Page 42 of Nest of Thieves
Wow. That’s a bit intense.
Laughing off his words, I shrug. “If I were a witch, I’d have the ring back and you all would be burned at the stake for trying to fuck with my job.”
“You’re a little mean.”
“You’re a little unhinged.” I stand taller, letting go of the bedpost. “What sort of person wants their toenail ripped out?”
He shrugs. “I’ve never had it happen before, but I’m not afraid of a bit of pain.”
“You were hard as a rock.”
Humming, he steps even closer, his rich scent wrapping around me. “You noticed, then?”
“It was hard not to.” I hold my ground, refusing to back away from him even as he eases closer, his chest brushing against mine.
“Maybe tonight we could try a repeat.”
My eyebrows hit my hairline. “You want me to tie you up and torture you?”
“If you want to.” He tugs on a lock of my hair. “But if you’re scared...maybe I can chase you instead. See if I can catch you this time.”
“Mac!” Lark calls from downstairs.
“Don’t mind him, he’s a spoilsport. Later?”
I press my lips together and shake my head. I’m not meeting him. The idea of being chased is intriguing, but hurting him? That’s not something a normal woman would do. A normal woman wouldn’t grow wet at the thought of using his knife to draw a little blood and licking it off of his skin. Mac’s light laugh hits me straight in the core. My pussy throbs in response. I slip around him and walk to the stairs, pretending like I don’t want to run away from him.
Lark is staring up the stairs. A line forms between his eyebrows as he waits for me and Mac to join him. “Don’t fuck with her.”
“I’m not fucking with her,” Mac says. “Yet.”
“Unbelievable. You have no shame.”
Mac presses into me from behind. A delightful shiver trails down my spine. Lark’s eyes dilate, and he takes a step toward us. I suck in a sharp breath, surprised by how excited I am at the mere prospect of being sandwiched between them.
The sound stops Lark from taking another step closer. He shakes his head and frowns, turning away and into the room on the right. Built-in bookshelves cover the walls. There aren’t nearly enough books on those shelves for my liking, but it’s not my house. On the far wall of the library, or den, or whatever it is, is a massive door sitting slightly ajar. Mac enters the office first.
I want to linger outside, but Lark gives me a pointed look.
“He’s all bark and no bite.”
“That’s a shame,” I whisper, stalking past him.
Vette sits behind a large mahogany desk, his attention like a physical weight when I walk in. I don’t sit in one of the seats across from him. I stand behind where Mac has taken a seat and cross my arms, hoping I look tough.
If I’m honest, being in a room with these alphas has me a little rattled. They all smell so good. I hope my heat doesn’t make an appearance because I’ll be fucked if that happens. My twenty-first birthday isn’t for a few days, but that doesn’t mean my heat will arrive right after. It could be days, weeks, or even months before I have to worry about that. I need to find someone who deals in illegal heat suppressants.
That should have been in my go bag, but it’s an oversight I can deal with. Heat suppressants are harder to come by, but every dealer knows a guy who knows a guy. Someone in Atlantic City has them.
“What are you thinking, mami?” Vette stares at me, brown irises glittering with interest.
“I’m counting the days until I can leave you guys behind.”
He smirks. “Is that so?”
I nod. “I heard there’s a job?”
“Yeah, but I don’t know if you can handle it.”
