“My brother has a thing for pain.” His lips brush my lobe when he adds, “So do I.” Then his teeth followwith a soft nip.
My shears drop to the floor, and the sound echoes. The alphas tense, and I use that moment to push them away, jumping off the counter and grabbing the shears from the floor just to hold them in front of me like a weapon.
Which I realise is not only pointless, but a mistake, because they like pain. Their dark eyes dart to the shears, then my face, and they start to prowl.
“No. No chasing,” I say, a little shrill. But they stop, thank fuck. “I’m going to say bye to my brother, and we’re going to end this conversation here. Understood?”
Their eyes are on me, they’re not moving, but they start swapping phrases in Spanish that end in Val laughing. A sound I’ve rarely heard, so deep and masculine, and… I need to get out of here.
I keep backing away, and they don’t follow.
“I’m going to assume you’re saying,‘Yes, we understand,’” I say as I make it to the door.
Just as I push it open with my shoulder, Luc says, “Sí, Mamita,” with a smile so wicked my stomach does a flip it has no right to do.
I keep walking backwards, watching the door swing shut in front of me before I finally turn around.
“Why are you holding your scissors like that?”
“Holy fuck, Rue.” I nearly drop them again as I turn to face my brother.
His worried gaze darts from me to the room I just left. “Something wrong, Re-Re?”
“No, nothing. It’s fine.” I slip my shears away. “And they’re shears. Not scissors.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He rolls his eyes, then slips an arm over my shoulders, steering us back to the shop floor. “You still mad at me?”
I hear the door behind me open, and I turn to catch the alpha brothers walking away, speaking in low murmurs.
I look back at my brother with a scowl. “You have no idea.”
Sylvan
The glass isn’t tinted enough. The scanner is outdated. The first floor is too open, and the cameras barely cover it.
“Syl?”
I glance at Luciano. He said my name, yet he’s not asking me anything. “What?”
“Did you listen to anything we said on the way here?”
I study the skylights as I answer, “Yes. For some reason, you want technical support here, even though this was meant to be a one-day favour. And in return for said technical support, you will finally allow me to implant trackers in you. Which, may I add, is for your benefit, not mine.”
Ten skylights. Ten different ways to enter.
“Did you put the skylights on the action plan?” I look at him for confirmation, but he’s frowning.
“Yes, I put the fucking windows on the plan.” Then he scoffs and turns away.
Did I upset him?
“Sylvan.”
Ah, Valentin is using my full name. Which means he either wants my attention or Ihavedone something wrong. Possibly both.
I turn to him because eye contact is important.
“Why else did we ask you to come?” he asks.
