Page 31 of Revenge & Truth

I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing at the image of Atticus telling Ryker he wasn’t interested in him. “There shouldn’t be a problem with that since I’m fairly certain Ryker would feel the same about you.”

“Then I see no reason why sharing a bed as large as yours would be an issue,” Atticus determined. “Shall we take that shower and settle in for the night? I’ll need to be in bed by ten to get my full eight hours of sleep before my alarm goes off at six.”

“You know, I think an early night might be just what I need,” I commented. “I’ve been staying up ‘til one or two in the morning, and with Ryker in my bed last night, there wasn’t much sleeping.”

“Hmm… we might need to set some rules to ensure you get proper sleep, no matter who’s in your bed,” he reasoned. “As leader of this organization, it’s important to look after your health, and sleep is essential for that.”

“I’ll add it to the list of things to cover in our next family meeting,” I teased, starting to walk backward to the bathroom. “Enough strategizing. We only have an hour before bed, so I suggest we make the most of it.”

The smile that bloomed on Atticus’ face as he laughed before scooping me up would live in my memory forever. We might have also been a half hour late to bed, but it took me a solid ten minutes to convince my legs they weren’t Jell-O so I could dry my hair before sleeping. While Atticus might not be the world’s best communicator, his tongue was gifted in many other ways.

12 - Astin

The power of eight hours of sleep was magical. It could also be the fact I fell asleep curled up with Atticus wrapped around me, face buried in my neck, and his snoring sounded like a kitten purring. A solid morning make-out session didn’t hurt to set the tone for the day, either. Eventually, I had to leave and head back to my room so he could get ready, and I didn’t want to mess up his routine too badly.

One of the first things I did as the new Boss was change the time for breakfast from seven to eight. I fucking hated waking up at six. Why having that extra hour made such a difference, I don’t know, but it fucking did. Atticus was struggling to adjust his routine to the change. However, I think he was beginning to see my point of view since it gave us time for morning cuddles—something he’s never experienced but seemed to rather enjoy.

Wrapped up in a spare robe of Atticus’, I stepped out into the hall to find a man I didn’t know stationed outside. “Who the fuck are you?” I demanded.

I knew he was one of our people, recognizing him from the security team. What I didn’t understand was why he was lingering outside Atticus’ door.

“Good morning, Mistress. I’m Thad, a member of the security team. Mr. Boykov had me take over for him last night once you and Master Owens were settled for the evening. He wanted me to inform you that he’d rejoin you at breakfast.”

Thinking back to the drive home last night, I remembered Ryker saying something about stepping up security after this move. He’d been worried with the taunt, they would retaliate hard and swift, so his main concern was me having security around at all times. I hadn’t really considered what that would mean, but it appeared he wasn’t kidding about the all-times aspect.

“Did Boykov or Ryker pick you personally to stand at this door, or were you just assigned at random?” I asked, crossing my arms as I looked the man over.

“Mr. Boykov called me personally to take this shift. We worked together on the previous Boss’ security team,” Thad informed me.

That made sense to me and cleared up why Boykov would pick him, even though he looked like a stiff wind would snap him in half. There had to be a reason my father chose him to be on his team, so I’d trust he could handle himself, but if this was how things were going to be, I wanted to approve the team that was supposed to protect my life.

Not feeling the need to question him further, I headed down the hall with Thad on my heels. Back at my suite, Thad resumed his place at the door without a word, hands clasped with an alert but relaxed expression. I studied him a moment longer, wondering what martial arts he was trained in but decided to wait to ask questions at the formal interview. If Ryker and Boykov wanted to have people I didn’t know follow me around or stand outside my door, I needed to be sure I could trust them to be discreet.

The joy of hearing the staccato clack-clack of my heels on the marble floor was indescribable. I still couldn’t wear them every day like I used to, with my leg still healing, but I could manage one or two days a week. Unwilling to let anything ruin the fabulous day I was having, I knew it was a heel day. The pair I picked were black but faded in to red, giving it that something extra to draw the eye. To ensure everyone could see them, I decided on a pair of black cigarette pants with a billowing white silk button-down I tucked only in the front, keeping my shoes the statement piece.

Entering the dining room, I observed Thad breaking off to meet with Boykov, who was off to the side near the windows. Ryker was already seated, his chair pulled out, ankle resting on the opposite knee, sipping his coffee and reading something on his tablet. I wandered over, casting a shadow over the screen, causing him to look up and smile when he noticed it was me.

“Good morning, love,” he greeted, setting down the tablet.

I leaned down, kissing him and enjoying the fact he tasted like coffee with a hint of mint. “Morning.”

“You’re in a good mood,” Ryker noted as he dropped his foot to the floor and pulled me to sit on his lap, wrapping me up in his arms. “Is it because Atticus is a better boyfriend and made sure you got some sleep?”

“Don’t even start with the better boyfriend shit,” I warned. “However, Atticus’ theory about the eight hours might be something to consider. I feel fabulous.”

“You look fabulous too,” Braxton said as he joined us at the table. “Tell me, are the heels a reflection of the amazing sex or the sleep? Be honest now… I’ve heard the stories about our resident genius.”

I tapped my chin, acting as if deep in thought before sharing my answer. “I’d have to say both, definitely both.”

A cup and saucer appeared before me, drawing my attention with the tantalizing aroma. Seeing it was Liu who offered me the nectar of the gods, I smiled. Reaching out as if to take the coffee, I grasped his tie instead, pulling him down to press a kiss to his lips.

“Thank you,” I whispered before kissing him a little deeper a second time, releasing him, and taking the drink.

He cleared his throat with a rosy tint to his cheeks and neck. “You’re welcome, omae.”

“Look who’s got game,” Hound laughed, slapping Liu on the back. “That was an excellent plan, my man. One sure way to always remain on Luna’s good side is to supply her with coffee. Does that mean he’ll be the favorite today and sit at the head of the table?”

“Hold on! What?” Ryker cut in. “Is that what this bullshit game of musical chairs is all about?”