An Oath In Blood (Book #3)

Chapter 32: The Predator

CORVINA HAWKE

"Warren?" I cleared my throat, shifting on the cool porch as I stared at my hands. We had been quiet for the past few minutes, the question eating at my insides until I felt it infesting every corner of my rotting soul. I needed to know.

"What is it?" He asked, his gaze finding my face. He looked like he knew me inside and out, could tell when I was out of sorts. I had never felt so naked in front of a man before.

"Who was the woman at the gala you were talking to?" I peeled my gaze away from my hands to look at him. I didn't want to come off as jealous even though my insides burned at the thought of her marrying him, becoming his.

"Kate?" He arched a blonde eyebrow at me and I nodded, unable to speak. I didn't know her name before but now I did. Kate? She was named Kate? What a stupid name. "She is the woman my parents want me to marry." He admitted. I made a sound at the back of my throat that I hadn't heard before. God, was I jealous.

"D-do you want to marry her?" I spoke almost under my breath so he couldn't hear me, couldn't hear the desperation in my voice. I stared at Tariq's back porch instead, at the little garden surrounding the property.

"Would it matter to you if I did?" When he spoke again, his voice was right next to my ear. I glanced at him to find his face only inches away from mine. My breath stalled in my throat. Oh Lord.

"W-why would it matter to me?" I shrugged, forcing a chuckle to seem nonchalant. I played with the ring on my finger, twisting it around until my skin screamed at me to stop. I didn't.

"Because you looked like you wanted to burn her alive when I said her name." I could hear the smile in his voice. "You like me, Raven." His fingers slid into my lap, folding around my thigh. My skin burned under his touch, sending a shudder down my spine.

I opened my mouth to say yes, to agree with him when the door to the porch opened, startling me. I jumped away from Warren, my heart banging against my ribcage. Lily appeared in the doorway, a smirk lighting her face when she glanced between Warren and me, my cheeks burning with shame.

"What is it?" I asked, smoothing a hand down my skirt, avoiding eye contact.

"We got in, Cor. The Hades is in London." She announced, the smirk disappearing from her lips at the mention of my arch nemesis. My blood turned to ice in my veins, stomach hollowing at her admission. Trent was here. And it was possible he had Eman Hashim.

"Fuck." I muttered as I scattered to my feet, the heat I had felt a moment ago, disappearing. "Were you able to track his GPS? Where is he currently?" I asked as I ate the distance between us. Warren was right behind me, his hand finding my lower back as I entered the house. Lily's eyes lingered on his hand for a moment before she turned to me again. I knew I would hear about it when she wasn't in the middle of delivering bad news.

"Not yet. I am still trying. It might alert the Big Guy if I tapped into one his prized Reapers' GPS. I am trying to find out who else is on this case with him." Lily answered as we made our way back to our living room.

"What do we do now?" Tariq asked the moment I stepped into the room. His shoulder-length hair was out of the bun it had been neatly tucked into. His brown eyes were wild as they searched mine, crazed in a way that I hadn't seen a man before.

"We need to find the lesser Reapers, ones my boss doesn't keep a track of himself," I replied, watching as Lily slipped back onto the couch, typing away on her laptop.

"You are one of his most renowned assassins." Ahvi Takeda spoke up, dark eyes narrowing on me. "Wouldn't he keep a track of you too?" She tilted her head to the side, suspicion flickering through her eyes.