Page 35 of Stroke of Shadows

“I see you have a new dog,” she said, finally placing the knife back down on the counter. Her skin had paled, eyes widening in slight panic.

“It’s called having friends. You should try it sometime.”

Sythe remained where he was, knowing he shouldn’t interfere. He was exactly what Harper had described, a dog. He was to do whatever the spoilt rich bastard wanted, and he’d do it with a compliant smile, because that was why he was there.

Harper’s eyes met his, her fury tightly coiled beneath layers of privilege, obedience, and fear.

Starlight, that was what he saw in her irises. A million glittering stars with an edge of innocence that enraptured his beast. She was beautiful, despite the air of vulnerability she seemed to carry like a burden.

Harper was an obsession he couldn’t indulge in, even if he found himself wanting to break every single one of his fucking rules just to have another taste.

“You haven’t updated me in a while.” Wyatt pinned her with a stare. “You know how important this is.”

“That’s because there isn’t anything to update you on yet.” Her lips pursed, her eyes flicking between them. “I’m working on it. Angel also has me looking for an art piece—”

“This takes priority,” Wyatt snapped.

Colour glazed her cheekbones. “I can’t just drop everything for Angel. You know how he’ll get if I don’t find the pieces for his collection.”

“Don’t worry about my father. I’ll deal with him.” Wyatt took a step closer to Harper, and she stiffened. “You know what happens when you keep me waiting.”

Harper pursed her lips, but simply nodded. “Wyatt. Mr Black.” Turning on her heel, she quietly left the room. Sythe smothered the irritation at his fake name on her tongue, and the way with which she said it with such cold authority. He couldn’t stop his eyes from dropping to her legs, her trousers made from a pale linen that highlighted the luscious curves beneath.

“What’s your problem with her?” he found himself asking.

“Do I need a reason?” Wyatt shook his head, downing the water before throwing the empty bottle into the sink. “She’s my father’s favourite. Bitch can’t do any wrong in his eyes because of what she is.”

“And what exactly is she?”

Wyatt slid his eyes to Sythe, jaw tight. “The light in the darkness,” he said, as if it were a quote. “Angel likes to keep her private, almost like a dirty secret.”

Wyatt turned fully, linking his arms across his chest.

“Be careful with her, Sy.”

“I wasn’t doing anything,” Sythe said, sneering. “She’s an easy tease, and I was bored.”

“Trust me, she’s not worth it.” A flash in his eyes. Envy. Wyatt was jealous of Harper.

Sythe stored that information away for later. “What’s she working on for you?” he asked, returning to his cereal.

Wyatt paused, his gaze assessing. “You need to stop listening to shit that’s not meant for you.”

Sythe shrugged. “If you wanted a dog, you should have gotten a dog.”

“She’s finding something for me. It’s what she does. She hunts down exclusive pieces that are difficult to find.” Wyatt dragged his fingers through his hair.

“And what is she getting for you?” Sythe knew he was pushing his luck.

A humourless smile touched Wyatt’s lips. “Just because you saved my life doesn’t mean I trust you.”

Sythe chewed on his cereal. “You’re a fucking arsehole.”

“And you’re a scrappy bastard,” Wyatt laughed. “You ready to head out?”

Sythe placed his empty bowl in the sink, only for Wyatt to come up from behind, and shoved his head down. Sythe didn’t fight back, instead gritting his teeth.

“This will be your only warning about Harper.” Wyatt pressed against his head harder before releasing.

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