Page 112 of Underground Prince

“Simple black dress, my friend.”

I pulled at my blouse. “Guess we have to do a quick shop.”

“Won't be long now before you’re on the other side.” He winked. “That is, until you’re able to snag a pot worth more than a grand.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I grumbled, but wavered. “Kai…”

He paused, his jacket half on. “Yeah?”

“Do you think—I mean, is it a good idea that I keep doing this?” I motioned at him. “Playing these games, learning poker with you?”

His jacket crested over his shoulders, and he shook them out as he checked himself in the hallway mirror. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Because of what Trace said.”

I’d answered him so low that Kai asked me to repeat it.

“What exactly did he say to you?” Kai asked.

“That I was…” I focused my thoughts to last night, back in that room, with gold eyes of a completely different nature boring into me. “He thought I was betraying Theo by going to these other game rooms with you. Using you.”

Kai moved with a careful heel-toe walk until he reached me. “Betraying him how?”

I tried to laugh it off. “He thinks I’m a cop.”

Kai’s brows jumped up. “That’s why he brought you in for a meet?”

I nodded.

“Shit, man.” After a few contemplative breaths, he said, “Trace gets jittery if a bird lands on the left side of his windowsill instead of the right. I wouldn’t put much stock in his actions. Especially if Sax backs you up—he did, right?”

I remembered him in the car. Holding me, kissing my temple. “Yes.”

“Then look, Trace will be watching you carefully for a while, but he’ll move on. That’s his style.” Kai was at the front door before he finished speaking, and I rushed to catch up. “If it were Gordon Saxon arranging the meet, then I’d tell you to pack up your stuff and run to Greenland. But from what I’m hearing, it’s probably routine suspicion.” He took the stairs after me. “Unless you actually are a cop.” He pushed me playfully from behind.

“Georgie has more odds of being a cop than me,” I said.

“You must tell me about your alone time with Sax,” Kai said. “You did have some private time, right?”

“You’re disgusting.” I shoved his shoulder. “Nothing happened.”

“You lie,” Kai said, his swagger adding to his confident assessment as we walked to the subway. “It may not have been physical, but it was certainly something.”

Everything about me gave nothing away—I was plain as the night was dark, with a flat expression, a relaxed walk and a muted gaze. Too bad my quickened breath could be seen as misty, traitorous clouds.

“Ah ha!” He veered in front of me. “Pants on fire.”

I threw an arm out to direct him back beside me. “Fine, so maybe we grew a bit closer. Got to know each other a bit better. But that’s it.”

“Uh huh.”

“I mean it.”

“So what’s it like, then? Being witness to Theo Saxon’s bared soul?”

“Shut up,” I said as I hooked my arm with his. But then, in almost a whisper, I said, “But it’s true. He does have a soul.”

“Tell me everything.”

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