Page 102 of Nest of Thieves
Punch. Slip. Kick. Duck. Jab. Cross. Hook. Hit. On and on until my guard drops, and Lark swings his fist up, catching me under the jaw and tossing me on my ass like a rag doll.
“Oh my God!” Jo rushes over and drops to her knees beside me. “Are you okay?”
I lick my split lip, tasting copper. “Never been better, Kitten.” Offering a smile ends in me wincing. Yeah, Lark fucked me up good. I laugh a little.
Jo frowns. “You got your ass kicked. Why are you happy?”
“Because he needs to be reminded that he’s not indestructible before he does something stupid.” Lark squats across from her and looks at the damage he inflicted.
“Like what?” she asks.
The three of us fall quiet.
“Well, that’s not suspicious at all,” she mutters.
“There are some things we can’t tell you. Not because we don’t want to, but because we can’t.” Vette offers me a hand, and I slap my palm into his, letting him help me stand. Jo and Lark scoot out of the way.
“I get it,” she says, truth ringing in her words.
“What are you hiding, then, Kitten?” She’s far too comfortable with our secrecy.
She still wants the ring, that much is obvious, but what else might she be hiding?
“A thing or two. Maybe how I plan to murder you all in your sleep.”
“At least let me fulfill that primal play fantasy of mine before you rip my heart out.” I nod at Lark. “Again.”
“Again?” Jo asks.
“Again,” Lark says, falling into his fighting stance with a wicked smirk.
That’s when I know I’m in for trouble.
“No mercy,” I remind him.
“Maybe a little mercy,” Jo quips. “Please don’t kill him.”
“He won’t die, but he may need a nurse when I’m through with him.” Lark comes at me with a roundhouse.
“They’re insane,” Jo murmurs.
“Probablemente.”Probably.
They’re not wrong.
twenty-six
LARK
To her credit, Jo tries to be sneaky. The only reason I know she’s up is because I’d been staring at the camera pointing at her bed. Vette opted to stay in his room tonight, probably because he felt guilty for keeping her up so many nights in a row. Ever since I took her in the pool, I’ve been desperate to get my hands on her again.
I know why I’m hesitating. I’m still waiting for her to reject us, waiting for the inevitable moment where every woman I’ve ever known has decided I’m not worth the effort. Something about Jo feels different, though. And something about knowing she’s sneaking around while she assumes everyone is asleep has me rising from my chair and easing my door open.
The screen to the television is on and Jo is holding Vette’s controller in her hand, patiently waiting for the gaming system to finish loading. I tuck the braid at the front of my hair behind my ear and strut toward the couch, sticking my hands in my sweats. The cold front that came in the last few days lowered temperatures enough to warrant winter clothes. Jo didn’t have any with her, so she’s snuggled in the hoodie Mac demanded she wear.
“Couldn’t sleep?” I keep my voice low so the others don’t wake up.
“It felt weird to sleep alone,” she admits, pulling her attention from the TV and focusing on me. “What about you?”
