“Give up?” he asked.
“I don’t give up as easily as you.”
He stirred with laughter. “And what does that mean? I don’t give up.”
“What about dating?”
His eyes widened, and he stopped moving.
I smiled, sensing a weakness. “Why don’t you admit to everyone in this house that you—”
Faster than I could track, he flashed toward me and covered my mouth.
I snatched his hat and twirled it on my finger.
“You win,” he murmured, amusement in his voice. “This time.”
“Woo-hoo!” Gem shouted. “Look, Viktor! I hit the bull’s-eye.”
Claude sat up from the weight bench and wiped his face with a towel. “It’s not necessary to arm her,” he said loudly.
Viktor didn’t avert his eyes from his little book. “We discussed this. I won’t have any of you going in unprepared.”
Claude stood up and stripped out of his shirt, using it to wipe his face. “I’m her partner. She doesn’t need a weapon with me around.”
“Nyet.Everyone’s priority is to protect Blue. Gem, you are doing well in here, but do not deviate from the plan. I want you and Wyatt to remain near the stairs or higher points to watch and communicate with the team using your phones. Do not go anywhere secluded.”
Gem looked over at Niko and me and furrowed her brow. Niko still had his hand over my mouth and his strong arm wrapped around me.
I mumbled in his hand since he didn’t realize that we had an audience.
Niko let go.
“Winner!” I announced, tossing the hat in Viktor’s lap.
He set down his book and clapped three times. “Shall we bring out the katanas?”
“I like my knives small,” I said, watching Niko guzzle down a bottle of water. “Give the swords to Niko. I’m liable to cut the wrong person’s head off. That’s just way too many inches for me.”
“That’s why it would never work out between us,” Christian chimed in from the door. “Ladies and gents, feast your eyes on the magnanimous Blue.”
We waited, but nothing happened.
Christian looked over his shoulder and briefly disappeared in the short hall before reappearing with Blue in his grip.
Viktor rose to his feet.
“Holy Toledo,” Wyatt exclaimed. “You look…”
“Uh-oh,” Niko whispered. “This can’t be good. Her light is dark.”
“I look like a porn star,” she bit out, referring to the blond wig that went well with her blue eyes. “Go ahead and make all the jokes. Get it out of your system.”
Viktor snapped his fingers. “If anyone says an unkind word, you will answer to me.”
We raised our brows in surprise as Viktor left the room.
Blue waited, but when none of us took the bait, she left with a satisfied yet suspicious look on her face.
