Page 69 of Breakers (Academy of Stardom 3)

“I’ll kill them both.”

“What?!” I snap.

“And after I put them down, I’ll pay a visit to your brother and put a bullet in his head too.”

For a second I just stare at him open mouthed. Then the reality of this stupid fucking Plan B sinks in. “No. No way. That’s suicide and you know it!” I shout, my voice betraying me.

“Titch—” York begins, but I shove out of his hold and within two steps have my fingers pressed into Xeno’s chest.

“Don’t you even think about it! That’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever fucking heard. They’ll kill you!”

“Not if I kill them first,” he shrugs, smiling down at me like this is all some big fucking joke.

“Xeno, it isn’t funny. Are you insane?”

“No, just really good at assassinating people.” This time he doesn’t smile, and a shiver tracks down my spine at the implication of his words, at the confidence in his gaze. He’s done this before.

“Then Plan Ahasto work,” I say, stubbornly. “No matter what.”

“That’s the idea,” Xeno replies, capturing my hand in his and kissing my knuckles. I step forward into his arms and drop my head against his chest. A moment later he wraps his arms around me and hauls me close. “We got this, Tiny.”

I groan in his arms; my headache feels like little knives stabbing into my brain. “I’m not feeling so great,” I admit.

“Here, take these,” Dax says, passing me the glass of water and some painkillers, before kissing me on the temple. He looks at Xeno, then back at me. “You need tosleep.”

“I agree. We can discuss anything else once you’ve had some rest,” Xeno says, taking the proffered mug of black coffee from Dax.

“That sounds like a really good idea, actually,” I reply, beginning to see stars from all the pain.

“Go and get some rest,” Xeno orders.

“Aren’t you going to bed?” I ask, looking between them all.

“I wanna go over a few details of the plan with Zayn. There are a few things I want to smooth out and he knows Jeb the best.”

“Don’t you need York and Dax too?” I ask.

“Nope,” he responds, a look passing between them all.

“Guess that means we should go to bed then,” York says softly, wrapping his arm back around my shoulder and brushing his lips across the top of my head.

“To sleep,” Dax adds firmly, giving York a look.

“To sleep,” he agrees.

* * *

I wakeup several hours later, with a thick, tattooed arm laying across my waist and the covers tangled up around our legs. Dax is still fast asleep, his breath tickling my skin. He looks so peaceful, not to mention completely delicious. I reach up and brush my fingers across the crease in his brow. He mutters in his sleep, snuggling closer.

“You know, heispretty fucking adorable when he’s asleep,” York remarks softly, a twinkle in his eyes when I turn to face him. He has his head propped up on his hand as he looks down at us both. My heart stutters in my chest at how fucking beautiful he is with his white-blonde hair flopping over his forehead and bare chest covered in his oak tree tattoo. Laughter lights in his eyes.

“What?” I whisper, lifting my hand to trail my fingers lightly over the lifelike trunk. I feel his heart beating fast beneath my fingers, especially when they trail lower over the roots of the tree, disappearing beneath the waistband of his joggers.

“You didn’t even flinch at his morning breath,” he replies, swallowing hard, his joke lost beneath the lust swirling in his eyes.

“Stop it. He doesn’t have smelly breath,” I retort, smothering a laugh as I shift in Dax’s hold so that I’m on my side facing York.

York wrinkles his nose. “You love him that much you’re willing to forgive his stinky breath, huh?” he asks, his hand coming up to rest between my breasts, just above the spot where Dax’s arm is still thrown across me. I suck in a sharp breath as the edge of his hand rests against the curve of my breast and his fingertips run across the neckline of my vest top.

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