31. Bishop
Iwatch her over the top of my phone as she watches whatever shitty reality television show she’s chosen today.
She’s pulled her legs up beneath her on the large armchair and has wrapped the throw blanket that likely still has the tags on it around herself, but she’s not paying any more attention to what’s playing on the TV than I am.
She’s lost inside her own mind, and I can’t help but want to dig through her thoughts to understand what’s put that dejected look in her eyes.
My obsession with Camilla grows by the day, and I become less and less able to control myself around her. I steal every single touch I can, but it’s never enough. I want more. I need more.
I feel like a broken record when I say it’s never been like this before, but I can’t understand what makes her so different. Why does she have to be the one that piques my interest when no woman has ever been able to to this degree?
I have a million emails to reply to, a report from the manager of our underground casino about someone counting cards to read, and a plan to make for our future Mafia queen, but I can’t drag my attention from her for long enough to do any of it.
Footsteps in the hallway drag my gaze from her. If it’s Kaos, we’re in for another fight, and I want to be able to shield her if I need to. I don’t think I would, but he’s been unpredictable since his father died. He’s not the same kid I grew up with, who I trained with, and who was by my side as we took our positions in this world, and I don’t think there’s anything that can bring him back now.
Kovu appears in the doorway, his eyes wild and worried as he surveys the room. Knowing what he’s like with Camilla, I likely should have let him know we were in here, but watching the ruthless man worry about the tiny woman who has captured our attention is a little too amusing to pass up.
There’s a cut on the corner of his lip that’s still bleeding, and there’s a fresh black eye blooming, which has my eyebrows raising. I don’t think he had anything he needed to go out and do this morning, but we don’t exactly tell each other everything either.
There’s a quiet gasp from beside me, and I can only assume she’s seen his injuries. I can’t imagine it’s anything new for her to see a little blood, but she was the same the other day when he came home covered in some poor asshole’s blood. She worries about him, and I’m not too big to admit I’m fucking jealous of that.
Maybe it’s because he’s allowed himself to touch her, to care for and provide for her while she’s been unable to do it herself, while I’ve remained in the corner. A quiet sentry watching and learning about the woman who so easily stole my obsession.
Kovu’s smug grin appears on his lips as soon as he sees her, and he quickly closes the distance between them.
“What happened?” she asks quietly, dropping her eyes to where her hands are bundled in her lap.
“Kaos and I had a little disagreement.” He shrugs, and I roll my eyes. Those two may be like brothers, but they fight like they’re enemies. Every time they disagree on anything, the only way they can see to resolve it is with their fists.
“Are you okay?”
He chuckles and drops to his knees in front of her. “Are you worried about me, Little Lamb?”
A look of indignation crosses her face as her gaze turns to a glare. “No.”
“You know, Camilla, we don’t take kindly to liars around here,” he says playfully.
“Well, I’m not lying.”
“You won’t like the consequences if you keep up the lies, Little Lamb.” He pauses and flicks his gaze to me. “Or maybe you will. Depends what you’re into I guess.”
Her mouth drops open, and I run my hand down my face. “Kovu,” I warn.
“What? I’m just preparing her for our…tastes.”
A small squeak pulls our attention back to Camilla, who is staring at him with wide eyes like she’s seeing him for the first time. Knowing she’s a virgin only makes us all more interested in her, because that means we can mold her into the perfect woman for us. There are no exes we need to kill for touching her, no bad habits we need to break, and a world of kinks to introduce her to. What’s not to be interested in?
Kovu stands so quickly I almost miss the movement, and before she can argue, he plucks her off the armchair and turns to sit with her bundled in his lap.
I stare at him with my own mouth agape. He’s never touched a woman like this. Never. He’s never touched anyone like this. His chronic aversion to touch has only ever allowed him small touches, and yet he has Camilla pressed against him like it’s the most natural thing in the world. I’m so distracted by the intimate move that I forget to be jealous.
“Does that scare you, Camilla?” Her name rolls off his tongue, and she’s entranced by his every move.
“No,” she whispers the lie, and it tugs up the corners of my mouth. She’ll need to get better at lying if she wants to lead her family, but I doubt she’s quite so transparent when she’s not in a vulnerable situation like the one she finds herself in right now.
“Liar,” he murmurs, bringing his face only inches from hers. I hold my breath the same way she does. I don’t know whether to pluck her out of his arms to keep her safe from the big bad wolf or if I want to join the little show they’re on the precipice of.
“I’m not scared of you,” she tells him, her voice filled with confidence, and I lean forward, dropping my elbows to my knees so I can watch her more closely.
I can spot a lie a mile away, and that’s not one. She’s not afraid of him. Or at least not of what he may do to her, which is surprising, but only makes my need for her deeper.
“You should be, Cami. He’s the big bad wolf to your little lamb,” I say, desperate to insert myself into the little game they’re playing.
“I guess you never heard the story about the wolf in sheep’s clothing?” She quirks her brow at me.
Kovu’s laugh is loud and booming, and I can’t remember the last time I heard it quite so boisterous. Was it when she was here? No. Maybe even before that. He may laugh and joke around with us, but it’s rare for him to show so much of himself like this, and more and more, I’m realizing that there’s no way the two of us will be okay with letting her go.
We just have to convince Kaos and Crew that having her here is for the best. That she can be the missing piece of our puzzle we each gave up on finding a long time ago.