Page 85 of Owned

I pushed open a side door that led outside and stepped into the cool, damp air.

I took a quick breath and strode toward the garage.

The door didn’t close—Valen was following me.

He jogged to catch up, but I didn’t turn.

“Do you think he suspects anything?”

“Do you really think I care?” I shot back, my impatience rising.

“You should,” Valen said. “You’re just as guilty—”

I spun around to face him. “Am I, now?”

He didn’t flinch, even though my face was mere inches from his.

“You think you’ll find loyalties in Messana that haven’t already been bought?” he asked. His voice was annoyingly calm.

“I know I’ll find what I’m looking for,” I said, venom still lingering on my tongue. “Lucian wants blood—and I intend to give it to him before Titus makes his move.”

Valen let out a sigh, an ambiguous sound that could have been sympathy or exasperation—whichever one it was, it set my nerves on edge. “You’re making a mistake.”

“Maybe you should focus on keeping your own neck intact,” I hissed.

He shook his head and then shrugged. “If you’re going into the city, then so am I.”

I bared my teeth and took a step back. “I don’t need you.”

“Maybe not, but if you’re going to do something stupid, I want to be there to see it.”

A laugh burst from my lips and echoed flatly in the night, but Valen didn’t smile.

“Fine,” I said bitterly. “Go on then. I’ll catch up. I need to pay my rat a visit and make sure the trap is set.”

Valen regarded me carefully for a moment, his face expressionless, and then he shoved his hands in his pockets. “Don’t keep me waiting.”

I dismissed him with a tilt of my head. “Don’t have any fun without me.”

Valen pushed past me. “Prick.”

“Bastard,” I taunted him.

Valen’s shoulders straightened, but he didn’t turn.

Too easy.

I had an idea… Titus had his own agenda, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t have one of my own.

Iwasworried that Lucian suspected us.

It would be easy—we were suspicious as fuck, and Titus wasn’t doing the best job of hiding his anger.

Lucian wanted results, and I planned to give him what he wanted and keep his eye off us.

Off me, anyway.

I glanced over my shoulder to make sure that Valen was out of sight. The lights of the garage burned in the darkness across the estate, but I couldn’t see him.

---