Page 165 of Problematic

“Yes.”

I stood, and Liv’s gaze dropped. During a fucking crisis. Incredible woman.

I crossed to the wardrobe with every movement controlled, because if I moved the way I felt, the room would splinter. The black lacquer doors opened with a soft click.

Suits on one side. Violence on the other. Liv pulled the blanket closer around herself, but her eyes stayed on me.

I pulled on briefs first because civilization had to start somewhere, even if mine had started in Hell and crawled out with a knife.

Liv found the ceiling. Poorly, mind you. Her eyes kept dipping, quick, guilty and fucking adorable.

I stepped into tactical pants and dragged the reinforced fabric up my thighs. Her attention followed every inch, and the blush returned full force.

“Your face is red,” I said.

“It’s warm in here.”

“It’s sixty-seven degrees.” I reached for the shoulder rig.

Leather over my shoulders. Buckle across my chest. Strap pulled tight. Pistol at my ribs. Knife along my spine. Spare magazines. Sigil rounds. Thin blade inside the boot. Another under the sleeve.

Piece by piece, the man disappeared. The assassin returned. At least, that was what Liv saw.

A monster on Lux Draven’s leash. A masked weapon summoned because the demon lord upstairs needed blood spilled or a body hidden or some other ugly little chore handled before dinner.

The lie had been useful. But now I hated it.

Her eyes tracked the holster pulling tight against my thigh, the flex of my hand over the knife, the nightmares sliding into the seams of my jacket.

“Liv.”

“What?”

“You’re drooling.”

Her gaze snapped up. “I am absolutely not.”

I crossed back to the bed.

“Make yourself at home,” I said. “You can do anything you like in my tower. Food. Bath. Books. Clothes. My bed. The library. The liquor cabinet. The whole floor, if you get bored.”

Her brows drew together. “Your tower?”

I paused.

Excellent.

Beautiful.

Catastrophic.

Vale went still behind me.

“I just mean that I live here . . . I’ll be back for you soon,” I said.

Her fingers caught the edge of my jacket. “Try not to die,” she said, quieter now.

I didn’t look at Vale as I passed him.