“Really?” I shake my head, staring down at the face ofDeath.
“Hush, girl. You know enough to know this card isn’t what most people think. Sit down and breathe.”
I drop into the chair and stare at the knight riding a horse, carrying a banner with a rose. “The end of something is coming,” I say, almost without thought.
“That’s right,chère. But the new beginning is going to be even brighter. Look at the patterns here. Look at what you’ve been through. There’s no doubt you’ve struggled. You’ve survived. You’ve carved out a life for yourself. You’re a woman of true strength and power. But you can’t do this all alone. Life isn’t meant to be a solitary endeavor. You’ve never had an equal partner who could balance you.”
I choke out a laugh at that absolute truth, but Celeste continues.
“You’ve always been fixated on control and power,chère. Sometimes you have to release your grip and let the universe work in its mysterious ways.”
I practically gulp down my next breath. “Release my grip? Really?”
Her turbaned head nods. “Almost as terrifying as death, isn’t it?”
“Something like that,” I whisper, my attention still on the mounted knight. When Celeste’s bony fingers reach out to clear the cards away, I stop her with an outstretched hand. “Wait.”
She meets my gaze, and I gather the courage I didn’t expect I’d need sitting at her table today.
“Yes?”
“How do I know if I can trust him?”
Her thin lips curve into a secretive smile. “Let him show you.”
Eighteen
Moses
I’m sweaty as fuck, but I always feel better after a good workout. Stronger. Sharper. More determined.
I drop my gym bag on the floor next to the table where Trey’s computer is set up. He’s not in front of it, however, and the screen is black.
“Trey! You find him yet?” I shout to the empty space.
His disembodied voice comes from a few rooms over. “Hold on, I’m taking a shit. Give me two minutes.”
“Eager to put this one to bed, man?” Jules asks from the kitchen as he tosses the remains of his protein shake into the trash. “You know it takes time.”
Crossing my arms, I argue. “Time?If someone stabbed your woman and she had to fucking kill him to protect herself, wouldn’t you want to know everything? Would you be wasting time?”
“Maybe if I knew for certain she was my woman.”
Jules and I have gone toe-to-toe dozens of times over the years, but he knows damn well what my intentions are.
Narrowing my eyes, I glare at him. “You expect me to work miracles in one day?”
He grins, not at all cowed by a scowl that would make other men piss themselves. “You? Fuck yes. I know what you’re capable of.”
Instead of being annoyed, I laugh. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“Hell, I’ll go one step further, boss. I might even change my vote on dinner. I think she might show.”
Considering he’d saidno way in hellbefore our workout, I jerk my head back in surprise. “No shit?”
Jules shrugs. “I don’t know why. I’ve just got this feeling.”
I managed to put the thoughts of dinner out of my mind during our workout, but they’re back at the forefront now.