Page 57 of The Last Strike

Asher nodded. He would’ve agreed, but James hadn’t factored Khalil’s ego into it.

“Leave that to me,” Asher said, ending the call.

He stood to go to bed but remembered his fight with Abi. He didn’t know how to resolve that, and he was too tired to think about it right now.

He eyed the couch in his office and lay down.

He barely remembered putting his head on the cushion.

* * *

Asher joltedawake when he heard voices. He opened his eyes to see James studying him like an insect under investigation.

“I’ll get you coffee,” he said. “Then we’ll talk.”

Asher sat upright, swinging his legs to the ground. He needed to shower and shave and change his clothes—but having coffee first seemed like a good idea.

Asher checked his phone, but there was nothing from Abi. He sighed, rubbing his eyes. He hated arguing with her. He hated any distance between them.

James came back with two cups of coffee and sat in the armchair opposite Asher.

“I sent one of my men to the ruins early this morning,” James said, getting straight to business. “The tunnels on the distant end, near the swimming hole, appear to be stable. There should be enough to work with, but I think it would be a good idea to take a walk through this afternoon before we make too many plans.”

Asher nodded. “This afternoon would be good because I need to update Luang by this evening.”

James looked thoughtful. “We can go now. The sooner the better, actually.”

Asher hesitated, but not for the reasons James likely thought. He needed to shower first, and that meant facing Abi. Asher didn’t want to be a coward, but he knew this was a delicate situation and he wanted to figure out what to say before he saw her. Part of him also thought he’d never know what to say.

“I’ll get dressed and we can discuss the plan in the car,” Asher said, standing and taking his coffee with him.

James and the team escorted Asher to his bedroom. He carefully opened the door but he quickly saw the bed was empty. Even though he’d been dreading this conversation, he was surprised by how uncomfortable the sight of the empty bed made him. Was Abi avoiding him too?

“Where is Abi?” Asher asked, looking at James.

To his credit, he acted as though nothing were out of the ordinary, even though he’d seen Asher sleeping on the couch.

“She’s eating breakfast with her mother in the dining room,” he said.

Asher nodded and entered the bedroom, closing the door behind him. He pressed his back against the door, closing his eyes for a moment. But he only gave himself a minute to wallow in his misery. He strode toward the bathroom and turned on the shower. He undressed and stepped under the hot water. He washed quickly, wanting to keep moving, needing to. He was so uneasy that it was easier to not relax.

He turned off the water, dried himself, and changed into a clean pair of jeans and a fresh white shirt. He rolled up the sleeves and undid the top few buttons, because today they felt like they were choking him. As he reached for his watch, he saw the velvet jewelry tray Abi used to put her ring on at night. The tray was empty, and he felt a shred of relief. Of course, it was possible that if the ring was sitting on the tray, she’d have simply forgotten to put it on. But it could also mean she no longer had any intention of marrying him, as she’d so clearly advised last night.

Asher shook his head. He would deal with that later. Right now, he had to focus. He needed an advantage over Khalil, and the Lithe Ruins would be key for his success.

“Ready,” Asher said, holding his coffee as he opened the door.

James cradled his phone between his ear and his shoulder and motioned toward the hallway.

“Mak, I’ll call you back in a few hours. Okay,” James said before tucking his phone back into his pocket.

Asher looked to him. “I think that’s the first time I’ve heard you on the phone with your wife.”

James smirked. “I do call her. I’m not a total asshole.”

Asher chuckled. “What does she think about you living in Santina for so long? You were supposed to go home weeks ago,” he said, feeling a hint of guilt. James had been due to go home right around the time the palace was attacked.

“She understands,” he said simply.

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