(Updates everyday)
Power demands what it's owed, and souls are its favorite currency.
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When museum curator, Lena Goodwin, receives an anonymous package containing damning evidence of a mistake she thought she buried years ago, her carefully built...
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Hugh leaned against his desk, partially sitting on it with his legs crossed in front of him. His hands gripped the edge of the wood tightly as he stared at the map of Eden City he had pinned on the wall opposite of the door into his office.
The silence was deafening, his thoughts loud and rampant as he went over what Lena had done and what he would do next.
Outside, the city slumbered. Every lurking shadow held the faintest possibility of where she was hiding, of where she had gone.
She had fallen through his grasp, and he had let her.
He had considered the possibility of Lena betraying him, but he didn't think she would be dumb enough to actually do it. Apparently, she was full of surprises. That thought gnawed at him, feeding into the irritation beneath his usual composure. She irked him, but he didn't exactly mind it, even though he knew it should bother him.
He had been so close to getting his hands on the Codex, but now it was out in the night with Lena, who probably believed herself to be safe for the time being.
The irony of that was bittersweet, but he knew better than to underestimate her. As idiotic as her decision was to steal the Codex from right under him, it was the best viable option for her. She had taken his plan and made it her own.
She has proven herself to be far more capable than he initially gave her credit for, and he wasn't going to make that same mistake twice.
Roran, with an ice pack pressed to his groin, winced from where he stood by the doorway. "She's clever, but how far does she really think she can get?" He murmured with a soft groan.
Lena has really done a number on him. Not that it was undeserving. He had been getting under Hugh's skin too, and if she hadn't done something about it, he surely would have after hearing what he had planned to do with her if he hadn't shown up.
But, she could clearly handle herself, and damnit if he didn't find that the least bit attractive. Her choice of defense was an extension of who she was - stubborn and bold. If she hadn't double-crossed him, he probably would have asked her to celebrate their win with him. Except, now she was gone, and he was left empty-handed.
Still, there was something about her tenacity that stirred something dark and sensual in him. Something he hadn't felt in quite some time.
Hugh's jaw clenched. No. He had to stop whatever that was before he could no longer reign it in. As much as he toyed with the idea of bending her over his desk and drowning himself in her, he had to think about the setback. How he had lost control for a mere moment, long enough for her to escape. He took a slow, deep breath and considered his options.
"She knows the city well," Hugh finally replied, keeping his voice firm and even. "She'll stay hidden for as long as she can, but we'll anticipate her movements. She knows we will."
