I thump him in the arm, and he almost chokes on the grape. “Seriously, asshole? We are in a world of shit, and you have to keep goading them?”
The humorous expression drops off his face. “You’re right. Sorry. This is just what Jase and I do.”
“I suggest you both get an attitude adjustment.” I whip my gaze to a smug Ares. “You can stop gloating. You need one too. How many times do I have to remind you knuckleheads that we don’t stand a chance at beating the enemy if we are not united? We need to be a team in every sense of the word.”
Baz opens his mouth to say something, and Bree thumps him this time. “Don’t even go there!”
“What the fuck is with you two and violence?” He rubs at his upper arm. “That actually hurts.”
“Pussy.” Ares grabs a bowl with chips and walks toward the table.
“They just came from a session with Vincent,” Jase says as if that explains it. He reels me into his arms. “Sorry, baby.” He nips at my earlobe before whispering in my ear. “Your bossiness is such a fucking turn-on. You make me so horny, Temptress.” Angling his hips, he nudges me with his boner.
“You have sex on the brain,” I whisper back. “Not that I’m complaining, but time and place. We need to have a serious conversation.”
“We can hear you,” Baz deadpans.
“And you have sex on the brain too,” Bree adds, quirking a brow at me.
I shrug and grin. “I have three men to satisfy. It’s impossiblenotto have sex on the brain.”
“Three?” Ares inquires from his seat at the table. The plate in front of him is loaded with sandwiches, fruit, and chips. A look of displeasure is etched upon his face. “Tell me you don’t mean Baldwin. I thought you had more self-respect, or have you forgotten how he taunted you and pushed Julia in your face?”
I stomp over to the table, instantly livid. “Yourubbed Julia in my face.”
“I wasn’t your boyfriend.” He shrugs before stuffing a sandwich in his mouth.
“Neither was Chad when that happened,” I remind him even though it didn’t make the pain any less. “It’s none of your business, and you don’t get to tell me what to do.”
“It is if I’m also fucking you.”
“I’m not having this conversation now.”
“I love some light entertainment with lunch,” Baz unhelpfully adds as he slides onto a chair across from Ares.
“Oh my God, get over yourselves already!” Bree throws her hands in the air before claiming the seat beside Baz. “It’s like trying to wrangle toddlers at a kiddie party.”
“Preach, sister.” I sit beside Ares, and Jase sits on my other side.
“We have a lot to discuss and plan before the party tonight. Can we at least try to stay focused?” I ask, adding a couple of sandwiches and a piece of chopped-up apple to my plate.
Jase pours ice water from the large jug we always keep in the refrigerator, and finally everyone settles down.
“Vincent had an update for us,” I say in between mouthfuls of chicken salad sandwich. “Your mom is settled,” I tell Ares. “For now, they think it’s best we have no contact as we don’t know exactly what access Rhett has. We don’t want to compromise her.”
“And that doesn’t make me suspicious at all,” Ares snarls. “I’m not sure I trust these guys.”
“Your dad did,” Baz says. We updated him fully last night after the bathroom reveal. There didn’t seem any point not to. He has promised not to breathe a word, and he instantly said he was in. Jase is still wary, but I believe Baz is sincere, and we need as many hands on deck as possible. “They are one of the most respected master families out of all the Luminaries. Victor is a man of his word. If he told your dad he’d keep his family safe, he meant it. You can trust him.”
“I doubt Hera would’ve gone with him if she had any doubts,” I say.
“Either way, we have no choice but to trust them,” Jase supplies. “Unless they give us a reason not to.”
I take a drink of my water. “At least he is following through on his promise.”
“We’ll see.” Ares is tense as he devours the rest of his sandwich.
“I arranged a prison meet for you with Ruben,” Baz says, eyeballing Ares across the table. “It’s for two days after Christmas.”
