King of Pride (Kings of Sin #2) by Ana Huang

“Well, this is unexpected.”

The oily voice doused our warm intimacy more effectively than a bucket of ice water. My hand dropped, and Isabella and I jerked apart like marionettes yanked in different directions.

“Kai Young and the help canoodling at a public event. I never thought I’d see the day.”

Victor Black stood in the alcove entrance. His eyes gleamed with malicious delight as they roved between me and Isabella. He must’ve just arrived; I hadn’t seen him earlier.

A rope of dread wound tight around my chest.

Technically, Isabella and I weren’t doing anything wrong, but Victor had a talent for spinning innocent situations into tawdry, bestselling bullshit.

“We’re not at Valhalla,” Isabella said coldly. “I’m a guest here. If you’d like someone to direct you to the exit, I recommend checking with one of the staffers wearing clearly marked badges.”

“My mistake. It’s so easy to forget when you’re dressed like a hooker.” Spite slicked Victor’s smile as his attention swiveled toward me. “No wonder you were so upset when you saw me talk—”

I crossed the room quicker than he could react. The rest of his sentence dissolved into a pained grunt when I slammed him against the wall with my forearm pressed against his throat.

“Second mistake of the night, Black,” I said quietly. “Do not disrespect any woman like that when I’m in the room.” Especially not Isabella.

Cold fury wedged jagged shards in my chest and washed the room in crimson. Victor’s features morphed into a map of vulnerable points—the eyes, the nose, the jaw and temples. A well-aimed strike could shatter any and all of them.

Isabella’s presence was the only thing keeping me semi-leashed. An outsized reaction would confirm Victor’s suspicions, and the short-term satisfaction of rearranging his face would pale next to the long-term consequences.

He must’ve come to the same conclusion. Despite the twinge of fear bleeding into his eyes, he didn’t back down.

“Of course.” His voice came out high and reedy thanks to his pinned throat. “You’re right. Surely the great Kai Young is too smart to do something as stupid as fraternize with a Valhalla bartender this close to the CEO vote.” He choked out another pained breath when I pressed my arm tighter against his neck.

“Kai.”

The crimson receded from my vision at the sound of Isabella’s anxious voice.

I dropped my arm and glared at Victor. He straightened and coughed before continuing, “Voting members are real sticklers when it comes to scandal. One of the chief executive candidates for Greentech lost the position a few years ago because of an affair with the nanny. Fifteen years of hard work, down the drain.”

I remembered. The scandal had dominated the news for months.

The difference was, I wasn’t married. I could date whoever I wanted.

Tell that to Valhalla and the board, an insidious voice whispered.

I gritted my teeth. Triumph slowly replaced the apprehension on Victor’s face. He’d hit his target, and he knew it.

“You’re a CEO,” Isabella said, coming up beside me. “So obviously, corporate boards don’t care that much about scandals. Didn’t your car get blown up earlier this year?”

Victor’s face flushed scarlet. The fiery destruction of his Porsche had made headlines in the spring. He never found the person responsible, but his list of enemies was miles long. It could’ve been anyone.

Normally, I abhorred the senseless destruction of property, but I found it hard to summon sympathy for him. No one died. The only things hurt were his ego, his car, and his reputation, not that the latter had been great to begin with.

“Isa!” A man in a linen shirt and pants entered the room, cutting off Victor’s response. “There you are. I was looking for you.”

I recognized him immediately as Oscar, one of the gallery’s featured artists. Tall and lean, with shoulder-length black hair tied in a ponytail and a string of puka shells adorning his neck, he looked like he should be hanging ten in Hawaii instead of headlining an exclusive art exhibit in Chelsea.

He brushed past a surprised-looking Victor and draped an arm over Isabella’s shoulders. My spine pulled taut.

“I’m giving my speech soon. Thought I’d bring you up there with me, considering you inspired one of the pieces.”

She wrinkled her nose. “No, thanks. I hate speeches, and this is your night.”

The brewing violence from earlier had dissipated, replaced with another type of tension.

“Isabella, I wasn’t aware you knew Oscar,” I said with a tight smile, fighting the urge to yank his arm off her.

“We more than know each other. He’s one of my favorite people on the planet.” She beamed up at him.

A muscle ticked in my jaw. “How lovely.”

And what am I? Chopped liver?

I didn’t like the jealous, territorial caveman I became whenever I saw her smiling at another man, but nothing about my attraction to her had ever been rational.

Isabella blinked at my curt tone before amusement crept into her eyes. “Oscar is—”

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” A beautiful Asian woman came to an abrupt halt next to the wave sculpture. Victor had disappeared. I hadn’t noticed him leave, but good riddance. “We didn’t mean to interrupt. We weren’t, um, expecting anyone to be back here.” A delicate rose colored her cheeks.