Page 35 of Kennedy

“No offense, but if everyone’s going to leave soon, maybe it’s not that important that I get to know them?” Lewis offered. He did want to know Seymour’s friends, but he was also wildly intimidated by all of them. He didn’t think anyone would ever hurt him—and not only because he was Seymour’s brother—but the fact that they could kill people in fifteen different ways gave him the creeps.

Lewis knew that Seymour could do it, too, and probably Jimmy and Kennedy as well, but it wasn’t the same. He trusted them with his life.

He didn’t know if he could trust any of Seymour’s friends.

Seymour gave him big puppy eyes. “Please come? We’re celebrating, and I want you to be there.”

“I doubt you’ll want one of your trainers there, though,” Kennedy said.

“Everyone will focus on you being Lewis’s mate and my brother-in-law, and Hawthorne will be there with Wallace. Come on. It’ll be fun.”

Personally, Lewis couldn’t think of anything less fun than having to spend a night with a bunch of strangers he’d probably never see again, but he could never resist Seymour when he behaved like this. Seymour knew it, which was why he was using his puppy eyes.

Damn him.

Lewis sighed. “Fine. I’ll come, but only because you’re asking. I’m sure they’re nice people, but I don’t plan on becoming best friends with any of them.”

Seymour squeezed an arm around Lewis’s shoulders. “You don’t need a best friend. You already have me.”

“You’re not my best friend. You’re my brother.”

“You have Kennedy, then.”

“Again, not the same. He’s my mate, not my best friend.”

Seymour rolled his eyes. “Fine. You have Danny.”

Lewis couldn’t say anything about that. He did have Danny. “Just—let’s go, all right? I’ll stick around for a bit, talk to a few people, and let you know when I leave.”

You would have thought Lewis had handed Seymour the moon. Seymour was much lighter since he’d met and had fallen in love with Jimmy. Lewis was glad. His brother might be trained to kill, but he was happy, and that was what Lewis cared about the most.

He just hoped none of Seymour’s friends would take offense to his presence there and decide to take things into their own hands.

* * * *

KENNEDY HADN’T BEENplanning on spending the evening with the trainees—not that he could continue calling them that since they’d be leaving the facility tomorrow. They weren’t trainees anymore. They were just people he’d spent the past few months together with, but it was hard to see them as adults on the same level as he was. It was especially hard when some of them behaved like brats, like Barry, who’d returned with his father earlier today.

Kennedy almost laughed as he thought about what had happened. He’d had enough trouble with Wallace Senior, but he’d had to deal with Barry and his lawyer father, too, and telling both of them that Barry just didn’t have it in him to work for the council had been a delight. Normally, Kennedy wouldn’t find happiness in the situation, but Barry had been looking for it.

“Are we sure I should be here?” Lewis asked, leaning against Kennedy as they walked down the path toward the building where the trainees had been living.

“Who’s going to say you shouldn’t be?” Kennedy answered as he wrapped an arm around Lewis’s shoulders. “Not me.”

“You’re not in charge of this place, though.”

“No, that would be Bennett, my closefriend. He’ll probably want to get to know you better, actually.”

Lewis shook his head. “I’ve met him already.”

“You’ve met him, but you don’t know him.”

“You guys are kind of scary and intimidating.”

“Even me?”

“Especially you. You’re my mate.”

Kennedy grinned. If Lewis had ever been intimidated by him, he hadn’t shown it. He’d run from him, sure, but that had been more because he’d been overwhelmed and hadn’t been sure what to do. It hadn’t been intimidation or fear. “Well, I’m glad you got over it.”

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