Page 113 of Emperor of Wrath

“You’re a terrible husband.”

I chuckle, turning to flip Mal off as he shakes his head.

“Nakahara Turo’s wife just stole Annika again.”

“Like I said,” I shrug, “she can handle herself.”

He smirks, eyeing me.

“What?”

“Nothing.” He shakes his head again, looking away into the crowd.

“Don’t make me choke-hold it out of you.”

He chuckles. “I was just going to say… I like her.”

“Good. She’s going to be around for a while.”

He rolls his eyes. “I meant I like her for you. I like what she does to you.”

“What, drive me crazy?”

“Keep telling yourself that all you want. If you actually believe it, you’re a fucking idiot.”

I smile to myself as I turn back to survey the crowd, sipping my drink.

“So,” I grin, side-eying him. “Is it true what they say?”

“About?”

“Absence making the heart growing fonder?”

He frowns as he turns to me. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Like, do you guys text, or FaceTime, or is it a snail-mail kind of thing. I bet she’d think that was very romantic.”

“Kenzo, I have no idea?—”

“It’s all good,” I grin. “She’s coming out this way soon. She and Annika were talking yesterday, setting it up.”

His brow furrows. “What in the ever-loving fuck are you?—”

Then his eyes narrow on me.

I chuckle. “There’s the light bulb fading on.”

“Freya,” he growls quietly. “You’re talking about Freya.”

“Obviously.”

“You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about, Kenzo,” he growls coldly.

“Really? I think I’m talking about someone’s little crush?—”

“Drop. It.”

Whoa. There’s a viciousness on Mal’s face that I rarely see, unless we’re in the middle of a goddamn gunfight.

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