Page 152 of His Ruthless Match
She always had.
I kept glancing at Eva out of the corner of my eye, her silence gnawing at me like a blade dragging slowly across my ribs. She wasn’t saying anything—no biting remarks, no sarcastic quips, nothing.
By the time we reached The Shadow’s mansion, I was certain I’d fucked everything up beyond repair.
I led her straight to the kitchen, the soft glow of the chandeliers overhead doing little to lighten the oppressive weight between us. Eva’s steps faltered slightly as we crossed the threshold, and I tightened my grip on her hand, guiding her toward the large wooden table in the center of the room.
“Sit,” I said.
She obeyed without a word, lowering herself onto the bench almost mechanically. Seeing her like that, without her usual fire and sharp twist, made something twist violently in my chest. I glanced toward the cook, who was cleaning up for the night.
“Make her something,” I instructed. I didn’t have the energy for pleasantries. “Something warm. And plenty of it.”
The cook raised an eyebrow at me but didn’t question it. She nodded, wiping her hands on her apron before moving to the pantry. I turned back to Eva. Her eyes were fixed on the table, her hands limp in her lap. I crouched in front of her, resting a hand on her knee to get her attention.
“You need to eat,” I said softly. “You haven’t had anything in hours. Your blood sugar’s probably in the gutter by now.”
Her gaze lifted to meet mine, and for a second, I thought I saw something flicker there—gratitude, maybe. But it was gone just as quickly, that distant, hollow look taking its place.
“I’ll be back soon,” I told her, standing and stepping away. “I need to talk to your brother.”
Her head snapped up at that, and the look she gave me made my stomach sink straight into my boots. She didn’t say a word, but she didn’t have to. I could read it all over her face.Don’t leave me.But she wasn’t arguing. She wasn’t fighting me on it. And that made it so much worse. Where was the spark? The quick retorts? The edge that had always kept me on my toes?
I’d done this to her. I’d put her through something that would haunt her for the rest of her life. I’d failed her.
Jaw clenched, I forced myself to turn away. My boots thudded heavily as I left the kitchen.
I didn’t look back.
The Shadow was in his study, standing by the window with his hands clasped behind his back. The faint light of the moon illuminated his sharp profile, making him look as untouchable as ever. As soon as I stepped inside, he turned, his dark eyes locking onto mine like a predator sizing up its prey.
The tension in the room was immediate, palpable. He didn’t even let me get a word out before he spoke. “Where the fuck is Eva?” he demanded, his voice sharp and cold. “She’s supposed to be with you at all times.”
I raised my hands defensively, trying to placate him. “She’s fine. She’s in the kitchen, getting something to eat.”
His gaze narrowed, but there was a flicker of relief beneath the anger. Only a flicker, though, before it was buried beneath the storm brewing in his expression when he took in my blood-soaked shirt. “What the hell happened?”
I exhaled slowly, my shoulders sagging under the weight of what I was about to say. “As planned, we visited the Crimson Dominion’s black market,” I began. “I was following a lead.”
He raised an eyebrow, and the muscles in his jaw twitched.
Shit. My throat tightened, but I pressed on. “I guess you already know all of this since Eva filled you in.”
The Shadow’s eyes darkened, his expression twisting into something dangerously close to fury. “Eva didn’t tell me a damn thing. She told me you were going toexplore my territory.Nothing more, nothing less.”
My stomach dropped. Of course she’d lied. Of course she hadn’t told him the truth. Why would she? But that left me in the uncomfortable position of outing her, and I hesitated, my tongue fumbling for the right words.
“I’m sorry, boss. She lied to you. And to me. I told her she could only go if you approved. The plan all along was to visit the black market.” I paused, the memory of that nightmare flashing in my mind. “Unfortunately, we were ambushed. One of the vendors used blood magic to strip away her illusion.”
The Shadow’s hands curled into fists, his knuckles whitening. He began pacing the room, his movements sharp and deliberate. The last time I’d seen him this angry, Izo had taken his wife.
“There’s more.”
He stopped dead in his tracks, his dark gaze snapping to mine. “How the fuck can there be more?”
I swallowed hard, not really wanting to say what I was about to. My hands were shaking, so I crossed my arms to hide it.
“I’ve been making bad judgment calls,” I said, my words stumbling over each other. “My feelings for Eva… they’ve grown into something that’s become a liability.”
