And Briella? She tilts her head, beaming at him, her body language just as flirtatious. “Aww, big Red, does the porcelain throne count as a chair?”
The others approach behind me.
Except for Raphael. Damn psycho is still standing against the wall. But he’s smiling. An actual smile. What. The. Fuck?
“What the bloody hell did you do to me?” Rory groans deeply, holding his side. He’s sweating like a Scottish pig.
“Maybe she poisoned the scones or something.” Nah. That doesn’t track. None of us is feeling sick.
Briella does a twirl, tossing her curls over her shoulder. “Don’t be silly, Seth. I’d never ruin such greatness. Not even his. I poisoned his Scotch.”
Our jaws drop. Rage fills Rory’s blazing blue eyes, but his stomach gurgles so loudly, it sounds like one of those mud pots with the acidic hot spring beneath. Ready to erupt.
When Rory’s face pales—because we’re all wondering if it’s really true, like actual poison—Briella throws her head back and laughs. “Just kidding!” She sings before winking at him. “Don’t worry, Red. It’s just some magnesium citrate and castor oil.”
“Holy shit!” Jude exclaims, and we all turn to the guy who knows chemicals and shit like that. He’s holding his mouth and jaw, covering his uncontrollable laughter, but it blows out anyway.
“Spit. It. Out,Happy,” Rory snarls and doubles over again.
“Um…you’re gonna be spitting it out soon, Red. Out of yourass,” he adds, unable to stifle the laughter. He claps slowly, applauding her. “Well done, Babydoll.”
“What did she do?” I still ask.
Jude grins from ear to ear. “She put a laxative in his whiskey.”
Holy. Fucking. Goddess!
Lowering her head toward Rory, Briella smacks his ass, and he groans again, clenching his eyes, sweating more. “Let it out, Lad. Be a good boy and just let it out,” she urges him…just like he did with her in the dungeon with the enema.
He swipes at her, but Briella dances out of the way. Another gurgle. Another groan. Oh…and he makes a beeline for the nearest bathroom.
“You probably want to avoid that one.” She looks at all of us.
“Yeah, he’ll be in there all night,” Jude adds.
With my dick raging hotter and harder than ever, I cross three steps toward her, drop to my knees, and make prayer hands. “Briella Darling. Goddess divine. Marry me!”
29
Briella
“TAKE BRIELLA TO MEET OUR OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS.”
Citizen Soldier Playlist
“Black Hole Brain”
It’s not enough. But it’s a start.
It wasn’t too hard. Especially when I learned how Rory takes his coffee. The laxative was practically screaming at me in the bathroom closet. All I had to do was wait for him to grab his ingredients and start prepping.
I saw the nearly full bottle of Scotch on the bar cart in the pantry and figured he’d be back for it. I had just a few seconds, but it was enough.
A string of muffled curses and threats, followed by the toilet flushing, echoes from the downstairs bathroom. I’m still riding the high, but ignoring Seth’s proposal, even if he’s following me around the kitchen on his knees while I clean up.
“Seth,” Raphael interjects in his dark, warning voice, and the lumberjack lifts his head and looks at his alpha. “Go fix the south fence line.”
He jerks up and takes a step toward the door. I place some dishes in the sink when his body heat suddenly swarms mine. Before I know it, he’s cupping my chin and kissing me, his mouth like a fever on mine. Passionate. Wanting. Needing. I’m just melting into it when he pulls back, tucks my curls behind myear, and kisses my cheek. “Just think about it.” He winks. “You be my Darling wife. I’ll be your doting slave of a husband.”
