I turned to meet his eyes, remembering how they’d flashed with fury in the basement. He mightwantit to happen that way, but everyone in this room knew it wouldn’t. And then there was the other issue…
“If for no other reason, then for my peace of mind. Please, Koko?”
“What do you mean?” he asked with a frown.
“She tried to make me believe you were being,” I searched for the right words, “intimatewith her earlier.”
Understanding dawned on his face, followed quickly by horror.
“Seri, I would rather castrate myself than ever—”
I laid my fingers on his lips, stopping the words.
“I know that. Every fiber of my being knows the depths of your loyalty.” I leaned forward and kissed his cheek, just a ghost of my lips across his skin. “I never doubted you for a second. But she doesn’t… I don’t know how to explain it, but I don’t want her to eventhinkshe can hurt me anymore.”
“Damn right she can’t.” He melted into me, and I dug my face in his throat, greedily inhaling his evening primrose scent.
“You heard our wife,” Casimir declared with a curt nod.
“I did, and don’t you worry, sunshine. I’ll make her sing like a deranged canary,” Zane promised, already getting to his feet. The prospect seemed to excite him, like a cat about to toy with a mouse.
Which, to be honest, he was.
Shifting me a little in his arms, Koa pulled a small glass vial from his pocket, holding it up to the light where it caught the sun streaming through the windows.
“Oh!” I held out my cupped hands. “I finally get to see your spy eyes!”
He smiled at my enthusiasm, thumbed off the cork, and extracted two of the little things. He handed one to me for examination and flicked the other at Zane.
I could hardly believe he’d created such a marvel of delicate engineering, the perfect blend of technology and magic. It looked like a bug with red eyes and clear, gold-veined wings, small enough to sit on the tip of my finger. Tiny gears clicked almost imperceptibly as it turned in a slow circle.
“Koko, they areamazing.” I swiveled my eyes to his. “You’re a genius!”
“They record both video and audio.” Koa’s undisguised pride made me smile. “The feed transmits directly to my laptop, where it’s automatically saved.”
“Does it feel anything?”
“Only my crushing guilt over surveillance capitalism.” His smirk faded at my expression. “No pain, Seri. Promise. All magic and gears.”
“So you’ll be watching Zane the whole time?” I returned the spy eye to his palm.
“Hell, yeah! I want a front-row seat.”
“You just wanna watch me crack her skull open figuratively before you do it literally.” Zane set his spy eye on his shoulder.
“I am also interested in the results,” Casimir admitted, “purely for strategic purposes, of course.”
I looked at these three men who had become my world in such a short time. They were capable of such tenderness with me, yet so ruthless with those who threatened what they loved. That should have frightened me, but instead, it made me feel safer than I ever had before.
Teeth,I thought.I have someone with teeth willing to fight for, and with, me now.
“I trust you to do what’s necessary,” I said, “but it’s not something I want to witness.”
I didn’t need to say anymore. They understood. They would protect me from the uglier aspects of this life we shared, not because they thought me weak, but because they respected my boundaries.
“I’ll work on my ward while you’re busy,” I decided. “It will be a good time to focus without you all distracting me.”
“Sweetheart, husbands aren’t meant to be ignored,” Zane teased as he gave me a quick, fierce kiss. “Wish me luck, sunshine.”
