Page 71 of Ruthless Kings of Obsession

"Sweet Dynamite," Zander answers immediately, a fond smile playing at his lips. Despite his injuries, there's still something dangerous in the way he says it – like he's sharing something precious but deadly.

"Sweet Canary," Ares admits, setting his tablet aside completely. The nickname sounds oddly soft coming from someone who recently killed a man to protect her.

I can't help my own smile as I offer: "Sweet Precious Gem."

All eyes turn to Marcus expectantly. He fidgets with his lab coat – a habit from childhood he's never quite broken. "Pigtails," he mutters, then quickly adds when Ren makes a face, "Or Evergreen."

"Sweet Pigtails sounds terrible," Ren declares, wrinkling his nose. "Plus, what happens when her hair isn't in pigtails? Bit limiting, don't you think?"

Marcus's pout would look ridiculous on anyone else, but somehow he makes it work. "That's why I also use Evergreen," he grumbles, clearly defensive about his choice of nicknames.

"Evergreen?" I lean forward, genuinely curious. In all our years of friendship, I've never heard the story behind that particular name. "That's an interesting choice."

Before Marcus can answer, a muffled "puppy" emerges from somewhere in the vicinity of Zander's bed. We all freeze, exchanging confused looks until Zander's signature manic grin spreads across his face. With exaggerated care, he lifts the edgeof his blanket to reveal Eva curled tightly against his less-injured side, somehow having made herself small enough to be completely hidden from casual observation.

"Jesus Christ," Ares breathes, professional composure cracking slightly. "How long has she been there?"

"Since the nurse's last round," Zander says proudly, like a kid showing off a particularly clever magic trick. His hand finds her silver hair, stroking it gently. "My Sweet Dynamite's gotten very good at strategic hiding."

"The fact that she can make herself that tiny is actually impressive," Ren muses, studying how she's managed to tuck herself perfectly against Zander's frame. "Though probably not great for her spine."

"Worth it," comes Eva's muffled voice, followed by what might be a yawn. She doesn't emerge from her hiding spot, seemingly content to remain curled against her King like a particularly dangerous house cat.

"So," Zander redirects our attention to Marcus, though his hand continues its gentle rhythm through Eva's hair, "Evergreen? There's got to be a story there."

Marcus shifts uncomfortably under our collective scrutiny. "It's not really?—"

"Oh no," Ren cuts him off, grinning. "You're one of the newest additions to this little brotherhood. Consider story time part of your initiation."

"Technically," Marcus argues, "you're newer than me. I've known her since childhood."

Ren's laugh carries no real humor. "Oh, I'm just temporary," he says, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Trust me, I can read a room. You're all obviously possessive, stalking psychopaths who'd probably kill to keep your positions." His grin grows sharper. "I'm just here to play my part until the nextAscension. No need to worry about long-term competition from me."

An uncomfortable silence falls over the room as we process his words. He's not wrong – the possessiveness we feel toward Eva goes beyond normal protective instincts. We're all broken in our own ways, all slightly unhinged when it comes to our Queen.

Even Zander's casual stroking of Eva's hair carries an edge of ownership that would probably frighten normal people. But then again, normal people wouldn't understand how perfectly our damaged pieces fit together.

"Plus," Ren adds with another dangerous smile, "I like my organs where they are. And judging by the looks you're all giving me right now, sharing too much history with your Queen might result in some creative rearrangement of my internal anatomy."

"Eva," Zander nudges her gently with his good arm, "want to explain why Marcus calls you Evergreen?"

The only response is deep, even breathing from beneath the blanket. Marcus frowns, moving closer to the bed. "Did she actually fall asleep?"

"She does that," Ren muses with familiar fondness. "Always been a pretty deep sleeper, especially when she feels sa?—"

The collective death glares he receives could probably freeze hell. Zander's hand stills in Eva's hair, his expression shifting from playful to predatory in an instant. Ares straightens in his chair, model's perfection giving way to something more dangerous. Even I feel my jaw clench at the casual way he references their past intimacy.

"Whoa, hey," Ren raises his hands again, nervous laughter not quite hiding his sudden awareness of danger. "Just speaking as the innocent, harmless ex here. No threat to anyone's position, remember?"

Marcus sighs heavily, turning toward the floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase the setting sun. The golden light catcheshis dark blue hair, making it shimmer like deep water. "She was my Evergreen because that's what she brought to my life," he says quietly, effectively diffusing the tension. "A sense of constant renewal, of life persisting despite everything trying to kill it."

Something in his tone makes us all pause. Even Zander's protective posture softens slightly as he watches our brother stare into the fading daylight.

"When she first came into my life," Marcus continues, his reflection in the glass showing an expression I've rarely seen – raw, unguarded, almost vulnerable, "it felt like everything finally moved in the right direction. Like maybe life could actually be good, you know?"

He presses his forehead against the cool glass, and for a moment I see the boy he used to be – brilliant but scared, carrying weights no child should have to bear. "My parents both had cancer," he says softly. "It runs in the family. Every doctor's appointment, every test result – I lived in constant fear that they'd disappear like morning fog, leaving me alone with all these half-finished research projects and unanswered questions."

The room grows very still. Even Eva's breathing seems quieter, though she remains hidden beneath Zander's blanket. The sunset paints everything in shades of amber and gold, making the moment feel suspended in time.

---