Page 24 of They Break Beauty

I chuckled.

“Love it when I call you that, huh?”

“Sweet as icing sugar and just as appealing to the masses too,” I said, reciting his own words back to him.

He winked. “Damn straight you are, brother.”

Mason glared at him. “You’re buttering him up.”

Lev removed one of his hands from behind his head and slapped it to his heart. “I’m hurt, Mason. Accusing me of not being genuine, especially to our sweetheart here.”

Mason rolled his eyes. “Lev.”

“I’m serious. Are you still sore because the nickname I use for you is Killjoy?”

“Best stick with his Hex nickname,” I suggested.

“When I see the infamous Scourge back in action, I will,” he said, the challenge in his tone not lost on me, and definitely not on Mason, judging by the stone-faced look he gave him. All my hard work relaxing him was quickly being undone.

I pushed into a sitting position and refocused the conversation before the antagonism ramped up even further, asking Lev, “Why are you fully dressed? We figured you’d crashed a couple of hours ago.”

“I had. I woke up. Took a ride.”

“What?” Mason said. “The security system didn’t sound indicating you’d come in and out.”

“Of course not. It’s my system. I have full control. I wasn’t gonna risk it disturbing the two of you.”

“More like you didn’t want us knowing you’d left in the middle of the night.”

Lev blew right past that accusation and said, “I came back a few minutes ago and I was gonna crash, but then I heard you two were still up.” He smirked at us. “Literally.”

I chuckled.

Mason shook his head in dismay.

“Then I heard Mason’s usual ‘Hell fucking fuck!’ when he climaxes, so I knew you guys were done, so I could come in here. I thought it would be the best time with Mason at his most relaxed, but clearly that’s an impossible feat.” He eyed me. “Even with your sexual talents in play.”

“Jesus, Lev, what the fuck do you want? We’re looking to crash, don’t draw it out. Or, novel idea… wait until tomorrow at a more appropriate hour? Hmm?”

“No can do. I want to know now. About Hex.”

“It’s been a couple of days since you asked, only a couple of days since we reunited.”

“Yeah, exactly. Two whole days and still no decision from you.”

“And I’m the one with ADHD,” I said.

“Lev is a whole other thing,” Mason groused.

“Either way, what’s the word?” Lev pushed, completely unaffected by any personal slights as usual.

“Fine. We’ll get Hex back up and running,” Mason told him. “You were right about that frat issue, for one thing. And another, it’ll at least serve to keep you occupied. With it being Hex, I can also keep a close eye on you too.”

Lev ruffled his hair. “Sure, we’ll go with that.” He pushed off the bed. “Good decision. Can’t wait.”

I went to move into his vacated spot beside Mason, but Lev told me, “I need a favor, if you’re up for it.”

“So you were buttering him up,” Mason accused.

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