“We have a full gym downstairs, and there’s a yoga room. You can use it.”
“You have weights?”
“Yep. Pretty much anything you need.” He pauses. “And I’ll get anything you want that’s not there.”
“Thank you” is all I’m able to manage.
As we walk down the hall, the quiet is replaced by a lot of loud male voices. We step into the kitchen, a massive space dominated by a huge island in the middle, and no one even acknowledges us. They just keep talking and passing around food and cooking tools, as if I’m just another part of this chosen family.
There’s one man who sticks out though. He’s standing on the far side of the island, his eyes focused on a beautiful blond twink standing beside him. His black hair is tied back, and he has pale skin and sharp features. If it weren’t for the adoring look on his face, he’d look like a villain in a movie.
His gaze slowly shifts and lands on me, his eyebrow quirking with interest.
“Guys,” Wraith says. “Shut your bloody pie holes. We have company.”
Everyone shuts up at the same time and Specter pulls me closer until our arms are pressed together. “This is Cashmere,” he says. “He’s my guest until further notice.”
“Hi, Cashmere,” they all say at the same time, like a kindergarten class.
“Hello.” I wave a bit. I focus on the obvious leader of the group. He’s taking me in, but not at all in the admiring way most men look at me. He’s assessing me, making a judgment.
“Welcome,” he says, his voice deep and slightly raspy. “I’m Shadow.”
“He runs the joint,” Wraith says, winking.
“Thank you,” I answer, looking directly at Shadow. I’m not easily intimidated, but fuck, this man is terrifying.
Specter rattles off a string of spooky synonyms as names, pointing to each man around the island. For a bunch of killers, they aren’t too scary. Except Shadow.
The man next to Shadow clearly doesn’t fit in here. He’s like a ray of sunshine in the middle of the night. He waves happily. “I’m Bellamy.”
“Mine,” Shadow growls, nipping Bellamy’s earlobe.
Okay, possessiveness is a shared trait among hitmen. Good to know.
“Eggs are ready,” Phantom says. “Let’s eat.”
Everyone grabs platters and utensils, and I go to help, but Specter takes my elbow, holding me back and turning me to face him. The look on his face sends a shiver of concern up my spine, but something else flashing in his eyes makes my cock swell.
“Why were you looking at Shadow like that?” he asks through gritted teeth.
“Like what?”
“Are you attracted to him?”
I pull my head back slightly. “Oh my god. You’re jealous?” I scoff a laugh at that. “Wow.”
“Answer me, because you’re fucking mine, Cashmere. Got it? Mine.”
I pat his chest, ready to blow up, but I’m immediately disarmed. There’s no violence in his eyes. Nothing scary at all. That’s fear I see.
“I’m not remotely attracted to him. I find him terrifying and not in a hot way. If I was looking at him, it was nothing but me processing his energy.”
His shoulders drop and he blows out a breath. “Yeah,” he grunts. “Okay.”
“But you can apologize for being a total dick about it.”
His gaze darkens as he walks us back until I’m pressed against the hallway wall. “I don’t like to apologize for things that will probably happen again. When it comes to you, you can bet I’ll be jealous.”
