Page 76 of Smolder (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter 29)

I looked up at him where he was turned around in the seat to look back at me. Jean-Claude sat beside him with Jake against the doormirroring Wicked’s position on our seat. Jean-Claude wasn’t turning around to join in the conversation yet.

“I thought we were getting along,” Richard said.

“We are,” Nathaniel said, “but it’s not just me that you need to make amends to.”

“I don’t owe Wicked an apology.”

“No, you don’t,” Wicked said, “but we need to get the ground rules set from the beginning so there are no misunderstandings between us.”

“He is Ulfric,” Jake said.

“I am not a werewolf, the only king I have is Jean-Claude.”

“I didn’t play the king-of-wolves card on you, that was Jake. I would never demand loyalty from any vampire based on me being Ulfric, or any other supernatural that wasn’t a werewolf.”

“Thank you for that,” Wicked said.

“Please move your arm so that I can be the one touching Anita?”

“You are not my king, or her boyfriend, why should I move my arm out of your way?”

“Wicked,” Jean-Claude said.

“Jean-Claude,” Truth said from the front seat, “this isn’t just Wicked and me. All the security discussed what we would do if we felt that your emotional attachments were putting you at risk.”

“Richard helped me save us all tonight, he did no harm,” Jean-Claude said.

“He, Asher, and Kane are the most unstable of all the people who are alone with you when you kick the security out of the room, and they’ve all hurt you physically and emotionally,” Truth said.

“We are never alone with Kane,” I said, “he’s bug nuts.”

“Jean-Claude will still be alone with Kane and Asher when you’re traveling on business,” Wicked said.

I stared at my soonish-to-be husband. “Jesus, Jean-Claude, are they... seriously, recently?”

He looked down, blinking those thick black lashes coyly, whichmeantYes, and recently. “Kane is dangerous, Jean-Claude; you cannot be alone with him.”

“I have no interest in being alone with Kane; Asher is always there.”

“You know that Asher can’t control him.”

“Do you think I could not protect myself from Kane?”

“You could, but you’re terrified of accidentally killing Asher by hurting Kane, just like I am.”

Nathaniel gripped his shoulder. “Please, promise us that you won’t be alone with just the two of them again.”

Jean-Claude wouldn’t look at either of us.

“Damn it, Jean-Claude,” I said.

“And that is why we had a meeting about such things,” Wicked said.

“That was about Kane and Asher; I did not agree with such treatment for the Ulfric,” Jake said.

“You were outvoted,” Wicked said.

“Putting me on the list with Asher for emotional damage is absolutely fair, but not Kane. He is unstable and dangerous.”

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