“It’s more of a fixation,” Ledger inputted, only to hold up both hands when that earned him a dark look from all three of them. “Never mind. Tiger, seriously babe, let’s leave the two of them to talk things out.”
Nikita turned to Zane. “Would you like us to stay?”
Was he…Did he think the two of them would be able to protect him from Pavel if the other Retinue member chose to do something to him right here and now?
How…cute.
“You are kind of adorable, aren’t you?” the words slipped out sort of like how his earlier comment about not knowing Pavel had. Since when had he lost his filter?
Ledger let out a low warning sound. “Watch it, Zane.”
“Relax,” he reassured. “I’m not interested in trying to take him. I don’t mess with people who don’t belong to me.”
“Tell that to Nate Narek.”
“Extenuating circumstances.” Ones Zane wouldn’t explain. He didn’t owe them anything. Still, he made a point ofsmiling at the concerned waiter, doing his best to make the look convincing. “I’ll be all right, thank you. If Pavel tries anything tonight, I’ll do to him what I did to that unruly customer downstairs.”
“Please don’t,” Ledger sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’d really like to go home and cuddle my man uninterrupted if it’s all the same to you.”
Nikita blushed at that, dropping his eyes to the floor.
Oh yeah. Super adorable. He—
Zane hissed when suddenly Pavel’s large palm slapped on his nape and hauled him hard against his side.
Even seated, he was able to keep hold of him, forcing Zane to have to bend slightly forward to accommodate him. He set his free arm on the counter, resting his elbow on the granite before lowering his chin into his palm as he stared Zane down.
“Keep looking at him like that,” Pavel said, “and I’ll be forced to blindfold you at every family event moving forward.”
Family.
Zane’s traitorous heart thumped wildly in his chest and he fought to get it back under control. He refused to come apart over a single word, especially one currently being used in a threat.
His palms found the edge of the counter and he went to push himself up, sucking in a sharp breath when that ticked Pavel off more and he shoved him with more force. His cheek connected with the granite, the whacking sound loud enough to vibrate through the kitchen.
“What the hell are you doing?!” Nikita rushed over, slipping free when Ledger tried to stop him. He grabbed Zane by the arm and tugged him away, probably not noticing when Pavel eased his hold and allowed it. “You can’t treat him like that!”
As soon as he’d put a little distance—not nearly enough to count—between them, Nikita pursed his lips and checked onZane’s cheek. “Does it hurt? Should I get you something so it doesn’t bruise?”
Setting aside the fact it’d sounded worse than it’d felt…Zane tipped his chin in the direction of the brothers pointedly. “While I appreciate the sentiment, I suggest you let go of me before you put my life in actual danger. I can take your boyfriend in a fight, but I don’t think that’s the direction either of us want this going, agreed?”
Nikita dropped his arm as though burned, some of the worry draining away now that Zane had all but mentioned beating up Ledger.
Both Ledger and Pavel were watching them like hawks, still as statues and seemingly unblinking. It would have been creepy, laughable, or both, if all of that attention wasn’t turned Zane and Nikita’s way.
“Your boyfriend really is adorable,” Zane said, unable to help himself. He never missed an opportunity to underhandedly rile someone up. He gave Nikita one final look and then grinned at Ledger. “But don’t worry. Even if he wasn’t already taken, he isn’t my type. Good Samaritan isn’t my personal flavor.”
“Elaborate for the kid, Doctor,” Pavel ordered, “so that this sort of thing doesn’t happen again in the future.”
As badly as he wanted to disobey, since the man didn’t have any authority over him, Zane didn’t want to drag the innocent Nikita any further into this tangled mess between them.
“I like it when he roughs me up,” Zane ended up saying, knowing that doing so also confirmed what Pavel had been thinking about him all this time, but not seeing a way around it. “It turns me on not having a say, in being forced. Not everyone on the planet is capable of gaining the upper hand with me, after all. Even your boyfriend wouldn’t be able to.”
“Could you please stop threatening bodily harm against Ledger?” Nikita flinched when Zane grinned at that.
“He momentarily forgot you were one of us,” Pavel surmised.
“That’s all right. It was nice being considered for once.” Apparently, the vulnerable confessions were just going to keep coming tonight. Zane sighed. “I’m not going to hurt Ledger, Nikita.”
