Page 89 of Caged By the Ruthless Thief

Not that we need to eat out. Back home, driving into town for pizza was an extravagant thing. Plus, it had to be timed just right to get back for the animals. I glance at my three mates on the way to the shower. I still have animals, only they’re different now.

In the bathroom, I turn and put my hand up. “I’m showering alone, or we’re never going to get out of here.”

“I can keep my hands to myself if you can, Belle.” Holter’s lips twist into a smile.

“Yeah, well, I can’t.” I wiggle my eyebrows and close the door on him, turning the lock at the last second.

39

NICO

We have three other bathrooms in this apartment, but all of us stare at the closed door. I turn the knob, already knowing that it’s locked.

“I’ll take the one in Belle’s lounge.” Holter heads off down the hall.

“I’ve got the one on the other side.” Eros fumbles around in the large closet for clothes and a towel.

There’s another one off the main living space, but I sit down on the edge of the bed. I resist the urge to rub my wrists. Or my ankles. Controlling my mindset is important. It was important before, and it’s even more important now.

The door eases open, and I breathe in the apple scent of my mate. We haven’t been alone, other than a moment here and there, for the last week. It’s been hard enough not to talk about things. I promised a week, and I stuck by it.

Eros.

Fucking Eros.

She’s got a towel wrapped around her head, another around her chest. “Oh, I thought everyone was getting ready.” Her eyes flick to my cock. Which is hard. It’s always hard around her.

“I like showering here where it smells of you.” Her eyes narrow, and I find myself smiling. “It’s a compliment.”

“I know. I’m still getting used to certain things.” She bends over and dabs at her long hair. “It’s been a week.”

“It has.” I hold my core steady. It’s interesting how I can be so on edge and yet calm when I’m around her. I need her. She’s become my center, my conscience. She’s the reason Eros is still alive when I want to tear him limb from limb. An assassin. He’s brought our mate into an even more dangerous world than I’m used to. Fuck.

“Can I ask you something?” She grips the towel across her breasts.

I incline my head. Keeping secrets from her is impossible. Yet I still have a locker full of them.

“How did you know what to do in the chasm?”

“That’s what you want to know, Little Krill?”

“Nico, it’s fine. You don’t have to tell me. If it’s too hard to think about, I understand.”

I stand, my body drawn to hers. I run my hand over her arm; the towel loosens its grip on her breasts and falls to the floor. “It’s fine. It’s not too hard to think about at all. I have Bass to thank, really. Bass, instinct, and my training.”

“Bass. The male who taught me on the sub?” She pulls on her tunic.

Even I’m shocked I’m crediting Bass, but it’s true. “Yes, he sent a detailed report on the geology of the chasm to Holter. It detailed the chasm stratigraphy, what types of rocks might be useful, and he was right. I found the exact type of rock I needed, gave it a whack with my fluke, and a chunk fell. I used it as a weapon until I found the trident.”

Annabelle eyes Poseidon’s trident in the room’s corner. I don’t know what I should do with it. Others would put it in a glass case and display it to guests to impress them. I would be fine putting it in the back of the shared male closet on the other side of the room.

“What are you going to do with it?” She motions to it.

“I don’t care. What do you think I should do with it?”

“Not put it in my ass?” Her eyes are wide. But the absurdity of my Little Krill using the wordassand even thinking of me putting something so large in her...

I laugh. “I don’t know. I think you could take it. Look how well you did with all of us just now.”

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