Page 98 of Their Fierce Little Monster

Assassin!

I drop the bag, reach to my hip, and realize I carry no weapons. Fine with me, and I drop my stance, ready to destroy him.

The man straightens and turns toward me, stepping out of the balcony’s shadow.

It’s Kazak! Fucking bastard stands naked, scratching the side of his head. Then he slides open the door and steps inside, his cock just there and not what I want to see first thing in the morning.

“How did I get on the balcony?” he asks.

“Who the fuck knows?” I blurt out, kicking Lian’s bag aside.

In that precise moment, Lian slips out of the bedroom, grunting. “Put that away. No one wants to see it, including Dawn.”

Kazak smirks. “She begged me for it last night when I pounded into her while you slept out here all alone.”

Grinning, I lean back against the couch, ready for a show I’m not getting involved in.

Lian’s gaze narrows, shoulders rising, and fury practically rolls off him. “Hope you enjoyed your sleep outdoors.”

“You prick, you put me out there,” Kazak snaps.

“You have any idea how heavy your fat ass is?” Lian barks. “I almost ruptured an organ.”

Kazak growls under his breath, and I burst out laughing at these two.

When a knock comes at the door, we all exchange glances. “I’ll get it,” I say.

After yesterday, I have no idea what to expect, but when I swing the door open, I find my aide, Eve. She stares at me with huge eyes, arms stiff at her sides. She’s still wearing black pants and a white shirt uniform.

“My lord,” she begins. “When you didn’t return to your chamber last night, I was worried and have been searching for you. But I see you’re safe.” She almost pouts, eyes glistening, which shouldn’t be possible. Aides have no emotions, no connections. They are workhorses. “I’m here. How can I help you?”

Lian’s making kissy sounds behind me, and Kazak’s chuckling.

“Fine, you can make yourself useful by cleaning up the mess in here and fixing these beds. Then take the second lounge to Lian’s room.” I step back, and she slips into the room, taking a wide sweep before marching right for the sheets and pillows across both lounges.

Then I meander out onto the balcony, as there are too many damn people in the room for my liking. For some reason, Lian follows me, and Kazak, who’s now wearing shorts, joins us too.

It’s like a joke. We’re all standing there, awkwardly staring out at the city.

“I’m surprised none of us have accidentally fallen off this balcony yet,” Lian murmurs. “I had plans to make Kazak be the first, but he’s too damn fat.”

Kazak snorts a laugh. “Surprised you even carried me out this far.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t wake up,” I say.

“Once I sleep, I’m dead to the world,” he states.

Then there’s that uncomfortable silence again.

“Well,” Kazak says, leaning forward, hands pressed flat atop the parapet. “This is not where I imagined myself ever ending up—with you two, pining for Dawn.”

Lian’s earlier words flare over my mind, and I hate agreeing with him on anything, but we’re at a dead end. We all saw it coming, but we can’t keep fighting, pulling Dawn in three directions; we need a solution.

I rest my hip against the parapet, arms folded over my shoulder, and face the pair. “Whether we like it or not, we’re stuck together if we want to be part of Dawn’s life. The whole selection prophecy creates a different obstacle that I don’t know how we’ll handle. But I’m focusing on the present day for the moment.”

Neither of them even glances at me, but shadows glide across their faces.

“Good to see you’ve come to your senses.” Lian finally lifts his chin. “I fucking hate both of you, but I decided last night while I lay in the room, listening to Kazak porking my girl, that this isn’t going to work. Not with the way we’re butchering this up. And I’ll kill you both in your sleep if she walks out on me.”