Page 24 of The Satyr's Guilt
Sabine was a huge detour from the job. Howlong since he’d had sex with someone other than his hand? Too long,obviously. Still, he didn’t want an obsession with the nymph tobecome a boulder around his neck. He needed his freedom. And hesure didn’t need a fucking hashtag babysitter. Even one who rockeda sizzling body, big jugs, and dynamite curves.
Being penned up at the Covenkirk strongholdwas bad for his libido.Hell. The other Blood Covendescendants lived there on his floor with their mates. Happy aspigs in slop, as his farmer granddad would have said. Braelyn withRein. Skyler with Kole. Margo with Chay.
Nico was with nobody but his lotionedpalm.
He needed to get his head in the game andout of his pants. This woman, regardless of how hot she was, wouldnot squeeze between him and the assignment.
He brushed back the same errant strand ofhair which relentlessly dropped across his forehead. “More’s thepity. Where are we off to?”
See? I can be all business.
“One of Jarek’s Firebrands … Jarek’s thecommander in the Encampment region … tracked anIsolationist-turned-Arisen-Dawn guy to a set of warehouses. Hestaked the area out for a while, but it stayed pretty quiet,according to his report. Recently, he noted an uptick in activity.A few trucks arrived. Military types. Unloading stuff. Leaving. Afew Arisen Dawn members took up residence. Since Jarek is spreadthin, we’re in the watch rotation.”
He tossed back his coffee, jerking out ofthe chair. “Let’s go. One thing, sweetness. If we run into aproblem where you feel compelled to step in front of me like abullet-proof shield, think twice. You do, I’ll paddle your temptingass until you can’t sit. Read me?”
“I read you, cuddles. I’ll do my job asordered. If it means saving your ugly ass, I’ll do it.”
“You think my ass is ugly?” He chuckled. “Idoubt it. I’ve caught you looking at it. Course, you’ve never seenit in the flesh. Just stay out of my way. Fair warning.”
Sabine ignored his words, set her coffee onthe table, and rose. “Come on, hero. We’re out of here.”
****
“Bounty, where the hell arethey?” Kole tamped the sparks shooting from his fingers. He didn’tlike waiting.
“They’re probably dragging their assesbecause I told them how unpleasant you are today, Commander Bossy.None of the Firebrands are eager to do a face-to-face. Besides,they keep their distance during Mardi Gras since you’re pissed allseason.”
His secretary, or executive assistant as sheliked to be called, ambled to his doorway on long shapely legs,leaning against the jamb, hand on hip and one ankle crossed overthe other. The generous-breasted, narrow-hipped vampire eyed Kole,locking her lips as if she fought to keep another insult fromsliding across them.
Years ago, her looks had gotten her throughthe door for an interview with the commander, but her brains kepther here. That and the fact she could take out the meanest,scariest, deadliest fighters in the realms. So went the rumoranyway. None of his Firebrands had actually gone toe-to-toe withher. Losing to a secretary, even one who called herself anexecutive assistant and hadn’t trained to be a warrior, would betoo embarrassing.
He mumbled under his breath, “Smartass. I’msurrounded by smartasses.” She was right, though. The New Orleanscelebration drew young Aeternals to Earth. Feeding. Fucking.Frolicking. Never as bad as this season. And it was his job to dragthem home before they did too much damage.
“I can hear you.” She narrowed her smokyeyes and scrunched her pouty lips. “By the by, I need the payrollauthorized for overtime in New Orleans. You have to do it on thefunny thing collecting dust. It’s called a computer.”
“Just do it for me like always. Damnit.”
“My name’s not ‘damn it.’” Bounty flippedher blonde hair over her shoulder as she swung around.
Old joke.
Kole glanced at his drudgery, listening toher high heels tap on the floor while she headed back to herdesk.
He shuffled through a stack of shit. “Wherethe hell is the file on New Orleans?”
“Are you talking to me?”
“Who else would I be yelling at?”
“It’s on your desk where I set it thismorning. You’ve probably covered it with a bunch of useless crap bynow. I also put a digital copy in your documents folder. I cleverlynamed it ‘New Orleans.’ Your documents folder is in your computer,by the way. I dare you to find it.”
When a file slipped off the edge of hisdesk, he leaned over to pick it up, looking at the tab. “Got it.Thanks so much.”
“My aim in life is to please you. Now stopbothering me. I’ve got shit to do. My asshole boss gives me toomuch work.”
Smartass crossed his mind again, but he keptit to himself. Thorn lumbered up to his door.
The shifter stopped. At six-four he wasshorter than Kole but fierce in a one-on-one fight. As with allScion Firebrands, he’d beefed up significantly once he accepted thePhoenix brand’s call to duty.
