Page 36 of Revenge & Truth

“I see how it is. You only keep me around for my talents, don’t you? God, I just feel so used all the time,” Hound whined as he plugged in the drive and slumped on his chair. “You know, Luna, I used to believe there was something more between us, but I don’t think there’s anything you could do to make me think otherwise.”

Grabbing the armrest on his chair, I swiveled him to face me. “Please tell me you haven’t been taking pointers from Braxton. There is only room for one melodramatic person, and he’s claimed that spot.”

“Hey,” Braxton grumbled. “Not cool, Astin. I’m not melodramatic. No, this guy is prime time, and I’m not talking about Lifetime drama, either. Uh-uh, I’m top notch can’t-stop-watching-because-their-life-is-a-train-wreck, Desperate Housewives level here. Being called melodramatic is just insulting.”

Looking into Hound’s eyes, I pointed toward Braxton. “See what I mean… don’t be like that. It’s cute for a little while, then you just want to smother him with a pillow.”

“If you switch out the pillow for your pussy, I’ll happily suffocate,” Braxton interjected.

Jace raised his hand. “I second that unless I get to watch and steal you away for our own fun when he passes out.”

The absurdity of it all got me laughing so hard I was crying. It wasn’t just what those two were saying, but adding in the mental picture of the scene happening just put the cherry on top. What made it even better is I’m pretty sure neither of them were joking.

Large, rough hands cupped my cheeks, and the next thing I knew, Hound was kissing me. There was no doubt it was him with the cool feel of metal from the hoops he had wrapped around his lower lip. Having caught me off guard still laughing, I discovered he also had his tongue pierced. It was a new and interesting sensation to feel as he deepened the kiss once he knew I wouldn’t reject him. Hound was like Jace—when either of them wanted something, they took it, damn the consequences. Lucky for them, I was more than willing to give them what they asked for.

Hound pulled back first, and I was caught in the red and black swirl of the contacts he chose to wear today. This pair seemed to be a favorite, but one day I wanted to see their true color under them. They were part of his look, and I loved he did what made him happy, not giving a shit what the rest of the world thought. It was amazing to watch, and I’ll admit I envied him just a little.

“Watching you laugh like that, I couldn’t help but steal some of the beauty for myself,” Hound whispered. “And just maybe you do want me for something more than my skills.”

“You are more than aware of that fact, so don’t paint yourself to be that dumb,” I warned, keeping my voice low since this conversation was just for us. “Now, if you’re done marking your territory, can we see what Ivy brought us?”

“Oh, Moonflower, I haven’t even begun to mark my territory. Trust me, when it happens, you’ll know, but I don’t think you’re ready for it just yet,” Hound shared, giving me one more searing kiss before turning his attention to his computer.

twelve

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.”