Page 12 of Warrior Unraveled

4

While a night in the cell wasn’t exactly what Wesley had planned, he wasn’t complaining. The back of his prison housed a rudimentary shower, sink, and toilet, and the cot wasn’t quite as hard as he’d expected. He’d woken early and showered, glad that he’d borrowed fresh clothes from Aiden the day before. At least he was clean and presentable.

Funny that that was his biggest concern: to look good for Virginia, even though she’d given him the cold shoulder the night before. But he wasn’t easily discouraged.

When he finally heard footsteps coming toward his cell, his heart began to beat excitedly. He combed his fingers through his hair, smoothing it down, and took a deep breath, readying himself for the hot Stealth Guardian woman in her Catwoman outfit. Man, was she sexy! All night he’d had the image in his head, leaving him with a permanent hard-on.

The key turned in the lock.

Wesley’s pulse raced; at this rate, it could win the Kentucky Derby.

Finally, the wait was over, and the door swung open. The silhouette wasn’t Virginia’s. Too tall, too broad.

“You wanted pancakes, didn’t you?” Aiden stood at the entrance, a breakfast tray in his hands. “Hope you won’t mind if I don’t come in, but lead doesn’t exactly agree with me. Sucks all the energy right out of me.”

Wes tucked that piece of information away for later use and approached the friendly guardian.

“Thanks, really appreciate it. If it were up to Virginia, I’d probably starve.” Wesley snatched the cup of coffee from the tray and took a big gulp of the hot liquid, feeling it revive him.

“Careful with her,” Aiden cautioned, leaning in and lowering his voice. “She was an enforcer before she joined the council. She could go totally Rambo on you. You wouldn’t stand a chance. So be careful what you say to her.”

Wes grinned and took a pancake, folded it, and shoved it into his mouth. He’d already gotten a taste of Virginia’s attitude. He swallowed. “So, an enforcer, huh? She can enforce me all she wants.”

Aiden’s eyes widened, and the scar above his eyebrow seemed to twitch. “Are you crazy? Don’t play with that woman! She means business.”

Wes smirked. “So do I. Don’t worry, I know how to handle women like her. She’ll be purring like a kitten in no time.”

“Totally insane. I should have known it. I should have seen it the minute you showed up here.” He shook his head. “Why the fuck would you want to get into her pants? She eats men for breakfast.”

Wes chuckled. “Right up my alley, just like I thought.”

“Insane. And I even bothered calling my father to put in a good word for you. But you’re a lost cause.”

Wes chased his second pancake with a gulp of coffee. “Your father? What’s he got to do with this?”

“He’s Primus of the council.”

“Primus?”

Aiden huffed impatiently. “Like chairman, you know. He has a lot of influence.”

“Cool. Well, thanks for talking to him. I really appreciate it. You’re a friend.”

“Yeah, a friend who’s going to regret that he trusted you really soon,” Aiden hissed. “You won’t do your case any favors by making a pass at Virginia. She’s a council member, and though she’s new, she has a vote. She only has to turn four other council members against you, and your fate is sealed.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? What could they possibly do to me?”

“Execute you for breaching our defenses.”

Not exactly a prospect he relished. “Well, in that case, I’d better make sure Virginia takes a liking to me.”

Aiden rolled his eyes and pressed the tray into Wesley’s hands. “Why am I wasting my breath?” He reached for the door to close it, as another figure appeared in the corridor: Virginia.

Wes shoved the tray back at Aiden, wiped his hands on his pants and took a step into the corridor.

“Lost cause,” Aiden murmured even more quietly and turned away.

“Morning, Virginia,” Wes greeted his jailor with a smile, and ran his eyes over her.