How You Like That
MORGANA
W hile Iggy, Slade, and Kaspar escape the pleasantly fresh-smelling house to get cleaned up, I trudge upstairs behind Lucas and Liam.
I don’t need to shower, but I want to get comfortable during the brief strategy session and dinner.
Lucas is already in the shower in the main bedroom, and I guess Li is using the one near the guest rooms. I don’t bother shutting the door; I just strip my clothes off, tossing them towards the laundry basket in the corner as I walk to my dresser.
I smile at the neatly organized drawers that scream Slade—he worked on getting the leftover clothes from everywhere and sent them out to the trash when the guys helped me air out this room.
The dresser is big and the drawers deep, so the one holding my lingerie is full, stacked by type, as if Marie Kondo went crazy on my stuff.
I grab comfortable undergarments, then yank open drawers until I find lounge gear.
A pair of yoga pants and a ripped tee shirt later, I’m wiggling into my garments, then picking up the brush on top of the enormous piece of furniture.
Running it through my long black hair, I scrunch it into a messy bun and sigh in relief.
I’m not an introvert, per se, but I’ve learned the value of using a cozy atmosphere at home to help maintain my peace since the trial.
“Lucas?” I call out loudly enough that he can hear me over the shower. “Heading downstairs to wait with Channing.”
The sound of the door sliding open in the bathroom is followed by him replying, “Aces, babe. See you in a few.”
More slippery sounding movements emanate and I chuckle as I realize my prince is in there with my adorable bear.
Smiling happily, I turn on my heel and head down to join my friend.
Knowing they’re enjoying the newness of their relationship makes my chest tighten with emotion.
I hum as I head down the steps and pad through the trophy room to the back living area.
Channing pulled our luggage in here to get it closer to the laundry room, and that makes me grin even more.
She’s really a diamond in the rough that everyone passed over—something I will not ignore, as the man in my position did previously.
“Morgana?”
Turning, I follow the sound of her voice through the kitchen and out onto the back patio.
My assistant has the patio enclosure pulled down, the fire pit stoked to a steady warmth in the middle of the circle of furniture.
She’s made the area cozy and comfortable in preparation, which is just another example of how fucking amazing she is at her job. “Damn, you’re good, woman.”
Channing blushes, pushing her glasses up as she points to the newly mounted flat screen on the back wall of the house.
“Lucas and Prince Liam left very specific instructions about what renovations to do in what order to help get your house into livable condition. One of them was to have contractors add the enclosure and various comforts out here, and the other immediate request was the basic deep clean on the main floor.”
Those fuckers definitely paid for this and didn’t mention the extent of their plans.
“Well, you did a hell of a job,” I reply as I look around the remodeled patio that’s been turned into a full-on outdoor suite with seating, tables, a kitchen/grill area, a bar, a firepit, and an adjustable enclosure for weather proofing.
“This had to cost enough to pay two more assistants for an entire year.”
She coughs, looking away. “I’m not supposed to disclose that information. I was instructed to refer you to the guys. Sorry, Morgana.”
Snorting as I shake my head, I wave my hand at her.
“Don’t feel bad, Chan. You don’t have to be in the middle of our friendly power struggle over their obscene amounts of wealth.
I wouldn’t want to spend the money on something that could end up not being permanent, and I’d never spend school funds to fix up this dump like Magnus did.
I know why they had you doing this stealthily. ”
“Thank hell,” she breathes as she bustles over to the bar and pours two glasses of bourbon from a fancy outdoor decanter set.
“I didn’t want you to be mad, but I also kinda agreed that you deserve for this place to be completely transformed.
You shouldn’t even recognize it as what it was when you got here; it just perpetuates the trauma from that asshole. ”
Damn—she’s gotten even saucier. Wonder if that’s from the guys at her ‘side gig’.
Walking over, I take my stainless steel glass from her and clink it with hers before I take a sip.
The bourbon is expensive—deliciously aged and smooth as it slides down my throat.
This is definitely one thing this state has on lock down and I’m here for it.
“Now, talk to me about how to work this crap. I’m pretty sure we’re going to break stuff down that we all want to look at, and I’m hoping this tech will help us. ”
Channing grins broadly. “Thanks to Eli helping me; it most definitely will. Just wait until I show you our new information hub.”
Nice to know they built me an HQ, while I was off threatening bikers and meeting demons.
Lucas and Liam pop out of the back door with pleased looks and low-hanging sweats.
Liam’s hair is gathered in a topknot and Lucas is deliciously opposite with his blond hair and tanned skin.
I watch them slink over to grab drinks for a moment, unable to continue fiddling with the TV/monitor when they look so tasty.
“Close your mouth, Morgana. You’ll catch flies,” Channing says as she smothers a giggle.
Whipping my head around to glare at her, I find I don’t really have a retort. My nose wrinkles and I stick my tongue out at her, raising a middle finger to top it off. She laughs even harder, her eyes dancing as I try to focus on the multimedia setup again. “Shut up.”
Liam comes over, dropping onto the big couch beside me, and puts his feet up on the extended ottoman. “You did exceptionally well with this, Channing. I’m impressed.”
“Thank you, prince,” she says, looking flustered at his praise.
“I had some help with the tech, of course. And um, some of Jackson’s people came over to make sure everything and everyone who came to this place was checked for magic or bad intentions.
I wanted to make certain we weren’t adding to the issues we already have here. ”
Lucas beams at her. “No fucking poisoned food or hexed housewares then?”
I let out a relieved sigh, very grateful that Channing and my lawyer’s motley crew thought to protect us so thoroughly. “Damn. I should have thought to ask about that after the damn water bottle.”
Channing shakes her head. “Oh, no, Morgana. Trust me. Jackie’s crew is extremely diligent, and while they’re here, they are making themselves available for consulting to help get you set up securely. I insisted they do so.”
My brow arches as I imagine tiny, nervous Channing standing up to all those alpha men and demanding they do as she orders. It’s kind of amusing and inspiring simultaneously. “Well, you’ve outdone yourself. I should look into giving you a raise.”
“Hell, yes, you should.” The voice that interrupts signals the arrival of Iggy and my darling Slade. I turn to look at them, smiling broadly as Slade follows the grumpy professor onto the patio. “Even if she did just get promoted.”
Tilting my head, I study the mage as he finds a seat.
Lucas comes over to wiggle his way between Li and me obnoxiously, though neither of us minds.
Slade takes the spot on my other side, stretching out on the opposing ottoman in a reflection of Liam.
My lips curve as I study them, only to frown when I realize the dickhead dragon isn’t here yet.
“That’s unnecessary,” my assistant says as she shakes her head. “First, because I got a raise when you promoted me. But second, because Jackie’s team is paying me more than I even want to consult for them during the case. It’s crazy, and he won’t listen when I say it’s too much.”
I just bet he won’t. That’s his way of trying to woo her because he’s a rich idiot.
“Let him overpay you,” Slade says softly as he looks at her with a small grin. “That dude has plenty of money and less sense, but his team probably weighed in on your salary. If they think you’re worth it, then you are.”
Such a simple way of saying that she shouldn’t undervalue herself without being critical.
My siren is so kind for someone with such a crappy ass set of bio donors.
I clear my throat, looking at my friend seriously.
“I agree with him, Channing. You’re worth more than they’d let me pay you at a public college, and Thorne can definitely afford it. Get that bag, woman.”
“What bag?”
Kaspar stalks out onto the upgraded porch, his dark eyes scanning the area before he grunts, “This is much better. We can use it for our headquarters; I like it.”
“Why here and not inside?” Lucas asks as the dragon flops into the last armchair across from us. “I mean, it’s awesome, but what’s the difference?”
“Clean slate,” Kaspar and Iggy say at the same time. They glare at one another for a second, then Kaspar shrugs as if to allow Iggy to take the reins.
The professor scoots to the edge of his chair and leans in.
“Since this place is touching the earth, and it’s been redone with fresh materials and stuff, it’s a clean slate.
I’d probably ask the prince to do a nature check with the flora to cover our bases, but we can use the lack of previous enchantments and spellwork to weave a very strong, very difficult to penetrate barrier around this area that wouldn’t be possible for the house.
Too much history on it—we’d have to sage and cleanse it for a very long time to get something not nearly as strong. ”
I nod, following along with his reasoning.
It sounds like something my mother would say, so I’ll believe him.
“Okay. That means you and Liam can focus on that when we get home tomorrow evening. Getting this place super spelled up means we can store all the clues and docs out here in safe spots rather than in the house with us.”
Lucas grins a little. “Like a Scrooge McDuck money bin that isn’t in the same structure as us if bad people drop it. Means they won’t be sneaking up on our girl as much.”
Kaspar huffs, little electrical bursts dancing over his hands.
“As much as I’d like to agree, cub, that’s not really true.
They’re after the people more than our research at this point; I’d assume there are some official requests out for you and our snarky gargoyle.
I doubt whoever is behind this—whether that means the local idiots or the scary shadow pulling the strings—realizes that we know as much as we do. ”
“But it’s a good thing to use this as a bunker, still, right?” Channing asks as she tucks her feet under her. “It means we can be less concerned about what and how we say things if you guys lock it down. It’s small, cleansed, and maintainable power-wise, yes?”
I smirk at her knowingly. “Picking up a lot at your side hustle, hmmm?”
She gives me a dirty look and I chuckle. “I am an elemental, Morgana. I’m not totally dumb with magical stuff.”
“No, but you’ve never been quite so adept at discussing defensive strategy before.” Slade leans against my side as he grins at his friend. “Talk about an evolving asset, Chan Chan.”
The siren squeaks when she shoots a small bolt of ice at him and my assistant looks smug as she replies, “I’m getting better at offensive stuff, too. Keep that in mind, gentleman.”
I don’t know if I could be prouder if I tried.