Page 20 of Their War

I put on a fake pout. “Do we have to?”

He chuckled at me. “If I had my way, we'd stay locked up in this room for weeks as I explored that gorgeous body of yours.” His eyes heated with promises, and I couldn't help the wistful expression that crossed my face. I wanted that more than anything, but I knew that as much as I wanted to, there wasn’t a pause button for life.

Sighing forcefully, I pushed up to a sitting position. “Fine. If we must, then we should get a move on.”

I stayed sitting, but I watched as Baer stood, finding his pants and putting them on. The moment his ass disappeared into them, I was truly disappointed. And when he donned his shirt, I pouted without shame.

He bent over, kissing my lips again and smoothing the furrow in my brow with a finger. “What's that look for?”

“All that eye candy, and yet I rarely get a chance to see it.”

He laughed out loud, his whole body shaking as I stood and started getting dressed. “I suppose I could try talking the guys into running around shirtless, maybe in tight pants, too?”

Smiling at him and his willingness to indulge me, I said, “If you guys walked around like that, I'd never get anything done. I'd be a puddle with how wet y'all make me.”

“Hmmm... I like that image,” Baer said, pulling me into another hug, smoothing my hair from my face before pulling me in for a kiss. Ending the kiss, he smacked my ass. Hard. “Get a move on, Killer. Don't want to keep the others waiting.”

Laughing at my shocked expression, he left me alone in the room to scramble into my clothes. It took me a moment to realize that these weren't the clothes I had been wearing when Genevieve attacked me. I guess those were ruined by all the stabbing and kicking she’d done. I paused as it sank in just how close I had been to dying. If Arryn hadn't reached me in time... I found the thought hard to fathom, but it hit hard all the same. I swallowed back the emotions that threatened to suffocate me.

The voices of the guys filtered in through the cracked door, pulling me back to the present. She hadn't succeeded. I was still here and surrounded by men that I loved. I'd just have to make sure I made the most of each moment. You know, in case this mission actually did kill me. Pushing those thoughts from my mind, I followed the sound of the guys as I walked down a hall until it opened up into a living area. A fireplace was off to one side, with chairs flanking either side of it. Another area had a couple of couches. Further off, I could see a dining area and what was most likely the kitchen.

It was warm and cozy but expensive. The furniture and furnishings were clearly not cheap. I found myself loving the décor, taking notes for when I finally found a place to call my own, and wondering where exactly we were. Neither Baer nor Callum had gotten that far in the conversation with me.

“Where are we exactly?” I asked the room in general, fighting the blush at the memory of waking up with them. The guys all turned to face me, each with a different expression on their faces. Baer's was amused, Callum's smug. Lennox was anxious but relieved. Arryn's was distant, as if deep in thought and trying to figure out a puzzle. And Brannoc. His was cool and assessing, his eyes watching my every movement.

They all just stood there, taking me in as if I were a figment of their imaginations. I waved a hand at them. “Hello? I asked a question,” I prompted them again.

Brannoc spoke up. “This is one of my homes. Or rather what you humans would call a safe house.”

“Really? It's so nice.”

“Thank you,” he told me, obviously pleased with my words.

“Why are we here?”

“It was the closest and safest place we could all get to before the Royal Guard caught up with us. I'm sure you can imagine that the Queen isn't very happy with us at the moment,” Arryn said, still slightly distracted.

“No. I'm willing to bet that she's not.” I laughed, imagining her face when she realized that Genevieve had failed. “So, what now?”

“With you and Arryn being passed out, we needed to wait until you both woke up. Now that you both seem good to go, we should probably figure that out,” Baer said.

“Wait, Arryn was passed out?” I glanced at the man in question, running my eyes over him, looking for injuries, as the memory of him slumping on top of me right before I passed out came back to me.

“I'm okay. I simply used too much magic too quickly. However, I would gladly do so again,” he assured me. But looking at him, something was off. Something I couldn't quite put my finger on. Furrowing my brow, I studied him a little longer.

“I, for one, am glad that he did,” Baer said, laughing and pulling my attention.

I smiled at him and then turned back to Arryn. “Thank you,” I told him. Then, looking at them, meeting each of their gazes, I told them all, “Thank you. For coming for me. For saving me.” My voice broke at that admission. No one had ever rescued me. I'd always had to save myself. But since they'd strolled into my life, they continued to surprise me.

“So, what now? Are the trials over? Has a new Queen been announced? Where do we go from here?” I asked them, questions plaguing me.

Laughing, Baer said, “Easy, Killer. One question at a time. But I have some of my own.”

“Which is why we need to discuss everything openly now,” Arryn said.

“Come. I'll cook dinner, and we can talk over a meal,” Brannoc said, directing us all to the dining table.

From my seat at the head of the table, I could see the galley-style kitchen and watched as his lithe form floated around, opening cabinets and starting to cook. He was at home in the kitchen, obviously enjoying preparing the food for us.

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