Page 12 of Ambition

But I clamp down on my back teeth and say nothing of it. “What do you really want from me, or am I free to go?”

Cain’s gaze flicks to my throat.

I straighten, resisting the compulsion to duck my chin and hide what I can.

“I see nothing when I look at those,” he says, meeting my eye again. The hickeys, he means, I’m sure. “Nothing except, perhaps, a fun night. But when he saw them, I think it looked a little different.”

I do not confirm nor deny. Instead, I wait for Cain to get to the point.

And alarmingly, he does, much faster than I anticipated. “I have seen men risk my entire brotherhood over jealousy. Make mistakes that could ruin us.” He stays exactly where he is, but somehow, despite his low voice, he feels closer. More dangerous. “Do not let him lash out in anger and destroy not only your career, but Writhe as a whole.” He gives the barest, darkest hint of a smile. “I will not hesitate to ensure Writhe does not exist if he steps out of line. And if I sense it happening before he fucks everything completely, I’ll spare your organization by forfeiting his life.”

The implications are clear to me and I don’t fucking like them. “SoIwill be punished if I don’t controlhisemotions?”

“In the same way I am if I don’t temper my brothers.” The way he says it, I understand he does not mean his blood-related siblings; families are born differently in this life.

I say nothing and only glare back at him.

“And because you’ve taken this so well,” another hint of a twisted smirk, “I’ll give you some advice. Theo Sancte is asking you questions he knows the answers to not to test whether or not you are a liar, but to see what information you give him to fill in the gaps of his knowledge. And if you offer enough, he will know exactly why you are on your back for him.”

I narrow my gaze. “I wasn’t on my fucking back.”

His eye contact somehow intensifies, the way he stares at me in something I would like to believe is approval, but he says nothing about it when he speaks again, so perhaps not.

“And he is asking about your hobbies—sports, books, movies, music—to potentially track you to some event surrounding them.”

I frown. The thought had never occurred to me, and I want to instantly argue the point. It’s not logical. “Why would he do that? If he wanted me followed, surely he would assign someone to tail me—”

“You think you’re worth that much?”

I can’t help it then, exposing my true feelings. My fingers curl into a tight fist as I stare at him, livid.I’m worth a hell of a lot more than that.

He smiles softly. “To him, I mean. I have a feeling you are worth more than most things to at least one other person.” He inclines his head slowly toward the door.

The one Von stands outside of.

“Sancte may track you, every now and then, but I assume you expected that and checked your mirrors on your way here. Regardless, finding you byaccidentat a larger venue—a sporting event, maybe, a show—would be annoying and tedious if he didn’t already know where to look. But perhaps now he does, and he sees you with a member of my father’s brotherhood, or maybe me, or—”

“Why on earth would I go to a concert withyou?Or your father?” I don’t feel as if I overstepped, saying that. I’m just annoyed he assumed I would do such a thing. Sure, he’s sexy as hell but I don’t trust him.

Cain’s smirk is slightly evil, but he ignores my question all the same. “Do not give any more information than necessary. Do not talk because you’re nervous. Do not lie, but there is no need to spill out your entire life story.”

I want to argue I’ve done none of those things, but I know Cain Bonavich’s position in life, and it is much higher than my own. Due to that, I understand he is actually being quite generous with his advice. And itissolid counsel, in some ways I didn’t think of before.

“Thank you,” I say quietly, wondering if he will ask me for something in return. Everyone is like that in this world. Maybe in every world. People are out for themselves. It’s why Von and I cling to each other, in some ways. He’d put me before anything.

He would ruin his life for my sake.

As for what I would do for him… there’s a reason I drove the pitchfork into the guard’s belly seven years ago, curling his organs against the spindles like pasta.

It had nothing to do with my safety. Everything to do with Von’s.

He doesn’t know that though. True loyalty doesn’t need to be exposed like a nerve.

“Don’t thank me.” Cain brushes it off entirely, but the words also sound like a command. “Don’t thank anyone for anything in this career. It implies you owe them a debt. Do you want to owe me?” He lifts both brows.

I glance at his physique.Maybe.“No.”

He nods once and does not smile. “Good. Tomorrow morning, report here at dawn. Alone.” He glances at the door, then he walks toward me, and I tense. But he simply passes by, only his arm brushing my shoulder.

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