Page 17 of Act of Passion

Malik was up and out of his chair in the blink of an eye. He had Duke by the throat and was more than willing to kill the man.Speak of her in such a manner again and I will be yourend.

“Whoa!” said Striker, moving suddenly around the table and touching Malik’s shoulders. “No killing Grumpy. He comes in handy every once in awhile.”

Malik, control your anger. That is an order, said Corbinmentally.

Malik did his best to rein in his temper. It was hard. He didn’t like hearing Brooke referred to as a piece ofass.

Brooke slid her chair out and stood. “Edee, let’sgo.”

“What? Wait. Why?” asked Malik, spinning to catch her by the elbows lightly. “Don’tgo.”

“Don’t be a jerk and I’ll stay,” she said, her lips pressing in a thinline.

Striker laughed and then stared past Malik, his face paling. “Do nae be thinking of using that on me,lass.”

Malik looked back to find Edee eying a butter knife on the table. “Gelding him would be so much fun and soeasy.”

Striker backed up and cupped himself before hurrying around the table and taking a seat, as if he was the most well-behaved operative to everlive.

Yeah,right.

Malik kept hold of Brooke. “I didn’t like what he said aboutyou.”

“He didn’t say anything,” she snappedback.

He remembered then that she couldn’t hear their mental communications. “Right. I just, um, I’ll sit down and not be a jerkanymore.”

Duke huffed at the same time as Rurik before they both said, “Goodluck.”

“How cute,” said Boomer, leaning back in his chair, appearing entirely too amused by the events. “The pissy doppelgangers now share a braincell.”

Malik fought to keep from laughing butfailed.

Brooke stared up at him. “Is everything all right now? Are you done with theviolence?”

He averted hisgaze.

“Malik, violence isn’t the answer. It should be the last resort, not the go-to response. I would have thought your parents would have taught you asmuch.”

“My mother was Roman and put my brothers and I in an arena when we were little and demanded we fight to see who would be the next to take over the pride. And then the winner had to face off against the winner out of my cousins. She cared little for us if we were weak in any way. There was no place for the weak in my world. Violence is what I grew upknowing.”

As the words left his mouth, he wanted themback.

All the men around him jerked in their seats, obviously catching on to the fact he’d just slipped up about being a shifter. He’d also never told any of them about his upbringing. Very few operatives knew the truth of itall.

Malik tensed. “Metaphoricallyspeaking.”

Brooke’s expression was pained as she cupped his face. Her gaze searched him. Whatever she saw made her eyes grow moist. “I’m sorry she didn’t nurture you the way you should have been nurtured.” She went to her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her lips went to his ear. “Don’t think with your fists. Think with your head and yourheart.”

“My heart tells me to never let you go,” he said before thinking about the fact that every male at the table was a supernatural and could easily hear hiswhispers.

Is she your mate?asked Corbin via their mentalpath.

She’s human,said Malik, though he had to admit she had damn fast reflexes forone.

That didn’t answer the question, repliedCorbin.

Does she smell like a supernatural to you?he asked ofCorbin.

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