I glanced at Daniil worriedly.Had his oldest lost his marbles?
Daniil started rubbing his chest even as Grigori kept whispering toward the silent door.
And then we all heard it. Ember said clearly, “No. I love him. I can’t do that. Even if he doesn’t want children now, I’ll just have to deal with it somehow. He’s mine. My partner. My lover. My best friend. There’s no way in hell I would do that. I want him.”
Grigori’s eyes flashed open, and he jumped up from his chair, startling all of us. He stalked out of the room, stuffing his hurt hand in his pants pocket, stating coolly, “If the two of you are done propositioning her, you can get the fuck out my home…or I’ll help you out.” There was a pause, no one making a sound. And then, Grigori said cheerfully, “All right. I’ve been waiting patiently to do this for some time.”
And…we all heard the fight start.
“Shit,” Daniil grumbled quietly, everyone flying out of their seats. He pointed at me. “Stay back.”
I almost laughed. As if I was going to do that.
I followed discreetly as everyone rushed out of the room, and I slid up the stairs a few steps, getting a better view of it all. Ember was shouting, standing against a wall, yelling at all of them to stop, her face clearly showing she had been crying since she wasn’t one of those pretty tear shedders. No one was intervening yet, letting them duke it out, standing in a loose circle around them, standing far enough away just in case…well, like when…
Grigori was slammed against a wall, literally cracking it with his back from Brent’s forceful shove. Grigori ducked his punch and raised his massive, scary-ass boot with tiny silver spikes all over it, and nailed Cole in the chest as he came up, sending him flying back through the air, and tumbling on the ground, almost to where Eva and Chloe stood.
Brent took advantage of that and swiped Grigori’s feet out from underneath him, and he landed on his side but rolled right into Brent, taking him down. They both popped up to their feet quickly, but Grigori didn’t see Cole get up and come at him, taking an elbow hard to his shoulder muscle. Grigori grunted, spinning, and suddenly, it was kind of like watching one of those martial arts movies where they seem like they’re all moving in fast forward. Fists and legs flew from all of them, Brent and Cole working like a team just as well as Ember and Grigori had done in the sparring ring in Key West. Although Grigori held his own somehow, getting in just as many hits as they did on him.
They worked in a circle, staying contained in the area…and then, Brent and Cole charged him. Grigori ducked one fist but caught the other in the face—I wasn’t sure whose hand it was at this point—and his head shot back, his mouth bleeding. And…that’s when it appeared he stopped playing nice even though I hadn’t realized he had been. Every shot he landed on them had one of them groaning, and then they all started fighting just as dirty.
Cole almost landed a shot right at Grigori’s crotch, but Grigori caught it and grinned, shaking his head before twisting his foot, and Cole with it, down to the floor. But that little move cost Grigori’s kidneys when Brent got in a solid kick. Grigori gasped, spinning away, holding his back, and glaring at Brent.
And that’s when Ember jumped in the middle, right when they were all going back in at one another. She held her hands up, screaming, “Stop it! Now!”
They didn’t really listen so well, though. Dodging her, all three of them slammed into one another against another wall, making another crack in the foyer. Ember stalked up to them, and she yelled right next to their flying arms. “I swear to motherfucking God, Grigori, if you don’t stop this now, I’m going to a damn hotel. And staying there indefinitely.” She paused. “I said I wanted you. Isn’t that enough?”
The fight continued, and Grigori groaned out when he got punched in the stomach. “They asked you to fucking leave me. And have a baby with them. In my own damn house!”
He shoved Cole up against the wall by the throat, but Cole somehow slipped out of his hold at the same time Grigori kicked backward nailing Brent, who was sneaking up on him, right in the gut.
Ember screeched through clenched teeth her hands in fists at her sides, “Fine. I’m leaving.” She turned on her heel and started marching toward the front door.
Grigori sighed and spun, and suddenly, he had two guns in his hands, aimed at Brent and Cole’s heads.
Ember stopped in her tracks, hearing the fighting come to a dead stop as Brent and Cole stood frozen, glowering at Grigori. She glanced over her shoulder, taking in the scene. Slowly turning around, she crossed her arms, asking coolly, “Is that really necessary?”
Grigori grinned with blood trickling from his eyebrow and lip. “You were going to leave. It’s the quickest way to get them gone. Win-win.”
“Grigori…” Ember said in warning.
Grigori heaved in a breath and blew it out slowly, playing with his tongue ring and staring at Brent and Cole. “Just get the fuck out like I asked before. Nikki and Beth would miss you too much if you died again.” And…I think he was actually serious. Like the only thing keeping him from shooting them was the fact that their kids would miss them. He jerked his head at the door, stating calmly, “Now. Get the fuck out of my home. And the next time you come to pick up Nikki and Beth, stay outside. One of us will bring them to you.”
They stared right back at him for a few moments longer, and then both turned on their heel at the same time, walking toward the front door.
Ember stated to them as they passed her, “Just tell the girls you wrestled each other. They’ll think you both won.”
They didn’t say anything, both storming out of the front door, not bothering to shut it. Grigori put his guns away, holding the back of his hand to the corner of his mouth where he was bleeding, staring at Ember as Ruslan came inside, shutting the door behind him and standing there quietly. Ember glared at Grigori, not moving from her spot, arms still crossed.
Grigori glanced at the back of his hand and wiped his mouth again, his eyes back on Ember. “All I have to say is one word…” He paused, leaning forward and stating, “Blue.”
Ember’s lips pinched. “That was nothing like this. I only dyed their skin blue. Not try to beat them to death and wave my damn gun around like it’s a fucking measurement contest.”
Grigori grinned, raising his eyebrows. “I don’t need a measurement contest to know who’s bigger. Your eyes said it all the first time you saw me.”
“Not. The. Damn. Point,” Ember hissed. She glared, and then waved a hand. “Never mind. If you don’t get it, then you can sleep on the couch.”
She turned and started marching up the stairs.
