move would normally annoy me. Makeup leaves the worst stains, and Colette ensured her gifts included a wide variety of products in various shades and colors. Half of which are likely all over my white shirt.

I distract myself by standing, and Annika immediately circles my ass with her legs. Glancing back at the table, it’s clear she kicked off her heels at some point during the night.

That’s a two-thousand-dollar pair of shoes, and I got the feeling she would have been happier in the flats Ward picked out.

The bastard.

We’ve known each other the exact same amount of time. There’s no reason he should be so far ahead in getting to know her.

I stride toward the door, trying to understand where I went wrong. The door pops open right as I’m reaching for the handle.

My hand tightens on Annika’s ass as Grady’s head tilts.

“Dammit. Did I miss strip poker?” He laughs. “Anni Girl, did you purposely lose? That’s not your style.”

Her head tilts as her feet tighten on my ass. “They’re just going to show us to the nest.”

“Well, by all means.” He steps into the room, but Kane blocks the doorway. “You do smell sweet.” He leans over, breathing deeply. I have to fight the urge to turn away. He’s not allowed to steal her from me when I’ve just gotten my hands on her. Not that anything can truly happen tonight, considering she’s been drinking. “No one is getting through if you don’t move.” He nods to Kane. “Oh, by the way, we met your pops when he was heading out.”

My head falls back as it shakes. “Jesus Christ.”

That’s the last thing I need.

Kane finally moves, and I stomp my way through the house toward the nest. I barely make it to the top of the stairs before Annika shakes her head.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“I think I’ll just go to bed instead.”

“You don’t want the nest?” I frown, tilting my head to try to see her face.

“No, but thanks for offering.”

Grady steps around me, holding his arms out.

I exhale heavily as she stretches toward him. It’s the last thing I want to do, but I still make it easier for him to grab her from my hold.

“I’m still upset with you,” she whispers to Grady.

“I know, baby,” he coos, walking off toward the room they were given.

My jaw hangs open. I’m still flabbergasted by what changed so quickly. More than that, I’m baffled by why I care at all.

I’m going to need a fuck of a lot more alcohol before I can sleep.

It’s never a good sign when my office phone rings after eleven p.m. Dropping my glass, I snatch up the phone.

“Cassian, how’s my sister?” Ranger asks.

Beautiful. Infuriating. Confusing at the best of times.

“She’s fine,” I say, trying to sound considerably less intoxicated. “I believe she’s sleeping.”

“Right,” Ranger hums. “It’s time we discuss your marker.”

My teeth grind together as my hand tightens around the phone. “I’ve honored my portion of our agreement. Annika is in my home, and she’s safe.”

“Cassian.” My name sounds especially taunting slipping from his lips. “I explained that housing them was the first step in repaying the debt you owe me. Our marker will not be fully resolved until Sparrow is safely in Virginia, where I can keep an eye on her.”

---