Page 23 of Beastly Armory

Markus and Jakob eye each other in confusion.

“Welp,” I say, putting my clean Glock back together and sliding in a loaded magazine. “I’m heading to bed. Make sure that new healer stays with Derichs. Kid’s my new favorite. He did good tonight. You trained him well.” On my way out the door, I pat Jakob on the shoulder, and he grins. “Goodnight.”

The next morning, after a hot shower, I stop in on Derichs in the guest wing.

“Hey, man. I’m feeling better.” Derichs wakes from his nap as the new mousy looking healer rises from the chaise lounge in the corner, a thick book sliding off her lap, hitting the floor. Large brown eyes widen as she takes me in. She looks terrified of me.

“No, no. Don’t try to sit up for me,” I tell Derichs when I step inside. “I just wanted to make sure you have everything you need.”

“Max, I feel like I can get up today. I can go with you. Whatever you’re planning, I’m ready.” His arm attempts to hold his body up and scoot toward the edge of the mattress.

A grin spreads across my face. I like that he’s eager to protect me, eager to help our family. “Today’s task is a solo event. It’ll be better if I go alone. And I highly doubt I’ll be in danger, unless Strauss sends out some followers.”

With a dazed smile and glassy eyes, he rests back against his pillows. “Alright. But if you need me, just come get me.”

“No, I want you to rest up. We’ll get a meeting with Strauss soon, and I’ll want you there.”

He nods. “Of course.”

Turning to the healer, I ask, “Your name is Maggie?”

She nods. “Yes, Mr. Freidenberg. I apologize for last night?—”

“Just don’t let it happen again. Make sure my boy here is one hundred percent by the end of the week.”

“Yes, sir.” She looks at the ground, her long, brown ponytail falling forward over her tiny shoulder.

The upper hallways have been cleaned, but the wood floors are still warped as the carpenters continue to work on them. When I reach the dining room downstairs, breakfast has been laid on the tall, gilded sideboard. Arianna, Jakob, and Markus sit at the table, already eating. After preparing myself a plate of fresh hen eggs and thick bacon, I take my seat at the head of the table. Everyone is quiet with a tensity in the room coming from some unknown source. Studying the faces surrounding me, I quickly find out where the issue lies.

“Maxi, I’m planning to go out today.” Arianna places her fork on her plate with a loud scrape.

Taking a big bite of my breakfast, I dismissively say, “No, you’re not.”

“Yes, I am. I can’t juststayhere all day and night. I’ve got cabin fever.” She sniffs dramatically. “I need the outdoors.”

“You can walk the grounds,” I say, eyeing Jakob, who nods at me as if he’s already told her this.

From the look on her face, I know she isn’t done trying to convince me yet. “I thought I would get Dad’s old motorcycle fixed up.”

My mouth hangs open, a bit of bacon falling to my plate. “What? Since when do you like motorcycles?”

Looking at her plate and, as casually as she can muster, she shrugs. “I’ve been riding since I was sixteen.”

“Huh.” There were years I had been away from her. Times I didn’t know her well because she was in boarding school while I was fighting, working for various organizations, and doing stupid shit to make ends. Maybe I didn’tknow my little sister as well as I thought. “You ever own one?”

She shakes her head, her espresso hair shining in the morning light streaming through the windows. “No, but I know how to ride.”

Turning to Jakob, his eyebrows raise, mimicking the surprised look on my face.

“Who taught you?” As far as I know, Arianna is a virgin. She’d never had a boyfriend, and I intend to keep it that way. Was there a boy in her life who showed her how to ride? Is there some guy I don’t know about hanging around her? As if claws are just underneath their surface, my fingers tingle with anticipation of a good fight.

“A friend from school had an older brother who rode. He taught us both.”

“Which friend? Which brother?”

Her eyes roll. “Her name was Scarlett, my roommate from second year. Her brother’s name was TJ. He was much older than us.”

“What’s their last name?” My spies can easily look them up and check into TJ, making sure he didn’t put hismuch olderpenis anywhere near my sister.

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