Page 33 of Truth (Wicked Empire 2)

“I know. Only eight ounces. You’re sticking to that too?” I asked, practically daring him to disagree.

“It will be hard, but what is good for the gander is good for the goose in this case,” he said.

He had a light smile on his face, but I studied him, my expression intense.

“What?” he asked.

“You’d do that?” I said, suddenly turning serious.

“Do what?”

“Not have coffee because I can’t?”

“Of course,” he responded immediately.

His answer was certain, like it wasn’t even really a question.

For some reason, that blew me away.

But I didn’t allow myself to think about that.

Instead, I studied the city, finding myself liking it even more.

“Did you enjoy the walk?” he asked when we got back to the hotel.

“Yes, it was lovely,” I responded.

That was honest too.

“The company, so-so,” I said.

He chuckled. Then it was his turn to go serious.

“Something is on your mind, Amethyst,” he said.

“A lot of things are on my mind,” I answered.

He nodded his agreement.

“You don’t have guards?” I asked, mentioning one of the things I’d been mulling over.

I had meant to ask about the fleet of SUVs, too, but I had forgotten.

“I do. You just didn’t see them. Which meant they were doing their job,” he said.

I hadn’t. Hadn’t even given it a thought until this moment, which was a reminder that I needed to get my head on straight.

I’d been so focused on staying one step ahead of him, but now I needed a different set of priorities.

“Are you in danger?” I asked.

He shrugged, his nonchalance not something I was expecting. “You never know. And it’s best to be prepared.”

“You don’t have guards at home,” I said, though it occurred to me that the place I had thought of as home wasn’t that anymore, at least not for a while.

“Not usually. Most of the time, it was just me alone with a small group of men should I need them. Day-to-day guards weren’t necessary.”

“Why now?” I asked.

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