Page 53 of Clash of Sin and Secret

Across the room, Huntley moves like liquid death, his fighting experience evident in every precise strike. He has one vampire pinned against a support beam while trading blows with another.

Zane fights with controlled fury beside him, his true-blood genes giving him an undeniable advantage as he keeps the fourth vampire at bay.

A flash of movement catches my eye. The red-headed witch is circling toward Scottie’s blind spot while she’s focused on the female witch.

I shoulder-check my opponent into the wall and sprint toward her. “Not happening,” I growl, intercepting the witch’s path. He raises his hands, dark energy gathering at his fingertips.

Scottie spins, her own power manifesting in a brilliant arc that catches the witch off-guard. The collision of magics sends sparks showering across the floor. I use the distraction to close the distance, grabbing the male witch’s wrist and disrupting his spell-casting.

“Tuck, behind you!” Huntley’s warning has me dropping and rolling, narrowly avoiding the vampire I’d left against the wall. He recovered faster than I expected, fangs bared as he lunges for my throat.

Scottie’s power pulses again, stronger this time. The vampire stumbles, giving me the opening to drive my elbow into his sternum. The blow sends him staggering back into Zane’s waiting grip.

The vamp’s head is promptly torn free from his shoulders.

The female witch screams something in Latin. The air grows thick with ozone as magical energy builds. I dive toward Scottie, shielding her with my body as the spell detonates. The blast rocks the warehouse, but Scottie’s squire magic forms a protective bubble around us.

“Thanks,” she pants, “but I had it.”

“I’m so impressed with you right now.” I help her up, scanning for remaining threats.

Huntley has one vampire’s head dripping blood on the warehouse floor, while Zane efficiently dispatches another. The witches are attempting to retreat toward the exit, but Huntley’s next strike takes their feet out from under them.

“The chalice,” one vampire gasps as Zane pins him. “It’s worth big money. We can cut you in?—”

“Why would I negotiate with the thieves stealing from me?” Zane silences him with a decisive twist.

I maintain my protective stance near Scottie as Huntley secures the witches for questioning. My bear’s instincts still buzz with protective energy, even though she’s proven she can hold her own.

The warehouse falls quiet except for our captives’ struggles. Huntley starts zip-tying the witches while Zane examines the stolen artifacts. Scottie steps closer to me, her hand finding mine in the darkness.

Despite the chaos, everything feels right. This is where I belong—fighting alongside the woman I love and the men she loves.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Scottie

Ilean back in the tub, Tucker’s arm across my chest pulling me against his naked body. The water laps at our skin, carrying the calming scent of lavender and bergamot from the essential oils I added. My muscles are tense as he massages my thighs beneath the surface.

“You were amazing tonight, beautiful.” His voice is deep and seductive as warm breath tickles the shell of my ear.

I sink deeper into the water, my wet hair floating out like a blonde screen molding to the rounds of my breasts. “And is this my reward?”

“Part of it, but not the best part.”

Tiny foam bubbles hiss and pop around us as I shift, sending ripples across the surface. His strong hands slide to my arms, kneading against the stiffness left in the wake of our battle at the warehouse.

I twist to look over my shoulder at him, my half-lidded gaze lazy and content. “Then I look forward to the full experience.”

He leans closer and kisses my cheek before I turn back around and relax once more. Drawing a gentle finger down my arms, he traces the Vasari lineage inked into my skin.

My father was Francesco’s squire years before I was born, so I never knew him without this ink on his arm. It’s an honor to be tied to Zane’s family. It’s also an honor for me to share the destiny that meant everything to him.

It makes me feel close to him.

“Beautiful? What you said before…about imagining having all three of us together…”

I stiffen, the sudden change in topic making my head spin a little. The three of us? Right, my daydreaming in the training session…

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