Page 95 of A Villain’s Lies

She raises a brow, gets up, and walks to her purse, pulling the card out of her wallet. Her head whips in my direction when she sees her name on it. “When did you do this?” She gasps.

I shrug. “What does it matter? It’s yours. Your spending limit is endless.”

“You shouldn’t tell a woman who has never had access to any sort of money for most her life that her spending limit is endless.” She winks, putting it back. “But thank you.”

A knock comes on the door, and she gets up to answer it as my stomach starts turning. “Are you okay?” Avani asks. She pulls open the door to see Zuko standing there. His eyes find me and then lock on Avani.

“What is wrong with you?” Zuko says.

I push past him and straight out the door, throwing up the contents of my stomach onto the lawn. I hear Zuko’s soft laugh as Avani mutters under her breath.

“You trying to kill him already?” Zuko asks.

“It was the pancakes, wasn’t it?” she asks sullenly.

“Pancakes? Fuck, you are trying to kill him. You sure you want this one around?” Zuko asks as I look over my shoulder, wiping my mouth.

Zuko has his thumb pointing to Avani, who is trying to contain her laugh.

“I told you I couldn’t cook. You said it was good,” Avani mumbles.

“Newsflash, it wasn’t,” Zuko adds.

I shake my head, realizing too late that it was a mistake when I heave again.

“Fuck, let me find something,” Avani says, running back inside.

“I’m not sure you should take it. Whatever she gives you might kill you.” Zuko chuckles.

“Shut up,” I grumble as I straighten. Grayson’s trying to hide his smirk, but it’s not working. “Why are you even here?”

“We had some business to attend to in the city.”

I wipe my mouth before I speak again. “So, you killed someone. Will I see this one on the news?”

“No, do you ever?” He winks. That’s true. Somehow, they are like magicians in what they do. It’s dark and twisted, and that’s saying something coming from me. Because I’m dark and twisted on the inside, it’s just that they are next level. I guess I had to learn it from somewhere.

“We got the bodies out before the police arrived. Wanted you to know that.”

“Thanks,” I reply, and he nods as Avani walks out with a glass.

“I wouldn’t drink that. She’s already tried poisoning you with food,” he tosses out as he walks off.

“I didn’t mean to poison you,” she whispers, looking up at me adorably. She actually feels bad. “You shouldn’t have eaten it.”

“You cooked for me.”

She shrugs. “Yeah, I tried. And I almost killed you.”

I brush her off and shake my head. “No, you didn’t. All is good.” Just as the last word leaves my mouth, I’m bending over and throwing up again.

“Nothing is good. I’m never cooking again,” she states with sadness in her tone.

“Agreed. It’s probably best you don’t. We can hire a cook.”

Her hands come up from behind me, and she holds the cup in front of me. “I like the idea of a cook,” she muses.

“Good. Done and dusted,” I tell Avani as she smiles. “Now it’s time to go home.”

“Home,” she whispers. “I’ve never really had my own home before.”

Fuck.

It’s time to change that.

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