Page 46 of King of Justice

“Shut up.”

Pointing at my face, he chuckled. “If my eyes ever get this puffy, you shoot me. Am I clear?”

“Shut up.” I grabbed another smoothie and watched him strut toward my study. I silently followed.

“If my agent saw me looking like that—”

“Well, thank fuck I’m not in show business.”

As I stood in the doorway, he turned to me and pretended to stifle a laugh as he shook his head. “If you don’t tell me what you were up to, I’m just going to assume the worst, and you know it.”

Sitting down at the chess table, I glanced at him with a visible scowl. “You’ve crossed over to completely annoying.”

“Thank you.” He sat down, clearing his throat while staring at the board for a moment. As usual, he played with white. “Also, it’s very unlike you to be drinking… what’s this?” He leaned over, looking at his smoothie and then at me with questioning eyes.

“A hangover recipe.”

“I’m not hungover.” He shrugged, picking it up and taking a sip. “Mmm. Yummy.”

Pointing at the chess board, I stared at him from under my eyebrows. “Sometime today?”

“Here.” He moved a pawn. I could feel his eyes burning holes through my face as I concentrated on my initial move.

Finally, I moved my pawn and said, “I think I met someone.”

“Oh boy, am I speechless,” he mocked, giving me a knowing look before nodding and looking down at the board. “When?”

“Christmas.”

“So you weren’t stuck in Cold Spring!” He began to chuckle, slowly clapping his hands. “I knew it.”

“I actually was.” I nodded in confirmation.

His hands stopped mid-air as he stared at me. “She’s not.”

“She is.”

“From Cold Spring?” He paused. “Is that where you went last night?”

“No, no. She’s um—here, actually. Volunteering in Brooklyn.”

“Brooklyn?” He raised his eyebrows. “You know, all these impromptu reactions are not good for the wrinkles.”

“Stop doing it, then.”

“Then quit messing with me! Who’s volunteering on New Year’s?”

“Sophie.”

“And Sophie is…”

“A writer.”

“Anything I might’ve read?”

“I don’t know. Are you familiar with Anna Brandt versus Plemon Studios?”

“What?”

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