Page 127 of Control's Undoing

Annie felt her cheeks heat as she eased back, Xavier keeping a hold of her hair until the last moment.

“This isn’t going to help with the concern about who has better access to the archive,” Eric muttered, though he seemed to be talking to himself.

“Or you formalize your relationship with Colum,” Nikolett said.“You think of him as your brother, call him your brother.Make him your brother officially within the society.Then you have the same familial access as the Grand Master.”

“Why…why the fuck didn’t you say any of this before?”Eric demanded.

“Would you have listened?”

They resumed their seats as Eric switched his attention to Colum, Xavier, and Annie watching them with a fond, if slightly exasperated expression.

Colum’s smile turned sheepish as he looked at Nikolett.“I’m, er, sorry, Nikolett.”

“Don’t apologize, Colum.This marriage was never fair to you.I wasn’t ever going to sleep with you.”

He looked alarmed at the idea of having sex with icy Nikolett.Colum liked it hot and rough, and Nikolett seemed too tightly wound for that.

“After all,” Nikolett said calmly.“I’ve been having sex with your brother for years.”

Eric cursed, then loudly announced, “Meeting adjourned.”

“Go, go,” Annie whispered to Colum.“Before someone reminds him we haven’t actually figured out who that Spaniard guy is.”

She, Xavier, and Colum raced out of the Great Hall.

“He agreed,” Colum said, still sounding shocked.“He agreed.”

“We’re getting married.”Xavier grinned.

“Wait, no, one more thing.”Annie gripped their hands.“I know Eric said we can get married, but I’m still a member of the Trinity Masters.The Grand Master has to agree to this.”

Colum grinned.“I’ll call Franco.”

ChapterTwenty-Two

Franco: I have a secret.

Franco: And I really want to tell you.

Colum: You should tell me.

Colum: Wait.

Colum: Will Devon kill me if you do?

Franco: …

Franco: Not Devon you should be worried about.

Colum: Your wife?Never mind.I don’t want to know.

“Colum?Are you— Ouch, that’s my thigh.Colum, are you… Wait, hold on.”

Colum closed his eyes, first to block out the vertigo-inducing swirling of the screen, second to make sure he didn’t see anything he shouldn’t, since he was pretty sure Franco had answered his phone in bed.

“It’s the pillow.”Devon’s voice rumbled from the background.“It’s like having a fourth person in the bed.”

“Leave my pregnancy pillow out of this,” Juliette said faintly.“I love him more than either of you right now.”

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