Page 26 of Tabitha

I’m breathing heavily when I notice that we are no longer alone. I straighten and turn, not trusting anyone at my back. Their dog bounds over and immediately begins licking Pierce while he’s down. He tries to fend off the dog, cursing his head off, but the black German shepherd is persistent and crawls across his torso, pins him down, and continues to slather his face with drool.

For some reason, I feel vindicated. “Good doggie,” I coo. “You’re such a good puppy!”

Pierce shoots me a murderous glare, then his expression softens, and he wrestles the dog off him. I look up at the guys, my amusement fading, and I cross my arms and lift my chin as I wait for them to speak.

Bast appears intrigued, Gage annoyed, while River looks ready to strip off his shirt and join us. I’m not sure which one sets off my radar more, but it’s impossible to watch them all at the same time.

For once in my life, I actually don’t want to hide from others. Something about the way they watched me, a mixture of appreciation and suspicion, has me suppressing a smile. I like the attention, the way they make my senses hum.

They make me feel alive.

Special.

The men are big and gruff, and I like that little old me leaves them off-balance.

“I take it, since you’re here, you were able to get a hold of your contact?” I ignore the others and focus on Bast. There’s something about the big man that draws the eye. The man is outrageously gorgeous with his locs tied back, leaving the sharp angles of his face on display.

Though the giant is relaxed, his pose is deceptive. Excess energy coils around him, as though he’s just waiting to spring into action, and I like that about him. I like the edge of danger. The promise of violence. He’s unpredictable, and though it might be dangerous, I find it exciting.

A little smile curls his lips, possibly sensing my curiosity, and I feel almost shy under his regard. “We’re here, reporting for duty.”

Bast is a soldier, willing to follow orders, but I’m waiting to see if he’ll break rank if he disagrees with the way I run things. He’s a tough man to pin down, his expression mostly impassive. His eyes give him away, the amber color seeming to burn when they rest on me, and I like the lick of flames against my flesh.

I normally hide from any type of attention, eyes feeling like razor blades against my flesh, but something about the way he looks at me is addicting. Like he sees all the ragged, broken shards of my soul and thinks I’m beautiful anyway.

Gage…not so much. His mouth is puckered, like he just took a bite out of a raw lemon, at being forced to breathe the same air as me. It makes me want to mess with him, curious to see how far I can push him before that wall he hides behind crumbles. I’m almost curious to see what lies beneath.

River doesn’t look like he cares one way or the other who’s in charge. He’s eager for action, wearing a ready smile that, no doubt, has women flocking to him in droves. With his looks, he doesn’t even have to chase them…they’d just throw themselves at him. But beneath the smile, I can see the cracks. He’s just one step away from shattering, and my heart aches at the thought of seeing that spark in his eyes dim.

When no one says anything else, the men patiently waiting for orders, I release a sigh and yank my hair out of the ponytail. “Let’s head inside and discuss what needs to happen next. There are too many eyes watching.”

I don’t wait for the others, just head toward the backdoor of the house. I pass two rooms before the hallway opens up to the kitchen. No one says a word as they follow, the soldiers glancing through the rooms curiously…though it looks more like they’re casing the place.

Once we reach the kitchen, I grab a bottle of water and drain it, not caring that the guys have gathered around the island to watch. Pierce is nearest to me, his arms crossed, scowling at the others like they’re intruders.

Ignoring them, I watch Rocky as he sniffs the place, the click of his claws the only thing breaking the silence of the room. I actually don’t mind the tension. I’ve gotten used to it over the years. Something about watching how others react to it entertains me more than anything.

I glance at Pierce, and he nods his head that we’re clear. “Most of the house is under surveillance. Only the cameras remain active. We disabled the bugs, so anything we discuss is good. If you visit the house, you’re going to have to help me pack up this monstrosity. It will give you an excuse to be here.”

Gage looks furious, but Bast speaks before he can unleash his annoyance. “Agreed. It’s a great cover for why we’ll be hanging around so much.”

I search his eyes, looking for hidden agendas, but his gaze remains steady, and I can’t help but wonder if he is as honorable and straightforward as he appears. I’m not used to dealing with people like that, my line of work lending to more of the seedier underbelly of the city.

Since I hate games more than anything, I decide to tell them the truth…as much of it as possible, anyway. They can’t be allowed to interfere with my mission or discover the truth about what the Belladonnas really do. “We’re all here for the same reason—we want to find McNeil. I have no plans to take over or tell you how to do your job. You guys work well as a unit, so your orders will stay with Bast.”

I lean back against the counter and peer up at the big guy. “I’d like to meet with you every other day or so to discuss any mission guidelines you deem relevant, so we don’t overlap.”

Bast tips his head, a small nod of approval. His gaze flicks toward Pierce, then lands back on me. “I can join you in the mornings for training. It will give us a reason to meet early. If that works for you?”

My brain hiccups at the thought of facing off with this behemoth, and a thrill of excitement shoots through me at the challenge. One blow from his massive hands would be enough to take off my head. “Sounds like fun.”

I barely resist the urge to rub my hands together. Maybe I should be leery of having another man touch me so casually, yet my skin actually tingles at the thought of Bast getting his hands on me. I cock my head to the side, wondering if I might be coming down with the flu or something.

Then I brush everything aside and focus on the mission. “You have one month before your mission is complete and I scrub the job clean.”

“Fucking hell,” Gage curses, dragging his fingers through his hair. He glances at Bast, then turns and glares at me. “You can’t just kill everyone. We have—”

“Four weeks to complete your mission and leave,” I interrupt, trying to hold back my amusement at his tantrum. It makes him look almost cute.

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