Silver(41)

“I plan to be around, but it’s true. You’re the one who never leaves here,” Adrien said. “Why is that? You aren’t collared.”

“Well, you all are, and I’m supposed to stay with you. And besides, I have everything I need here, with my garden on the roof and the library downstairs.”

“Right, your precious garden,” Adrien said.

Citrine’s expression grew dark. “No one insults my plants.”

“Yes,” Adrien said. “Sorry, sorry, sunlight dragon. Your plants are the most amazing and worthwhile plants in the world.”

Citrine grinned. “That’s better.”

Sever let out a snort and stood. “All right, let’s go cook up a steak and leave Adrien to pine for his lover.”

Then Citrine and Sever disappeared out the door, talking to each other about what movie they’d watch that night.

Adrien leaned back, smiling, enjoying having the room to himself while he waited for Kelsey to join him. It gave him time to gather his thoughts, and—

But no sooner had he thought it than the doors in front of him began to push open, and he sat forward, getting ready to greet Kelsey.

But the woman who walked in and shut the doors behind her wasn’t Kelsey, but the woman from before, whom Kelsey had punched, who had come on to him.

He stood, eyebrows lowering. The woman was wearing a different suit, black, with a designer logo brooch on the lapel.

“How did you get in here?” he asked, cocking his head at her. He almost had to credit her persistence, managing to get in despite being banned.

Given how aggressive she’d been before, he should have known she would continue to be a problem. It was too easy for people to pretend to agree and then end up changing their tune later.

“You need to get out of here, now,” Adrien said. “We had an agreement. I have no problem calling security.”

“That girl that hit me before?” the woman said snottily, brushing her blond hair over one shoulder. “As if I’d let her catch me off guard again. Anyone lays hands on me and I really will sue this time.”

Adrien didn’t think that would do anything to deter Kelsey. He shoved his hands in his pockets impatiently. “There’s nothing for you to do here. We aren’t going to work with you, so get out.” He didn’t want to deal with this when he was supposed to see his mate.

And as much as he teased Kelsey about being a bouncer, he didn’t like the thought of her being in any danger, no matter how minor it might be.

The woman shook her head stubbornly. “Not until you give me what I want.”

He scratched his head. “And what is that exactly?”

The woman actually licked her lips. “You. You’ve denied me over and over, but who are you to say no to me? You hire yourself out. I have all the money you could want.”

Adrien felt his hackles rising but refused to be disturbed. He had Kelsey now. He didn’t spend every day being angry, feeling life was futile and worthless. He had something that brought a smile to his face, and that made it easier to face down people like this.

“I’m not doing anything with you, so I suggest you get out before I have to call the police. You are currently trespassing.”

“You can’t prove that,” she said.

She never had answered how she got in. Adrien supposed Citrine might have been mistaken about locking the doors downstairs. Adrien knew how easy it was to forget something so routine, as it was his failure to lock doors that had led to meeting Kelsey.

Best mistake of his life.

He took an impatient step forward to pass the woman and open the doors so he could leave. Nothing good could come from staying in the same room with her.

As he went by, she caught him by the arm in a surprisingly hard death grip. “I’m not used to not getting what I want,” she hissed.

He jerked, trying to get his arm free without hurting her, because he knew any violence toward a human female, no matter how ridiculous she was being, would have the oracle on his tail.

And he needed the oracle to take his ring off once Kelsey agreed to be his mate.

He was so close to getting his power back that he couldn’t waste it. “Let me go,” he said. “Immediately.”

But the woman took the moment to wrap both arms around him, holding on tight and trying to drag him toward the center of the room, hands moving all over his back and waist.

He grimaced at how gross the touch felt. He only liked Kelsey’s hands; anything else was disgusting. He looked up at the cameras but knew they were turned off.

He hoped Kelsey didn’t walk in on this and take it the wrong way, but since this was a human female, he truly had to be careful.