Page 12 of Home: Posy 5

"Wyatt, foroncein your ever-loving life, shut the hell up!" I bellowed.

Ignoring me, he suddenly started to jump up and down, his eyes bright with excitement.

"Ash! Dude! You won the betting pool!"

"Yes!" Now Ash was jumping up and down, too, and a big grin split his face in half.

"What's the payout?" King Julian asked.

And I had to turn away before I said or did something I'd regret.

Or be executed for, Garnet chimed in with a smirk.At least, I'm pretty sure that's still the penalty for regicide.

Shut it,I grunted, which only made him chuckle.

"Oh my Goddess!" Wyatt held up his phone, heedless of the water pouring down on us and plastering his blond fluff to his head. "That's fifteenthousanddollars!"

"Yes!" Ash roared and his fists shot into the air.

Rein it back in. They're just excited pups,I told myself over and over.

Finally, my face schooled back into its usual blankness, I turned back to the king.

"Do you want help cleaning up the mess before we leave?" I was pleased to hear that my voice had returned to what Wyatt called my 'business' one - a bland monotone that revealed nothing.

"Nah." King Julian waved one hand. "The sprinklers will wash the blood down the drains, and I have another prisoner who needs something to occupy his time. He can drag the bodies to the incinerator for us."

"Good. I want to have time to get into new clothes before we rejoin our ladies."

"Huh. My fourth outfit today, not to mention shoes," he chuckled. "I think that might be a new record for me, and the day's not over yet."

With a curt nod to acknowledge I heard him, I stalked toward the elevator and jabbed the call button. Behind me, Wyatt still prattled on and on about that damn betting pool, and I clenched my teeth.

"Dude! I should totally get half of that money. I helped!"

"How did you help?" Ash sneered.

"The singing, man!" Wyatt insisted. "It sent him right over the edge! Plus he yelled and swore at me, too!"

"He yelled and swore at me first! And that was the bet! Who could get him to do that first!"

The elevator doors opened with a ding, and I stepped inside and cut my eyes to the king.

"With your permission, your majesty?"

"Go. Enjoy two minutes of silence," he said, biting back a grin.

"Happily," I deadpanned and pushed the "Close Door" button.

Sorry, Cole, I linked him.

Don't blame you, brother.

Somehow, the doors closing caught the pups' attention.

"Mase!" Ash shouted. "Hold the door!"

"Hey! Wait for us!" Wyatt yelled at the same time.

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