Page 39 of Truthfinder’s Promise

“She is my employer, not my master,” he said sharply. “And people cross Analisa at their own peril. She is…a god, in her own way.”

That boded well.

“Until now, my focus has been on searching Elijah’s holdings for the repository. As you know, those holdings were many, and scattered. I saw no reason to interfere when you were doing such a marvelous job of tracking them all down for us.”

He’d been watching them. Her, Siren, Valkyrie. The last six months while they worked to undo Elijah’s misdeeds, Julian had been quietly watching.

“However, now that you’ve found the last one and we’ve scoured it, I’m certain Elijah never moved the repository from wherever your mother kept it.” His nose wrinkled in distaste. “I never understood why she chose him as her backup. He cared for nothing except his experiments.”

“Are your feelings hurt that she didn’t choose you?”

He gave Meredith a sharp look. “I gave her ten years of my life. She owed me.”

Meredith laughed. “My mother never cared about anyone but herself.” She drummed her fingers on the table. “So you think this repository is somewhere on my property?”

“It stands to reason.” He paused for a moment, then, “I have until tomorrow evening to work with you in finding the repository.”

“Or?”

“Or Analisa’s thralls will find it instead. I assure you, they will have no difficulty with your wards.”

Meredith had never heard of a thrall, but she disliked the idea of a bunch of them storming her metaphorical castle. “And, having told me precisely when I can expect this attack, what is to stop me from having Council security prevent it?”

He leaned in. “What prevented you from calling Council security when you wanted me away from your home? From calling them last night? From taking an actual job for the new Council? Maybe your new friends don’t trust you as much as you claim. Maybe Siren wouldn’t be too upset if something happened to you. Or maybe,” he settle back in his chair, “you know that you don’t belong with them.

“You’re wasted on them. I’ve put a great deal of thought into how Valkyrie could have lived after she killed Elijah. No one but him could have told her how to survive the dissolution of the Council’s adnexus, and that’s a thing he would have had no reason to tell her.”

Meredith’s blood went cold.

“You’re far stronger than you’ve let people believe. Tell me, do your little friends know you can compel truth?”

“No,” she lied.

A smug smile teased his lips. “I didn’t think so. They underestimate you. I don’t. Work with me.”

The man actually thought he had a temping offer. “For Analisa?” Tell me something useful about your mysterious employer.

“For now. Her influence extends far beyond Seclusion. Beyond Aspect Society. This place is…small, in the grand scheme of things. She’s a stepping stone. One we’ll use as long as it’s convenient.”

Meredith pretended to take the offer seriously. “I’ll consider it. I’ll find this repository for you. I’ll attend the auction and meet Analisa. After that, we’ll see.” She stood. Julian’s Aspect lashed out and froze her in place. As an Immobilizer, his Aspect had a paralytic effect. Though she’d seen it used often enough, she’d never been subject to it herself. Hadn’t thought he would dare to use it here, in Ella Tremayne’s cafe.

Her eyes, the only part of her body he’d left under her control, must have darted toward the door because Julian said, “I’m not afraid of her.” He stepped into Meredith’s space and lifted a hand to brush her hair from her face, his fingers lingering. “You are so beautiful.”

Every inch of her fought to jerk away from him, but he had complete control of her body. Beside her, Jensen gave a low, warning growl.

“Tell him to shut up if you want him to live,” Julian snarled, and he released her from the neck up.

“Everything’s fine, Monster. Lie down.” For a moment, she was afraid he wouldn’t listen. She could break Julian’s hold on her—but she didn’t want him to know that. It was the ace up her sleeve, to be saved for a more desperate moment than him getting handsy with her. But if Jensen attacked him and Julian retaliated, she wouldn’t have any choice. And any hope they had of getting to the auction, where Julian’s sister was most likely going to be up for bid, would go down in flames.

Slowly, deliberately, Jensen dropped down at her side, but the damage was done. Julian had been toying with her before, letting her know he held the upper hand. Now he was pissed.

“Does it still have feelings for you?” Julian’s fingers tightened in her hair, bringing unwilling tears to her eyes. “Do you have feelings for it?” He stepped closer, his breath hot in her face. “Do you let it turn into a man and fuck you at night?”

She didn’t give an answer, because he didn’t truly want one. There wasn’t anything she could say that wouldn’t enrage him. This was the side of Julian few people had been privy to. In public he was urbane, sophisticated, incapable of being rattled. But in private, this was Julian. He went from calm to fury faster than her car went from zero to sixty.

The fist in her hair tightened again, strands ripping from her scalp. “I don’t like to be toyed with, Meredith. You know this partnership isn’t just a working relationship. It’s you and me, and you already know you’ll take it, because you have nowhere else to go. You’re mine.” His free hand snaked out, crushing her against him, his Aspect releasing just enough to turn her body pliant. “No one else touches what’s mine, am I clear?”

Every cell in her body rebelled at that statement. Remember what’s at stake. She forced herself to nod.