Page 25 of The Devil's Mercy

Chapter 7:

Aodhan bit his bottom lip to keep from moaning as he watched the video clip Mercy just sent him.

In it, Calix was wildly thrusting, rocking back onto the anal hook, slapping his dick against his own stomach from the force of his movements. Desperate to get off. Just how they liked him.

It was tempting to drop everything, get into his hovercar, and speed home, but that wasn’t part of the plan, and Aodhan had already been warned not to lose his cool.

As though reading his mind even from this distance, another text from Mercy came in, momentarily blocking out part of the video on the small multi-slate screen.

Mercy:Behave.

Aodhan rolled his eyes, sneering when the clip ended. Before he could allow himself to replay it, he tossed the device aside, barely paying attention to it clattering on his desk. He was in his office in the hospital, hours from an important consultation.

With fucking blue balls.

He gripped his hard-on in his slacks and adjusted himself in his chair, widening his thighs for more comfort. This morning,he really should have pushed the issue, forced Calix to milk his cock like he was supposed to.

But that also would be breaking the rules, and he had agreed with Mercy at the start he’d follow them.

They both would, and if Aodhan broke them, that gave Mercy grounds to break them as well and…

He pursed his lips, brow furrowing.

He knew Mercy wanted Calix just as much as he did—he could literally feel as much through their mating bond—but that didn’t mean the cumbersome director wouldn’t change his mind. Until they locked Cal down as their Third, anything could happen, and Aodhan didn’t want to risk that.

He’d meant every word he’d spoken to both Cal and Mercy. He wanted the detective. He wanted him tied to them permanently, with nowhere left to run, and no hope of ever escaping, even if he somehow managed to find a way out of their sight. It was almost unexplainable, this urge to defile and own.

The only other time he’d felt anything even remotely like it had been when he’d fallen into Mercy’s trap.

Aodhan would get his way. He always did.

Which meant sticking to the rules and trusting his man’s plan would get the job done.

His multi-slate chimed, pulling him from his thoughts, but his excitement thinking it was Mercy died the second he saw his brother’s name flash across the screen.

“To what do I owe this rare honor?” he answered, making sure to fill his tone with a teasing he wasn’t actually up to giving. Still, it was only a little bit fake. There were few emotions he felt, and even fewer people he could feel them with or for, but his little brother happened to fall into that category.

That was why Aodhan had pushed him into the swimming pool when they were kids. He hadn’t really beenpushing Zane at all. He’d been pushing himself. Seeing how far these emotions truly went. How far his limits were.

Since their dad had fished Zane out early, Aodhan hadn’t gotten a clear answer that day.

But there was always tomorrow.

Maybe this time Calix could help him.

“I can’t make it this weekend,” Zane Solace’s clipped tone came through the speaker on the device. Aodhan might have taken his icy demeanor personally, if not for the fact Zane was like that with most people, aside from the Retinue.

The Retinue were a group of college students tasked with protecting the Prince of Vitality—as though their prince needed any kind of protecting. Hell, the way Aodhan saw it, it’d be a better use of their time to protect Vitality from that entire Imperial family, but what did he know.

Or care.

“Breaking your promises already,” he clicked his tongue, even though he wasn’t particularly saddened by this news. He’d actually forgotten about his brother’s scheduled visit amidst all the excitement with Cal. “Is that how this is going to be?”

“I took care of your annoying coworker problem,” Zane reminded. “My visits are even more for show now than they were before. Neither of us will lose sleep if I skip one.”

“Big plans with my brother-in-law?”

“Myhusband and I are going somewhere, yes.”

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