Page 64 of Let Us Prey

With an annoyed growl, he walks over to the railing around the shaft of the Tower and jumps. I watch him leap from side to side, climbing up towards the belfry, where the main sitting area is located.

So dramatic. He could have used the stairs.

Picking up my scotch and his port, I head up the back stairs to where I can hear the younger twin jabbering like a tour guide. When I round the corner at the top, I gape like a beached orca. I almost can’t believe my eyes, but I know I’m wearing my glasses.

Delores Drew is standing in the middle of our sanctuary, listening to him describe his Super Smash Brothers victories while Chess smiles at them fondly.

What in the seven hells of Dante?

“Aubrey! This place is amazing!” Delores cries, rushing over to greet us. She frowns when she sees the gargoyle perched on the railing by the bell. “Renard, why are you lurking over there like a creeper? It’s not like I haven’tbeen?—”

“Stop!” we shout in unison.

She knows enough of our secrets now to get the others digging and the look I give her reminds her of the promise she made when she invaded our privacy the other night. Delores’ cheeks heat and she drops her head to let her hair fall in front of her face. It’s adorable, but I don’t want her to forget we’re not ready for everyone to know the secrets she’s keeping.

Chess’ brow furrows, and Fitz stares daggers at us when Delores wilts.

She looks up with a disappointed expression, but shrugs it off quickly. “Fine. I thought we were friends after what the three of us did the other night.”

That statement changes the tenor of the room immediately and I rush to correct her typically innuendo-filled word choice before Fitz zeroes in on the intel. “Renard found her wandering the courtyard—alone—a few nights ago.”

The tiger turns to the pastel-haired girl between them with an arched brow. He growls playfully and Chess tickles her sides. Their reactions make Delores laugh, which makes me smile as well.

Interesting.

“Did they at least take care of you, baby girl?”

“That’s a good question.” All eyes turn to the stairs, where Felix is leaning against the wall with a quirked brow.

Isn’t this a full fucking house?

“We did—eventually,” Renard says as he leaps off the rail and stalks over to take his drink from me. “Calm down, testosterone trio.”

“Who pissed in your port tonight?” Fitz snorts, dropping her hand to walk to the kitchen area. “I’m getting a beer. Bro? Chess? Baby Girl?”

“Ew,”Delores says, wrinkling her nose. “Do you have Dr. Pepper?”

Felix nods at Fitz before crossing the room to find his favorite armchair. “Define eventually.”

I arch a brow at him as I walk over to my chair and settle in. “In this case, eventually is an adverb meaning in due time.”

“Don’t be an assface,” Delores says as she sashays into our circle of chairs. Chess follows her like a lost cub, and she waits for him to choose his seat before plopping onto his lap. His expression is surprised, but he holds her in place. “They took me flying, and I got to watch?—”

Oh, shit. She’s going to spill what we’ve kept secret for a decade. I thought I was clear about it being between us.

Renard surprises me by joining us instead of claiming his spot on the balcony for the evening. He perches on his damned near unused throne, his eyes focusing on our visitor as his tail flicks in agitation like a cat. “Shhhhh. You remember the termspetite lapin.”

Oh, she’s got him extra twisted. He only reverts to French when the gargoyle is riding him hard.

The Raj arches his brow and suddenly, there’s a staring match between all the dominant shifters in the room. Delores frowns at us and crosses her arms under her chest—which, I’ll admit, distracts everyone long enough to break the spell.

“Why are you all glaring at each other like a bunch of fuck knuckles?” Fitz hands Chess a beer as he passes and then turns to Delores. “Here you go—a Dr. Pepper for the lady. I’m surprised we had it. Who filled the fridge?”

No one owns up to it, and again, I turn a knowing smirk to my winged companion as he remembers how to sit comfortably on the throne he rarely uses. Rennie is a fixer at heart, and I don’t know where he picked up the information that our girl likes thatsoda, or how he knew she’d end up here eventually, but he was ready for her. Despite his grumpy attitude about her sudden presence, he clearly expected this scenario to occur.

He’s such a fucking mother hen.

“I said they took me for a ride the other night and now everyone’s boxers are in a knot.” Delores scrunches her nose in a very bunny-like fashion as she shrugs. “I don’t know why that’s such a big deal, but apparently, it’s very hush-hush.”

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