Page 26 of Legacy of Chaos

But now he was curious. Funny how this was the first time he’d even thought about it in thirty-seven years.

“What are my brothers like?” he asked.

She pushed up onto one arm and looked down at him again. “In bed? You want to know what kind of lovers they are? Why?”

“When a question enters my mind, I need answers, or the mystery will take up too much space in my head.” He’d bet Mace was a kinky motherfucker.

“You know I can’t speak about my carnal activities.” Stretching like a sated cat, she gave him an impish smile. “Discretion was woven into my genes.”

“Yes, but technically, I am your master, and you have to obey me.”

“Hmm.” She tapped her chin, looking both thoughtful and mischievous. “This does present a problem.” Sitting up, she reached for her black satin robe at the foot of the bed. “I’ll tell you this. Blade is considerate and generous. He often brings me gifts. Mostly chocolate. But when he’s very worked up”—she gave a delighted little shiver—“he’s deliciously demanding.”

Not unexpected. Blade had always been the strong and silent type, careful with females and animals. He was slow to anger, but his fury and grudges ran deep, and when he finally erupted, he gave no quarter or mercy. Followed that he’d be the same way with sex.

“And Rade? Who might be even more fucked up than I am?”

She tightened the robe’s sash around her slim waist. “He is…intense. And he doesn’t talk much.”

Again, not a surprise. A world-renowned interrogator for DART, Rade was cold as ice and as personable as a shark. He spoke little but saw everything, and with his ability to flay open the minds of even the most powerful demons, he was one of DART’s most valuable—and dangerous—agents.

“What about my cousins?”

Turning, she gazed out the window at the falling snow and smiled fondly. She hated the cold, so that smile was for something—or someone—else. “Sabre is creative and has a delicious naughty streak.”

Huh. Stryke would have pegged Sabre for vanilla. Eidolon’s son was a stand-up guy, but he’d inherited his father’s rigid adherence to law and order. Stryke admired the forensic expert, but yeah, vanilla. Except hewaspart Soulshredder demon, which meant things could get very…unpredictable.

“And Mace?”

She laughed and turned back to him. “He is full of life and mischief. That one will not be easily tamed by any female.”

Sounded about right. Mace was a mouthy, cocky playboy who lived life on the edge. Whether it was the edge of a cliff, a building, or pressed up against the sharp edge of a blade, that was where his cousin thrived.

Stryke sat up and forced himself to meet Masumi’s gaze. The sudden worry in her eyes told him she knew who he was going to ask about next.

“What about me?”

The way she sobered, as if he’d dumped a cold bucket of water over her head, made him regret asking. Whyhadhe asked? Why did he care?

“I must go,” she said, starting for the door. “I can feel Blade’s need.”

He lunged, catching her by the wrist before his brain could catch up with his body. He should let her go. He didn’t need an answer.

Except he did. Now that he’d asked, he had to know what she was so reluctant to say. “Tell me.”

“Is that an order,Master?” She batted her eyelashes, giving him a full, seductive dose of drama.

“Don’t pull that master shit on me.” He released her wrist and swung his feet over the edge of the mattress. “You’re free to leave whenever you want.”

“You pulled it on me.”

He reached for his pants. “I wasn’t being serious.”

“You arealwaysserious. You have no sense of humor.”

No sense of humor? Of course, he had a sense of humor. It was just…discerning.

She tugged the robe closed across her breasts with a sniff. “And you hurt me.”

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