Page 66 of Cuckoo (Kindred)

“We’re not in the bedroom,” she teased, opening her arms wide to drape them over his shoulders.

“Wherever the fuck we are, your pussy is mine. If I want it, you bend over and yield.”

The tickle of her clothes made her wriggle and wish they were in the bedroom. “Tuck is home,” she whispered, tightening her arms to lift herself into another kiss. “We should go to bed… where it’s private.”

“He said he was going to sleep.”

“He also said he was going to talk to Zave, and he could be downstairs doing that.” Meaning he would have to come upstairs to go to bed, and finding them in flagrante delicto while he was aching for Kadie would be incredibly insensitive.

“Whatever you want,” Brodie said and scooped her up again. This time they were torso to torso, giving her access to kiss his throat as they ascended. “You said we had to talk to Cuckoo. Don’t you want to get that out of the way instead of taking it to bed with us again?”

Running his hands down her hair that was cascading around her, he didn’t bother holding her tight because she was clinging to him so much that their bodies were glued, just as they loved to be.

“We’re getting some sleep, some food, recharging. Once the sun goes down, we’ll get her at the apartment. While we’re there, Tuck will clear her from the CI systems so she’ll have nothing to go back to.”

Being an ex didn’t warrant her any kind of special respect. Brodie was pissed. In a few short hours, the bane of both their lives would be erased from the picture, and she should take Griffin Caine with her.

NINETEEN

Brodie was right about one thing. Sleeping through most of the day and then enjoying a meal with Tuck while Zave and Thad were on video chat with them did leave her feeling recharged. Everyone was in lock step, and they were determined to achieve their goal. Brodie chose to fixate on taking down Kahlil and Leatt, and in drawing out Sikorski, so she kept her mouth shut about his parents and the others seemed to be doing the same.

Acting as though receiving that information was just incidental seemed to be Brodie’s way of dealing with it. For now, while they were still mission-focused, it would work. After time and distance, Zara would worry about being the girlfriend who had to help her man work through whatever consequences this news would have.

When she got the time to think about it in the shower before they left the manor, she’d prepared herself to go through another mourning period with Brodie. Yes, his parents had been gone for two decades. From how he relayed the story to her in the past, losing them had been the catalyst for his darkness to seep in. Art had pulled him out of that once, and she had done it after Art was lost.

If she had to do it again, then she would. Loving someone wasn’t about the good times or the adventurous missions. It meant sticking with them even when they went a bit crazy, as she had done after losing Grant and losing her way. Brodie had been there even when she jetted across the country, no distance was too far for him to travel to get her back.

These wonderful romantic thoughts kept her warm as she climbed off the back of his motorcycle and handed him her helmet. “I’m trying hard to remember how good you are in bed,” she said while he hooked the helmets on the handlebars. She took that move as a good indication that they wouldn’t be upstairs for long.

This was her apartment building and a place where they’d shared happy memories. Except this wasn’t one of those times. Brodie was sure that this confrontation with Cuckoo should happen here and that doing it as a team was best. Zara thought she understood that logic, until the bike stopped in the rear service alley and they got off. Abstract was over, she had to follow through.

He didn’t respond to her quip, just unzipped his jacket to reveal the black tee shirt she’d watched him don after creeping into the shower with her and interrupting her thoughts. He was good in bed. He was attentive. He’d kill for her if she asked him to. Listing the reasons she loved and respected him was helping her with the turmoil the anticipation of this meeting was causing.

Brodie took her hand, linking their fingers together while he entered the security code to get into the building through the rear. He knew his way through this building like it was his own, and he should, he’d snuck in here enough times in the dead of night.

“You have the power to talk me into anything,” Zara grumbled as she followed him up the stairs, trailing one step behind him. Out-sassing Cuckoo when they were alone was fun. With Brodie in the fray, things could get dirty.

Brodie’s hand slipped out of hers. He slowed to skim it up her spine and moved in close enough to speak into her hair. “You had my cock in your throat twenty minutes ago. If things get too tough in there, feel free to call that out.”

Turning her glare onto him, she couldn’t help but feel he was enjoying this. “Hope that memory is clear in your mind, bucko, ‘cause it’ll have to last you a long time if things get tough in here. I still don’t get why I have to be here.”

They kept moving up the stairs, one gradual step at a time, making virtually no sound. “Solidarity. And she’s a woman. I can’t smack her around if she starts shit.”

Zara stopped and with a hand on his chest, she brought him to a halt on the step below hers. “You expect me to smack her around? Throw in some jello and a couple of bikinis and you’ve got yourself a show.” He inhaled to retort, but she lifted a finger. “You make a quip about a threesome, and you’ll be in the basement for the next month with only Maverick to keep you warm at night.”

Pulling on her neck to bring them together, he burrowed his mouth in her hair and the quick, shallow huffs of humidity in her locks made her think he was amused. “You are the complete package, Swallow.”

As much as she appreciated unsolicited compliments, she surrendered her tension to rest her body against his then lifted in a full body nudge. “Get your game face on, Rave. We’re here to evict an enemy.”

“On it,” he said and separated their bodies to continue up the stairs. They were one flight away when he spoke again, and their easy rapport was gone. “Baby, anything she says in there…”

“She could never make me doubt us,” Zara said, wanting to reach out and reassure him. Bringing her here, doing this as a couple, was a risk for him. He hadn’t said it aloud, but the trust exercise for them would be a harsh slap in the face for Cuckoo, and that was what she needed.

Much as she hated to face it, Zara had to admit that Brodie knew the psycho and knew how to influence her. This unannounced meeting was about more than getting Cuckoo out of CI. This was about Brodie showing his ex that there was no equivocation. He didn’t want her, didn’t love her. He belonged to another woman, and he wasn’t interested in playing Cuckoo’s games.

Zara wasn’t sure of the etiquette when going to your own apartment to evict an unwanted, unofficial, tenant from the property. That Cuckoo was Brodie’s ex was just another factor complicating the situation.

She didn’t have to ask questions, her man had a handle on how to deal with this. Zara would take her lead from him. Brodie took a key from his pocket—one she didn’t know he had—and put it in the lock. “Is that my key?” she asked because she didn’t have her purse with her.

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