Page 86 of When Kings Fall

She really let us off too easy sometimes. “No, it’s not okay. It’s rude and bullshit. I’m sorry, Bree.”

She came to me and laid her hands on my chest over my leopard-print shirt. “Stress makes it worse. Your trouble focusing. Right?”

“Yeah,” I said, stroking her hands on me.

“Is playing helping?”

“It was getting there.”

“Will you show me?”

“Show you?”

“Teach me how to play a little?”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I mean, I’ve always wanted to learn to play an instrument, but I never did it in the end.”

“Sure, yeah, come,” I said, taking one of her hands and leading her to the foot of the bed. I let go and reached back, snatching up my guitar.

Then I maneuvered it so that it was on her lap, but I was able to move her fingers for her. “Let’s start with some basic chords. Let’s go E-minor. It’s one of the easiest to make.” I set it up for her, then showed her how to strum.

She had a little trouble picking it up, hitting the strings too hard and jarringly with not much rhythm.

“I suck at this,” she surmised.

“Nah, you just need practice.”

“I have no rhythm.”

“We both know that’s not true. You’ve displayed some hella good rhythm in certain other areas.”

Her cheeks heated.

“I meant in combat, dirty girl. Although, now you mention it, yeah, in fucking too.”

She giggled and it rolled right through me in the best way. “Show me that C chord again.”

I showed her with my fingers and she replicated it perfectly, then followed the progression I’d taught her from that.

“Nicely done, cutie.” I pulled a pick from my pocket and handed it to her. “Try strumming with this, instead of your fingers.”

She fiddled with it until she got a nice grip, then she started strumming.

“Much better. Damn.”

“Thanks. It feels better this way.”

She worked on the progression then, using a strumming pattern I’d shown her too.

As she did that, I asked, “So, any word on the Vixen mission? The Peter Hall one, I mean?”

“Yes. His office was a bust. The surveillance tape wasn’t in there. My girls are moving to his home soon.”

“This is a major deal what you’re doing for Mason.”

She lifted a shoulder. “I’m in a position to do it, so how could I not? He needs it. Badly.”

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