“Since when has that ever bothered you?”
Rubi shrugged shoulders that made me and Locke look skinny. “What can I say? Love changes you. I’m a new man, innit?”
“Fuck off.” I shoved a pillow at him. “You’ve loved River forever and it’s never stopped you from running your mouth before—and why are you in bed with me?”
“You looked lonely.”
Without Orla and Locke nearby, Iwaslonely, but not for the company Rubi andAlexeihad to offer.
I pulled another pillow over my face, sleep still heavy in my brain. I wasn’t programmed like some of my other brothers. Unless it truly was a life-or-death situation, I couldn’t open my eyes and immediately hold an intelligent conversation. I had to work for that shit, and half asleep and missing my favourite people, I wasn’t sure I could.
Alexei came back. I felt more than heard his irritated exhale. “Fine. We will speak in here. I do not care if this happens with you undressed.”
I let the pillow fall from my face. “Dude, I’m in bed. It’s not like I’m waving my dick in your face.”
Alexei’s hard gaze remained unimpressed.
Okay. Maybe I did have my dick out.
I rearranged the sheets, shooting Rubi a glare he didn’t give a shite about. “You could’ve told me.”
“You coulda felt the breeze, brother.”
I swear to the Almighty, I could’ve punched him. But he handed me a mug of coffee, so I didn’t. Also, I remembered how it felt to thump my closest brother and I didn’t want to feel that pain ever again.
Alexei cleared his throat. “You are ready for a grown-up conversation now?”
Debatable, but I knew how Alexei went off when he ran out of patience, so I nodded my dumb head like a good boy. “I’m listening. Welcome back, by the way. We missed you.”
“Who did?”
“Everyone.”
“You speak for everyone, Nash?”
“On this? Yeah, why not?” I held his gaze. Sleepy or not, I wasn’t about to let Alexei pretend no one gave a fuck whether he was around or not. We all gave a fuck. A big one. “But you’re not here for a party, right?”
“Not even close. We need to talk about the attacks on Orla.”
Any humour I felt dissolved, taking with it any remnants of sleep. “You know something?”
Alexei shook his head. “We are never that fortunate, no? However, I spent much time with Saint last night while Cam was sleeping, and the feeling I have about this seems to be mutual.”
That hooked my attention even deeper. Saint had instincts the rest of us lacked, and Alexei was the cleverest dude in any room unless Folk brought his whole personality to the table. “What’s your feeling?”
Alexei ventured a little closer, a mug of his own clasped in his pale hands. “I feel Crows. This... push and pull, and the poor execution. This recklessness. It cannot be anyone else.”
I set my coffee aside and sat up fully. I’d heard shades of this opinion before, but not with any certainty. “What does Folk think?”
“I did not ask. And I won’t. Veles does not need to be thinking of such things. You feel the same about Locke, no?”
I doubted how Alexei felt about Folk bore any resemblance to the images of Locke that bombarded my brain at just the wrong moment. His lips on mine, hot and heavy, strong body flexing as he fucked Orla from behind, his tight fist wrapped around my cock—
Jesus. Get a grip.
I refocused in time to catch Alexei and Rubi sharing alook.“What? Am I missing something?”
Rubi’s resting clown face sobered. “Don’t ask me. I’m just the village idiot.”
