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“Just for that, I’m not telling you when we really got together,” Uriel growled. He turned to Bruiser. “Where’s Hunner?”

“Right here!” Hunner dropped out of the sky, brandishing a bag and a pair of cowboy boots.

“Just boots?” Bruiser asked incredulously.

“For Uriel,” Hunner said.

Uriel stared at the boots. Then he put them on and straightened, looking like a sexy badass.

“Did you bring salt?” Uriel asked.

“Yes! I also brought dick confetti,” the butler said proudly, fishing out two smaller bags. “It’s biodegradable.”

Uriel opened and closed his mouth. Then he sighed. “Well, why not?”

He salted Xenowen’s ashes heavily, then scattered the confetti on top of that. Only then did Uriel go boneless, leaning into Bruiser.

“You did it,” Bruiser said, quietly proud. “He got what he deserved.”

“I could’ve tortured him a little more,” Uriel admitted. “But I didn’t want to take any chances that he would recover.”

“I agree.”

Uriel breathed out slowly, like he had finally exorcised the ghosts from his past. But that was only part of it; Bruiser knew they still had a ways to go before Uriel was fully comfortable with himself.

“Thanks for showing up to help,” Bruiser said to Yaeger, Ace, and Thiago.

“Of course. Anything for our friends.” Ace turned to Uriel. “Are you going to tell the others?”

“Give him some space,” Bruiser growled.

But Uriel only nodded. “Yeah. I will, but give me some time. It’s a pretty big secret.”

Bruiser scowled at Ace. Uriel elbowed him.

“We’re going home,” Bruiser grumbled.

“Um,” Hunner said, shifty-eyed.

“What did you do?” Bruiser squinted at his butler.

“There may or may not be a Butt-ler Bros party at your lair,” Hunner said. “Since you said not to leave Cassie alone. I invited some help. You can definitely trust the Butt-ler Bros.”

Uriel groaned. “Trust you to cover the place in pickup lines, you mean?”

Hunner grinned. “We’re just making your lair more colorful! More blessed! They’re making butt blessings as we speak.”

“Oh gods,” Uriel whispered.

“Don’t worry, it’ll look amazing,” Hunner sang, twirling around the charred ground. “It’ll make you want to make even more babies!”

“More?” Thiago said slyly. “Bruiser, you dog.”

Bruiser groaned and buried his face in his hands. “Go away.”

25

PREGNANCY