Page 102 of Seasons of War
His voice turned hard as stone. “Who thehellare you?”
The hostility didn't deter her. She met his eyes a second longer than comfortable. “Christopher's friend.”
“Hi, Christopher's friend.” Brock smiled with the ease of a man who rarely needed to guard against someone interested in his position, name, or money.
“Hi.” She plucked the end of her scarf, twisting it. “I could be your friend too.” Turning to Zayne. “And yours.”
Stylish black gloves rose halfway up her forearms. Zayne should have noticed sooner, given all the marks of his own he hid. Did she just alert him to those on purpose?
“I don't need any friends,” Zayne said.
“Oh, you're in love?”
“Engaged.”
“There's a distinction, then. Who's the other woman?”
“There is no other woman. Keep digging if you want compromising information on me.”
“Rude.” She cast a look at Brock. “Your friend is an asshole.”
Brock opened his mouth, but Zayne flicked his glance to the woman's ring finger.
Guilt tensed his face. Yeah. Lesson learned the hard way. No one entered this bar for fun.
“I need your name.” Zayne faced her, the shift putting more distance between their bodies while directing his attention fully on her. A very different kind of attention than she likely hoped for.
“Miya.” Her eyes raked down him. That look was not one of interest, but calculation in disguise. She surveyed his body the way he sized up threats and vulnerabilities on the battlefield. “And yours?”
“Where's Christopher?” Zayne asked.
“He'll be here soon. He sent me ahead to welcome you. He says you're very important guests.” Miya seemed to take note of his water.
“We'll let him know we felt quite welcome,” Zayne said.
“How, exactly, did you meet our friend, Christopher?” Brock asked.
“I work at Governor Krowe's house,” she said.
Strange Christopher sent Miya to them, given his reputation for jealousy. Rumors abounded about bruises on his wife over the years, particularly any time a man talked to her for too long. Then again, Christopher's fealty to the Phaedra ran deep. Perhaps he thought offering them a gift might encourage Zayne to smooth over the mistake with Becka Rogers.
Or he just wanted to show off his trophy because Zayne had two seals while Christopher only had one.
Whatever game Christopher played, Zayne wanted to pummel his face into the ground even more because of it.
He'd seen enough. One look at Miya, and Christopher must have recognized her as a valuable asset. But this man lusted after the power of capturing a strong woman and thought himself cunning enough to control her. An arrogant and self-indulgent man was always vulnerable to a counterintelligence operation with a woman like Miya. Zayne needed to know if she worked for the United.
The Phaedra wanted him to wear his seals for all to see, to make Archai whisper about how seriously the emperor took Governor Krowe's insult. It may encourage honesty in Miya to see them, even if Zayne despised revealing them at all.
He stripped off his jacket and folded it over one of the bar stools. Her eyes crawled along the snakes and down to the double seals. The bartender stared aswell, like anyone who saw such a rare testament to power. Miya concealed her fear adeptly, but Zayne tracked the changes in her breathing and posture.
“You are important guests,” she said.
“Explain your involvement in this operation,” Zayne said. “Christopher didn't include you in his report.”
He wouldn't leave her frightened for long, but he needed the truth.
The sultry tone vanished. “The captain will be angry if I talk without him.”
