Page 10 of Essa

"So…" Sloane draws out the word, and I slowly move my attention over to her. She gives me a knowing look, and I shake my head.

"I can think he's pretty and still want nothing to do with him," I tell her. "You've met him. He's a jerk. I don't need jerks in my life."

"Probably wouldn't mind a jerk in your bed, though." Sloane wiggles her brows at me before looping her arm in mine and ushering me down the hall toward her room that she shares with Jovi and Alik.

"At this point, I wouldn't mind anyone in my bed," I groan. I'm a female who enjoys companionship in all forms. It just so happens that physical intimacy has been something I haven't gotten in a long time because we've been working so much. "I'm not kidding. I'm getting desperate. What else would you call it?"

"I don't know." Sloane shrugs before casting me a devious look. "Maybe you have the hots for humans."

I press my lips in a tight line and glare at her. "Two of my best friends are humans. I think that's enough humans for me forever."

"Oh, okay, so you don't want to watch to see what they're all saying in the kitchen right now?" Sloane asks, plopping down into a chair at Alik's desk and typing something into his comm screen.

I know she's baiting me, but I can't help my curiosity. I'm a curious creature by nature. I always have been. I meander over to where she's sitting. My tail finally uncurls from my ankle and twitches behind me in interest. I try to stay nonchalant, but Sloane knows me well.

"How could we know what they are saying?" I ask, resting a hand on her chair and leaning over to watch her type the password into Alik's comm. The three monitors come to life, and she clicks on a few applications before surveillance camera feeds show on all three. My eyes go wide when I see them, and then worry flickers through my mind. "When did he do this?"

"When he was locking himself away in his room after I joined as his pleasure crew." Sloane laughs as she messes with the settings until sounds come through the camera feed from the kitchen. "He only watches me and doesn't do it with sound. We're more nosy than him, though, so we're definitely listening in."

"Definitely." I kneel beside her, leaning closer to the monitors as she adjusts the volume.

Jovi, Alik, and Phial were all nearby when I left the kitchen, but now there's only Seth sitting at the island and eating pizza alone until Adam walks in. The others must've just left because I hadn't been gone long.

"What are you doing?" Seth asks when Adam takes the seat next to him.

Adam's fingers twitch at his sides, but they're not balled into fists like they were when he was talking to me. His muscles are still tense, though, his whole body rigid like he's always ready to fight. Maybe he is.

"I came to find you," Adam says, his voice gruff.

He settles in on the stool and presses his palms flat against the countertop. That's when I see the cracked skin on his knuckles and the blood on his hands. They didn't look like that earlier, so these are new wounds.

I lean closer to the comm screen to see if I can make out any bruising on Seth. Adam was upset earlier, but I don't think he'd take it out on his friend.

Seth lets out a long exhale as he notices the hands and then places one of his over Adam's. My brows shoot up. Okay, so more than friends. Maybe that has something to do with how upset Adam was earlier. I was very much admiring how Seth looks right in front of Adam, so maybe that's why he hates me. Jovi and Alik probably hate all the males who gaze at Sloane with lust.

"You were an asshole," Seth says, turning to face Adam, frowning slightly when Adam tries to jerk his hand away. "They already know. Phial, the one you called a lizard, asked if you fuck me."

I can feel the rage radiating off Adam without being near them. Seth's ready for it, though, and tightens his hold on Adam. They sit there silently for a long time, staring into one another's eyes.

Sloane messes with the sounds, thinking they might be whispering to one another when it goes on for a few minutes. She has it turned up all the way, but we still can't hear anything. She returns it to a normal volume, and we just watch them stare at one another. Their facial features move. Looks of anger, confusion, and irritation pass over their faces at different times, almost like they're having a conversation, but only with their expressions.

"I'm not fucking doing that!" Adam pushes out of his seat and stomps through the kitchen. He doesn't go very far before running his hands over his short, dark hair and turning back around. He gives the end a sharp tug as his narrowed eyes fall on Seth.

There's more silence. More of Adam stomping around the room. Sometimes, he walks away from Seth just to snap back around with fury on his face. Still, there's no talking, just dramatic facial expressions like they're arguing.

"Fine," Adam says, fishing something out of his pocket and tossing it to Seth.

His jaw ticks as Seth lifts the pleasure crew pendant and frowns. The red glow casts an odd shadow across his face before he sets it on the counter, sighing and looking at Adam with a sad tilt on his lips.

A few moments tick by before Adam moves in front of Seth, getting close to his face. "This was your choice. You wanted this. Do whatever it is you want."

Seth takes a deep breath but doesn't cower or flinch. Even when Adam steps closer to him, his hand fisted in Seth's shirt, the other hand on the countertop behind him.

"What do you want to make this better?" Seth asks, moving the pendant further away from both of them. It's still red, and I don't know what they plan on doing with it, but it must be something important.

"I don't want to lose you," Seth says, cupping Adam's cheek and causing a weird fluttering in my belly.

Okay, so maybe I like the idea of them being together. They're handsome men. I'm sure it's not the first time someone has thought to be aroused by seeing them touch each other.

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