Page 135 of Viper

Viper felt his mouth curve slightly. “Hey, baby. Don’t worry, no shit’s about to go down; all is good.” He looked at her anchor. “Ain’t that right?”

The legion only grunted, but it was a sound of resignation.

She cautiously approached, glancing from him to Viper. “What brings you here, Luka?”

“Viper and I were just—”

“Bonding,” Viper finished.

The legion slammed a hard stare on him. “There was no bonding. There will never be bonding.” He looked back at her. “I stand by what I said before: he’s done nothing to deserve you, but”—he gritted his teeth, drawing in a long breath—“I won’t kill him.”

“Or torture him,” Ella prodded. When he didn’t answer, she pushed, “Or torture him.”

Belinsky looked close to rolling his eyes. “Or torture him.” His gaze fell on Viper. “Unless you hurt her.”

Viper could have pointed out that the legion wouldn’t stand much of a chance against him, but that would only lead to an argument. “Got it.”

“Then there’ll be civility.” The words seemed torn out of the legion. He flicked up a brow at Ella. “Good enough?”

Her lips tipped up. “Good enough.” Her mind bumped Viper’s as she telepathically spoke,How did you manage to convince him to back down?

Viper draped an arm over her shoulders.Who says I had anything to do with it?

He’s too stubborn to do it of his own accord.

I just pointed out that he’s hurting you and missing out on a lot.

They invited the legion inside, but he turned down the offer as he needed to attend a meeting. After rounding up the conversation, he gave her a hug, nodded curtly at Viper, and then disappeared with his bodyguards.

Looking up at her archangel, Ella tilted her head. “You invited him here, didn’t you?” It touched her that someone so proud would make the first move.

He shrugged. “It was time he and I talked, so I made it happen.”

As they walked toward the main door, she heard laughs filtering out of the open windows. “Thank you for being the bigger person in this scenario.” She pressed a grateful kiss to his cheek.

He looped an arm tight around her waist. “My hope is that your mother and aunt will each now decide to dismount their high horse. I figured that if I could get Belinsky to dismount his own first, the others would follow suit.”

“I’m hoping you’re right. Peanut does not need the stress of all this. And I know they’ve got to be affected by how tightly wound I am.” Ella paused as he pushed open the main door and they walked into the clubhouse. “Honestly, I don’t feel like spending time around Mom or Jocelyn today.”

“Then stay home,” Viper urged, guiding her into the main area. “Mia can handle things without you, right?”

She pursed her lips, her mood improving at just the thought of it. “I suppose so. She’s handled it without me in the past.” Ella stopped talking as a bang drew her attention to the corner table.

Rivet had knocked over his chair, his face morphed into a glower that was fixed on Hustle. “How did you do it?”

“Do what?” asked Hustle, shuffling cards.

“We both know you just cheated.How?”

Hustle sank into his chair, relaxed. “Oh, so because you lost, you think I conned you?”

“I think you conned me because you conned me.”

On the sofa, Jester sighed at Rivet. “Why would you play against someone you know will swindle you?”

“He promised he’d play fair,” said Rivet, righting his chair.

“And it didn’t occur to you that he was likely lying his ass off?”

---