Page 64 of Master of Fortune

I shook my head. “Nothing on the chip can link directly back to me. All it has is the emblem of the club. Let him have it. If I don’t put up with shit from the one I’m engaged to, I’m not going to do it from this one.”

“Then in the meantime, I’m going to double your security. I’d rather err on the safe side of caution.” The no-nonsense way Tony had spoken those words made me want to laugh.

I nodded, acquiescing. “Why do I get the feeling you’re about to put me in a twenty-four-hour surveillance situation like you did when I snuck out of the house to scare Teresa for stealing my broach?”

Tony kept his stoic expression except for the slight twitch of his lips. “Because you’re just as much trouble now as you were then.”

16

Nyx

Twenty-four hours after leaving Vegas,I walked out onto the heated patio leading to the greenhouse connected to my cottage. It was a little past one in the morning, and no matter how hard I’d tried, sleep seemed to elude me.

Stupid time zones.

Usually, a little digging in the dirt calmed my mind and helped me relax enough to get a few hours of shut-eye before the giant brunch my parents always planned whenever the five kids were in town at the same time.

Opening the glass doors, I stepped into the warm, balmy room and inhaled the air, taking in the rich, earthy essence of the place. There really was nothing like the smell of plants, flowers, nature. My brothers never understood my fascination with nature, but for as long as I could remember, I’d loved to watch things grow.

I made my way into the deepest part of the greenhouse, where I kept my supplies, and began to strip out of the outer layers of my clothes until all I had on was my robe and nightgown.

Stretching my arms wide, I spun around in a circle. God, I loved it in here.

If I wanted, I could flip cartwheels or run around butt naked in here, and no one would blink an eye. This was my safe space, my sanctuary. A place to think and regroup.

Which was what I needed to do now.

Earlier tonight, some of my old friends had gathered at a local club for a fun evening where we reminisced about our past and our college antics. We drank way too much and laughed too hard. It felt freeing, but the lump in my stomach hadn’t eased.

Instead of worrying about Hal having the poker chip David stole from one of my games, my emotions were all twisted over a man who was doing heaven knew what, at the moment.

Fucking Simon.

This whole situation was so wrong, and even knowing nothing would have come of anything between us, I couldn’t help but feel salty about how he’d treated me.

Asshole.

Yes, that’s what he was. A fucking asshole for not being straight with me.

Next time I saw Akari, I planned to tell her to take her advice and shove it up her butt.

I jumped at the sound of the greenhouse door creaking behind me, and before I realized I’d moved, I grabbed a blade from the butcher block table near me and threw it at the door, embedding the steel into the doorframe.

“Fuck, Goddess. Is that how you greet every guest?”

My heartbeat echoed into my ears as I stared at Simon’s face. “Unwelcome ones. I didn’t have to miss.”

Anger radiated into every nerve in my system. How dare he walk into my greenhouse after his five-week stunt.

And why the hell did he have to look so fucking good?

“I’m sure you didn’t.” Simon stepped inside, shutting the door and then locking it behind him. “But I’m happy you did.”

“I don’t want you here.” I shifted, moving slightly backward.

“Does it look like I care?”

“You should care. It could end badly.”

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