Chapter 23 The Bird Prepares An Entrance #2
I had no idea which of my illegal capers the old sod had gotten onto, so I couldn’t have prepared to answer this inquisition. It’s good to know that he’s blaming my wife’s capers on me now. I wasn’t present at the horror movie remake she staged in the woods.
Her lips curve up appreciatively at my outfit, giving me a slight reprieve on the answer. That’s the lusty wench I know and love. I take a minute to eyeball her since, although it's not for me, I have to say you could kill me right now and I’d be sodding happy.
She’s standing in a belligerent stance, looking indignant.
Her hands are on her hips, legs spread a bit with her head held high and her chin up.
Talia has fire in her eyes, and it makes me glad to see it.
She’s my mate, though not the one I’m—well, that’s for later.
My primary is rocking snakeskin-like they made it for her.
It looks good, especially when there’s little else on her.
It’s yet another Damien-created design. He clothed my primary in an adhesive, reddish-green snakeskin that starts with a knee-high stiletto boot on her right foot and follows a trail of scales that wind around her thigh, up her pelvic bone, and over the important parts. It covers everything, but only just.
The scales roll in a loop around her stomach, wrap around her waist to her back, and then dip over her ass and back up.
After that, it coils twice and then drops over her left shoulder.
Another loop mostly covers her nipples and breast, then ends in a snakehead the size of my fist. Its fangs extend to penetrate her skin over her left nipple and areola.
I assume it must work a lot like mine with fangs digging into her skin. She has a few blood trails on her, too, and I grin.
She gives me an evil smirk. “Great minds.”
I smirk back, shaking my head. “Sorry to say I had nothing at all to do with this one, love. I think Damien’s been up to his old tricks again, handing out the treaties without explaining the consequences. You should have a talk with that sod.”
She winks and shrugs.
That does unholy things to her body in the getup.
Shit; it’s a good thing the minx will be preoccupied with me at the party, because I’m not sure Sampson’s possessiveness will extend the courtesy to her tonight.
She has the snake eyes going and slicked-back hair twisted into a serpent-like coil.
Her dark, sultry makeup and the blades she never goes without top off a killer ensemble.
She got sheaths for all her blades made to match, and she’s got Baby shined up.
I nod, knowing she’s dressed to kill. “Bullocks, woman. You’ll be stopping and starting hearts all over the place.”
Talia looks down at herself, eyes dropping to the ring on her left hand. Her eyes are eerie when they’re serpentine and she looks at me with a seductive smile. “I’ll be doing more than that if anyone thinks this is for anyone but him. That is, if he doesn’t do it first.”
Shoulders squared, she narrows her eyes and sends me an image of pain and death. My woman is beyond able to take care of herself, but with him, she’s even stronger.
It’s good to see.
“Now, about this convent and the rest.”
Bloody hell, I thought she was focused on getting to her mate, and she’d forgotten about the killing-people-not-on-the-death-list thing. “I was peckish, pet, and in a mood.”
She snorts. “I don’t think so. Something of that size wasn’t done alone, much less in a hungry snit. Not to mention that I know for a fact you were in this house when the teens died. NYC reports show more fangs than you possess. Try again.”
“What’d the ponce say, then? I’m on some horrible duty for the next month?”
My minx had a rough night because of a phone conversation that ended with her stomping her phone.
She was looking to get bloody, fed, and—well, we’ll leave the convent story for another time.
Unscheduled mass deaths in a church do not fly under the radar like we’d hoped.
The massacre in the forest was how she coped with a dreadful night, and Central Park was a date night.
Each outing made her happy, and I got laid—life was good until now.
When I break Company rules—which I have to abide by as an agent—I end up teaching some hopeless class of new recruits for a semester. They’re all cut from the same wanna-be me cloth, and it is mind-numbing.
It’s how I learned to knit, for Christ’s sake.
So here I am, being all noble, keeping her name out of it since she’s still all probationary and shit.
Unfortunately, it’s not helping because she left her own little mark on the last two events.
She’s been keeping her powers under wraps for the general populace at work until she gets the respect she deserves, and I don’t blame her.
I also don’t want her trapped in a lab full of needles.
“No,” Talia drawls. “Mikhail got pissed, but they’ve been waiting to see a display of genuine power from your little blood warrior. I think they were soft-balling her missions on purpose until now.”
“Christ, don’t tell her that or we’re all in for it.
She’ll go for his jugular for assuming she can’t handle herself,” I mutter.
“Besides, if you didn’t know, that sod promoted her to the beta level last week.
I trailed her around Syria for hours the other day and watched her rescue a bunch of journalists while taking out a garrison of guards—all with no magick. It was eye-opening.”
Blinking, she stutters. “B-beta level? Like you? Already?”
I nod and sigh. “You should have seen her fight, love. It was as graceful as a ballet and even hotter. She was carrying Precious and used her like a first chair violinist wielding their bow. Mikhail’s only calling to ride my ass—he’ll not do a bloody thing to her.
She doesn’t even have to do any paperwork, for fuck’s sakes. ”
“He said they were writing them off as training exercises and sticking to the less pious. But it pleased him you two took out a street gang, a cocaine cartel, and a human trafficking ring. Good thing you took her with you on your exploits.”
I snort. “Good thing I brought her with—sodding hell, woman, they were all her bloody idea!” I make a face, pondering how she selected such deserving targets, and then shake my head. “It’s not a problem, then. If it helps, we found out that virtue is a bitter pill to swallow.”
Talia slithers closer, and I chuckle. Her palm rests on my cheek for a moment, her smile soft. “That’s what you get for going outside the lines, my bad boy. It sounds like she will get a pass this time and, hell, maybe every time. You, however, get crocheting.”
I roll my eyes and kiss her palm. “Are you ready, love? I’m feeling like I need to see a party about a girl.”
Our connection swells a bit, and I feel my primary reaching inside me to feel my need to get to my wife. She matches it with her eagerness to get to him. She thinks I don’t see it, but there’s a part of her wanting to see how her new mate reacts to the outfit as well.
She pulls Baby out of the sheath, spinning her before sliding her home. “Oh, yeah, I’m ready. Wait until they get a load of us.”
I chuckle and take her hand, popping us to the home of the hour and our waiting mates.
It’s time to get this party started.