I patted him lightly on the cheek, teasing. His body swayed closer, eyes zeroed in on my lips, his breath growing unsteady.
When his mouth inched toward mine, I slid my hand down his chest—slow, sensual—tilting my head up like I was going to accept whatever he was going to give, before turning my head and strutting away from him. I left him standing there, flushed and frustrated.Karma’s a bitch.
I felt his gaze burning into my ass as I walked ahead, biting back a grin when he muttered under his breath about smacking that ass later. I liked the way he wanted me, hot, angry, hungry.
Is this how Aniyah always feels?No wonder she strutted around cocky and glowing. No wonder her men could barely keep their hands off her. Was this what it meant to have a mate?
I mentally smacked myself over that single word. The word that I thought I would never utter.
Focus, Nova. Don’t start calling them your mates. It’s just a tattoo that heats up whenever they’re near and a wolf whining in your head. Plus, you have a job, a duty to fulfill first. You have obligations and responsibilities that are more important right now. When all of this is over, we’ll figure out what they are—or aren’t. For right now, just use the help.
Behind me, Zeth was barking at the others. “Fucking move! Don’t stick your hand out like I’m supposed to help you!”
A sharp smack followed, then a threat and the shuffle of feet. I almost looked back but decided against it.Let them sort it out. They’re big boys.
“I’m going to tell Nova we need to reevaluate who she keeps on staff.”
Conrad’s smooth voice carried a new edge, sharp enough to make me glance over my shoulder. He was a hard one to rattle, so when it happened, I paid attention.
There they were, Conrad and Zeth, nose-to-nose, each vibrating with barely contained fury. Conrad straightened his jacket with a smug smile that screamed provocation. I rolled my eyes. Those two were fire and ice, opposites that refused to mix.
Still, thinking back to what happened in the car earlier, satisfaction curled low in my stomach. Maybe that friction between them had its uses. Heat and cold—two sides of the same delicious coin, andIgot to reap the benefits.
“Get your fat asses out of the way!”
Nick shoved past them, exasperation written all over his face. The other men growled in unison at the interruption, but I silently thanked him. Those two needed to keep it to themselves or go into the ring and work it all out. My mind couldn't help it, picturing both of them shirtless, bloody, and sweaty.I bit my lip to keep from offering it as a suggestion.Later. Maybe later.
Zeth started ranting about how his ass was tight enough to bounce a coin off of, and Nick’s disgusted grimace almost broke my composure. I might’ve laughed if someone hadn’t called out my name.
Every sound around us died. The men’s attention snapped to me, then to whoever had spoken, their collective glare sharp enough to strip paint. Another talk I needed to have with them: stop death-staring every man who looked my way.
I turned, forcing a polite smile when I saw it was Mr. Shafer, one of the VIPs for the event, walking toward me with open arms. “Nova Rossey! As I live and breathe. You look stunning.”
He leaned in, his overwhelming cologne assaulting my nostrils, and I tried to breathe out of my mouth as he delivered two air kisses. The things I endured for paying clients.
“Oh, you flatter me,” I said smoothly. “Did you enjoy the event?” Making a move to head into the house, I nodded to the bouncer at the entrance who was one of my men.
“It was one of the best shows I’ve seen in ages!” he said, taking a slow sip of his drink. Then came the pause, the telltale hesitation of a man about to ask for something. “I was wondering… what might it cost to arrange something like a private fight? Just for a circle of close friends.” His eyes gleamed over the rim of his glass with something dark and depraved. “I’d love to see Deslen fight again.”
The moment he said Deslen’s name, something feral coiled inside me. My wolf surged up, calling out for his blood, his bones, his throat for penance. I smiled instead, tight and brittle.
“We haven’t finished signing Deslen yet,” I said, keeping my tone pleasant, “so I don’t know his schedule.” I motioned for the bouncer to come over. “But we’ll take your number and get back to you.”
His excitement drained faster than spilled liquor. “Oh. Of course. Please do. No amount of money is a problem. Just name your price.”
My smile stayed fixed in place as I imagined how easy it would be to tear this human apart and let him see what arealpredator looked like. Instead, I nodded toward the bouncer. “Kevin will get your information. I’ll be in touch.”
Inner Ezra. Just channel your inner Ezra and smile while you picture all the horrible things you will do to this person.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me…” I moved around him, patting him on the arm. “I need to greet my other guests.” Then I turned and walked toward the entrance, heels clacking against the concrete as I left that asshole in the dust.
“Zeth,” I called. He was beside me instantly, every inch the shadow I still relied on.
“Make sure you get his info from Kevin, then I want a deep dive into his life.” My jaw ached from how tightly I was clenching it. “I wanteverything—who he does business with, where he eats, who he fucks. Everything.”
I stopped, turning toward him with a grin that was downright nasty. “Then give it to Ezra. Tell her he needs to bedrained. ASAP.”
“Drained?” Nick’s voice came from my right. Conrad drifted closer, listening.
