Page 116 of Emerald Malice

Shura clears his throat. “It wasn’t a party. Leonty and I were just?—”

“I know exactly what you and Leonty were doing,” I snap, forcing him into silence. “How reassuring it is to know that my men aren’t afraid of grunt work. I’m sure those bellinis you were guzzling made you so much more effective at your duties.”

“Wait—are you pissed at us?” Leonty asks, finally catching on.

Shura squares his jaw. “You tasked us with watching Natalia. That’s what we’re doing.”

“If I remember correctly, you weren’t appointed to her security detail.”

“No, but I do oversee it. In any case, I had a free evening and, if I remember correctly, I can spend my free time however I choose.”

“Fine.” I turn on Leonty. “What the fuck is your excuse?”

“Listen, Andrey,” he starts, “I don’t want you to think I’m slacking. I appreciate that you went to bat for me with Viktor. I’m not about to repay that by dropping the ball.”

“Glad to hear it. Let’s hear your latest report then,” I growl. “Anything happening at her work that I should know about?”

Leonty wipes his palms on the seat of his pants. “Uh, work has been relatively quiet. I don’t know. She’s just been… yeah, quiet.”

“Uncomfortable? Is it Byron?”

“No, Byron is behaving himself.”

“Then what is it?” I growl, more than a little aware that I could know exactly what Natalia’s day-to-day life is like if I asked her.

“It’s just little things I’ve picked up on.” He shrugs. “She eats by herself and she stays at her desk more. People go out of their way to keep their distance from her. But I’m there to make sure she’s safe, not to make sure she’s popular with her coworkers.”

I grit my teeth and turn back to Shura. “Has Natalia mentioned anything to you?”

“Nothing at all,” he swears.

I could ask Mila, but she’s made it clear she doesn’t like reporting on Natalia anymore, especially now that she, Natalia, and Katya are all close. I should be happy that Natalia has more friends in this house, but it would be easier if her friends weren’t my former informants.

“Where is Viktor?” I ask, scraping the bottom of the barrel for information I care about.

“He’s booked a room at the Red Palace,” Shura informs me.

“Fucking typical. Probably whoring his way through half the staff. Alright.” I turn back to my work. “If that’s all?—”

“Why did you turn down her dinner invitation?” blurts Shura.

Slowly, I raise my eyes, giving him ample opportunity to recant the question. But the silence stretches and deepens, getting darker and thornier with every passing second.

“Because I’m busy,” I snarl at last.

Shura meets my gaze. “I happen to know you’re not.”

“You don’t know a fucking thing about my schedule. Some of us don’t have time for parties by the pool.” I point to the door. “Out. Both of you.”

They rise and shuffle out. But I don’t miss the glance that Leonty and Shura exchange before they leave the office.

How is it that, in the space of a few short weeks, she has managed to bewitch everyone in this fucking house? And how exactly did I become the odd man out?

That evening, once dusk has fallen and the gardens are finally quiet, I make my way to the pool house.

Thanks to the canine pest, I’m forced to keep my distance, just in case he sniffs me out and alerts Natalia to my presence. It’s just as well, really—I have no desire to get too close.

Every time I’ve made that mistake, I’ve let my guard drop.

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