Page 79 of Whispers of the Dead

Avery folds his arms over his chest with that infuriating smirk that never quite reaching his eyes. He tilts his head, his gaze flicking between me and Cole with burning curiosity.

Cole doesn’t move. His breathing remains steady but controlled, while his body coils like a predator waiting for the right moment to strike. “Where have you been?”

“Taking care of some things, but now I see it was a complete waste of time, and I missed the show. Although, I must say, I regret stopping for a snack. I almost missed out on one hell of a grand finale.”

“You’ve got a real habit of showing up at the worst possible time,” Cole mutters, shaking his head.

Avery’s smirk widens. “Normally, I’d argue. But this time?” He makes a vague gesture at the room, and me, at the overturned table. “I really missed quite a show.”

Before anyone can respond, a low warning growl rumbles from across the room, and not from Lola.

Damon shoves off the wall where he’s been watching. His expression is hard and dangerous, his shoulders squared, and his muscles bulging. His coffee brown eyes lock onto Avery like a man with nothing to lose. “You’ve gottwo seconds to explain why you’re really here before I rip your throat out.”

Oh, no.

Avery tilts his head, unconcerned. He gives a slow grin that shows all his teeth. “Well, that’s not very welcoming, now is it?”

Damon lunges, and the room explodes into motion. His fist swings, aiming straight for Avery’s jaw, but Avery sidesteps at the last second.

A sharp, frantic bark pierces the chaos when Lola bounds over, dragging her leash behind her. She bolts into the fray, her fur bristling while she lets out a confused whimper before launching herself between the two men. She growls, spins, whines, then growls again before snapping at the empty air, unable to decide who she’s supposed to protect.

“Lola, no,” I gasp out, but Cole holds me back so I can’t chase after her.

“She’s fine,” Cole assures me. “I think she’s got more bite than either of those two.”

A growl rips through Damon, and he pivots before slamming into Avery’s chest. They crash into the table Cole and I were on moments earlier, scattering metal trays and the uneaten meal in all directions.

Lola continues going crazy in her mission to figure out which one of them to defend. Avery lets out a startled laugh, barely dodging Damon’s next strike, while Lola lunges at Damon’s leg, not to attack, but to pull him back.

Damon nearly trips over her. He curses under his breath. “Lola, move.”

The dog whimpers, then jumps between them again. Her whole body vibrates with confusion. She looks at Avery, then at Damon, then back at Avery. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“Lola, move.” Damon lunges.

Avery lets himself get hit square in the chest before heshoves Damon away. He stands tall and rolls his shoulders as though this is nothing more than a game to him. “You done?”

Damon seethes. “Not even close.”

This is madness. Before Damon can swing again, I shove away from Cole and move in between the two men who are about to rip each other’s throat out rather than trying to solve the bigger problem at hand. “Stop it!”

Avery’s arms wrap around my waist, and he spins me around right as Damon’s fist flies forward. A loud crack echoes through the large room when the impact lands on Avery’s ribs instead of me.

A deep grunt escapes Avery, and he stumbles back, absorbing the hit. His grip on me never tightens, never hurts. He takes the full blow instead of me.

For a moment, everything stops. Lola presses her body against my leg and growls up at Damon. She’s finally decided on who she’ll defend.

Damon’s breathing is heavy. His fists remain clenched, but his expression shifts when he realizes what I already knew. Avery put himself in harm’s way to protect me, without bothering to block himself. Damon takes a step back, and his anger fades into reluctant understanding.

Avery winces and rolls his shoulders before looking down at me with a half-smile. “You okay, firecracker?” When I nod, he glances over at Damon. “Feel better now?”

Damon watches Avery, then a few moments later he responds in a rasp, with guilt marring his features. “Yeah, I do.”

That makes me smile. “Good. We can get this ridiculousness over with.”

Cole moves over to me and then kneels at my feet. It’s not until I look down at him and see my shorts in his hands that he’s positioned for me to step into that I remember I’m still naked. My cheeks heat and I step into the shorts. Hepulls the fabric up my legs and snaps the button closed before pulling my shirt over my head. Then he places a heated kiss to my mouth before whispering against my lips. “As much as I want to keep you naked all day and night, this probably isn’t the best place for this.”

Lola barks as if in agreement, which Makes Avery laugh and crouch to pet her. “What a good girl you are, breaking up fights and protecting our girl.”

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