Page 45 of Emperor of Havoc

Slowly, I lean closer to his ear, delicately coughing. “I’ll have to tell you all about the wedding night later, so you can see if what I get to taste is everything you’ve always imagined…”

The room goes utterly still. I brace myself, waiting for Ryu to explode.

He doesn’t even blink. He doesn’t draw his katana, or hit me, or say a word. But finally he clears his throat and leans into me.

“If you think you’re the first little maggot to try and get under my skin, you are sorely mistaken,gaijin. Unlike you, I’m not at the mercy of my emotions like a child. I don’t take orders from anyone except Katarina—a woman, I might add, who I consider my own blood.”

I sigh. “Ryu?—”

“No,gaijin. You aren’t going to provoke me, no matter how disgusting you are. But ifsheasks it of me?” His smile widens. “I will not hesitate for a second to separate your foul-mouthed head from your body.”

For a moment, I say nothing. I just smile, slowly and deliberately, letting him feel every inch of the threat I’m not voicing. Then I turn away, reclaiming my glass and strolling back through the study past the cluster of captains and out into the hall. Let Ryu stew. I’ll deal with him in my own time.

For now, I have somethingmuchmore…interesting to deal with.

I findKatarina in her wing of the house, as I knew I would.

Now, I can’t claim to have known I’d find her drying off her naked body after a shower, but here we are.

There's still a faint sound of running water when I let myself into her bedroom. The door clicks shut softly behind me and I lean against it, watching her through the open bathroom door and the steam-fogged glass shower walls.

She doesn’t notice me at first, too preoccupied with turning the water off and then wrapping herself in a towel. I take the opportunity to poke my head into the small office in the adjoining room, frowning when I see that fucking tiger cub asleep on the sofa.

I close the door to the office and its clawed occupant and turn to lean against it as I watch Katarina.

She catches sight of me a second later as she steps out of the shower and freezes, her entire body going rigid as her wide, gray eyes snap to mine.

“What thefuckare you doing in here?!” she signs, her movements furious as she violently yanks the towel around herself.

I smile, calmly walking toward the bathroom. “Looking for you, wife.”

Her face flushes with fury—and something else I know she doesn’t want me to see. “Get out.”

I take a slow step forward, my eyes dragging deliberately over her—the damp strands of hair clinging to her neck, the curve of her bare shoulders, the way her chest rises and falls unevenly. She scrambles back a step, clutching the towel tighter. The movement only makes me smile wider.

“What are these games you’re playing?” I ask softly, tilting my head. “You can't think I haven’t noticed.”

“Excuse me?”

“Is it really purely by chance that thewaka gashiraand other allies all go silent when I walk into a room?”

“Not chance,” she signs. “It’s probably your repellent personality. Or, I don't know, the fact that you’re their enemy.”

“Was,” I growl. “Wastheir enemy. Now I’m their boss.”

She rolls her eyes.

“Roll them all you like, princess,” I purr. “When we’re married, what’s yours is mine, including control over those sulking, pouting captains. So, no more games. Although I promise they’re doing nothing but amuse me.”

“They’re not games,” she signs, glaring at me. “They’re protection.”

“Protection?” I echo, amusement threading through my voice. “From?”

“You,” she signs fiercely. “You think you’re in control here, but you’re not.”

“Control?” I move before she can react, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her close. I feel her pulse flutter beneath my fingers, quick and erratic.

“I’ve been using the carrot, Katarina,” I murmur, my voice low as I look down at her. “But I could always switch to the stick. What do you think your captains would say if I told them how much you love being chased?” I whisper. “How much you love being roughlyused?”

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