She bites her bottom lip.
“You’re some kinda something. A lion until you have an orgasm. Then you become a sweet little kitten.”
“Fuck off.” She pushes my shoulder.
I laugh and try again—try harder—to look at her. My gaze moves over her face. The taste of her satisfaction on my tongue makes it easier. “You said you weren’t good at this,” I tell her softly, imploring herthrough gaze alone to understand what I mean when words seem so difficult to piece together. “This is hard for me, too, but I want to be good at it.”
Her blush gets deeper. She nods quickly and gives my thigh a little squeeze. My tail rolls up the inside of her ankle and she jolts. “Does it hurt to sit on that thing?”
I groan. “You’re an idiot.”
We ride the rest of the way to our building in companionable silence, and when we arrive, I help Monika gingerly exit the vehicle after Nicoleta opens the car door for us. “It’s good to see you’re okay, Monika,” she says.
“Thank you,” Monika answers, and for whatever reason, I’m feeling less jealous when Monika smiles at her. “And, uh ... sorry again for this time. And last time ...” Maybe that’s why.
The woman smiles even as the tops of her cheeks tint pink. “No problem. I’m just glad you’re all right.”
“Thanks.” Monika blushes again, and I can’t stand it because it’s so fucking cute.
I want to wrap my arm around her, but she’s got deep stitching in her shoulder—over thirty of them where the dart went into her.
I’ve been doing an excellent job of repressing the urge to call the Marduk and tear his face off so far. I know Iwilltear the Marduk’s heart out of his chest and I know exactly how I plan to do it, but I am not doing shit until Monika’s better, until the Wyvern is recovered, and until the COE has a plan to protect them in case of inevitable retaliation. Because when I go for the Marduk, he will suffer as he never has. And as someone who is fast friends with rage, I know that the Marduk will want his vengeance after I enact my plans. I will need to use that instability in his emotions to break him entirely, and cut the head off the feral animal he is so I can mount it on a pike on my balcony.
My overall master plan has been rewritten: Kill, fuck, marry, destroy. So long as I can keep my dick in check, the Marduk dies first, before everything.
I texted Simone in the car to meet us at my penthouse. She’s been around, coordinating the movers, and is there when the doors open up. She smiles at Monika but waits to speak until I do. It’s been a preference of mine since the dawn of our working relationship, but I find myself suddenly annoyed by it.
“You can talk, Simone. And you don’t have to wear a uniform. Tell Simon not to wear a uniform either. Just tell him to dress however he wants. And get me a new car. I want something comfortable. Custom made, of course. I still want to have a privacy divider. And a soundproof interior. For ... reasons.”
Monika chokes. Simone is taking notes, but Monika has her looking up when she interrupts, “Your name isn’t Simone, is it?”
She glances at me. When I don’t say more, just frown, she chuckles lightly. “No. It’s Raven. Taranis’s other assistant isn’t Simon either. It’s Davíd.”
“Simon and Simone?” Monika elbows me in the ribs. “You’re absurd.”
“I’m working on it.” I grimace atRavenand say, “Did you see the contract I sent you?”
“I did.”
“And did you decide?”
Raven nods quickly, surprising me. “I’m interested in staying on, particularly within the new terms.” A raise being one of them. Fixed hours being the other. No longer on call and no longer required to manage a tenth of my previous schedule being the last key amendments.
“Good,” I say, trying to keep the surprise from my voice. I assumed she wouldn’t be interested, even with the added perks. I’m no longer a Champion and I’m generally an unpleasant creature, and yet, here she is.
“She’s your PA?” Monika asks.
“Yes.”
“I thought you were quitting?”
“Except where cases of my girlfriend diving headlong into danger are concerned.”
Raven snorts. Monika shakes her head, “Good grief.”
“Yes, that’s what you’re causing me—grief. Now, let’s get you settled onto my new couch.” I push her down the hallway, muttering over my shoulder to Raven as I go, “Please also get rid of these doors. I don’t like them. They aren’tcomfortable. And get that designer in who said something about giving my walls texture—whatever that means.”
“Are you redecorating?” Monika asks, trying to look over her shoulder at me but her bandages get in the way. I grab her by the top of the head and turn it forward.
