21
TATE
Nostrils flaring, I glower down at the two bodies wrapped around each other in Scotty’s bed.
“Awww . . . look how cute they are,” Tiger coos, clasping his hands under his chin as he leans closer to get a better look at a naked Havoc. And the asshole in the way.
I’m doing a lot better with my jealousy recently.
I’ve finally come to understand that this situation is well and truly permanent, and every time I catch hints of Havoc’s hidden feelings slipping through the bond or her actions, it encourages me to lose more and more bitterness over the fact.
If I’m honest, it’s been fading for a while, but this is the most settled I’ve ever been.
Well, not right at this moment. Just because I’ve accepted these guys now, doesn’t mean I’m not gonna be jealous to see one of them wrapped around Havoc like a motherfucking barnacle.
I mean, does he have to be so possessive about it?
Cooper’s practically screaming “fuck off, she’s mine” for the world to hear, and yet everyone’s acting like this is totally normal.
I slept like a motherfucking rock, too, and I’m sure Scotty, Tiger, and Alby did as well—especially the second-mentioned brother, who’s a ball of unending energy once more—so none of us actually heard any rough fucking going on, but it’s extremely motherfucking clear that’s exactly what happened.
Though, considering they’re sleeping in Scotty’s bed, I know he already knew before he woke in our Bonded bedroom around the same time as the rest of us.
How he didn’t join in, I have absolutely zero clue.
He also couldn’t prevent me from charging after him like a bowling ball when he came in here to try and get dressed after briefly mentioning Cooper’s and Ezla’s names in the same sentence before attempting to play it off.
Tiger was hot on my heels, of course, dragging a red-faced Alby along with him before Scotty could close the door. So now, here we are.
I let out a disgruntled grunt, arms crossed over my chest. “He’s blocking the good view.” Cooper’s naked body covers all the bare skin I’m ever interested in; him and my Havoc are on top of the silk bedsheets, but she’s barely visible in his secure hold.
“Hmm . . . true, Tater Tot,” Tiger muses, and I glance at him for a short moment because I have to admit, it’s hella fuckin’ good to hear that ridiculous nickname after the near absence of it since that soul-crushing morning. Then he sighs dreamily. “But they’re so adorable together.”
I open my mouth to tell him Havoc and me are a more adorable couple, but the man of the day stirs then.
Letting out a sleepy groan, he seems to instinctively hug Ezla to him.
The sound is far too contented when I’m dying over here without our girl in my arms, and I bitch under my breath as I wait for him to hurry the fuck up.
He’d just opened his eyes, his smile filled with satisfaction and love, expression softer than any I’ve ever seen him wear, but he stills at that.
Clearly, he and Havoc have levelled up their relationship status, because he really seemed like he was about to plant a Scotty-style kiss to her forehead before my muttering caught his attention.
His head whips over his shoulder.
“Jesus Christ, guys! What the fuck?!”
“How was your night?” Tiger asks eagerly, completely ignoring Cooper’s outburst. “Hot and steamy, it seems like.” He does that awful double wink of his.
Cooper’s skin gradually reddens until it matches Alby’s in colour, and Tiger squeals, high-pitched enough to temporarily numb my eardrums.
Havoc shoots into a sitting position in an instant, and with Cooper glued to her securely, he’s half dragged with her.
“Oh no! I’m so sorry, DN!” Tiger blurts as she glares into his soul.
“Should be,” I growl. “Fucker woke my girl.”
“Our girl,” Cooper mutters, trying to pull the sheets up around him and Ezla as if we haven’t seen it all before.
I wave a dismissive hand. “Obviously. But she belongs to each of us separately as much as together.”
He has nothing to say to that, and I head over to Ezla in his arms, licking my lips as I take in her exposed plump, perky breasts. And the bruises sucked into them. “Fuck, Havoc, baby. I need to leave my mark next.”
Humming absently, her almond-shaped nails trail over Cooper’s arm banded around her waist, and the muscles in his forearm stand out as his body reacts to just the lightest touch.
I would’ve cum in my pants at that, so he needs to get himself together—Havoc only deserves men who are falling at her pretty little feet.
She says, “You may,” and the heat inside me surges up so strongly that it melts all my insides to nothing but liquid fire, before she continues, “But not yet. I must tell you what happened, and you must tell me. I have caught glimpses in your minds, but I need to see this from your full points of views.”
The mood sobers in an instant.
Hands twisted together, Alby steps forwards hesitantly. “Y-you . . . you bound your life to ours?”
Humming again, she doesn’t answer right away, looking at him steadily while he flushes furiously, the shade of red deepening as he tries to be respectful and ignore her nakedness. She holds out an arm. “Come here, my shy boy. I no longer wish to grate your pretty skin off. You will be okay.”
His eyes practically pop out of his head. “Th-that’s great,” he squeaks. “But that—that’s not why I’m nervous. I . . . I know you wouldn’t hurt me. It’s just, u-uh . . .” His eyes snap down to her breasts, then her silky-smooth mound as he hurries over on her command.
Ezla’s slow grin is wicked, and my lips part as I try to inhale the knee-weakening sight.
“You have seen my body before. Do not be nervous.” Then she adds, “Although I am flattered, Puppet, you must be able to come close without feeling as though you are about to pass out. You will be inside it soon enough, after all.”
He trips over his own feet.
Landing in a heap on the edge of the bed, he scrambles upright with mega-sized eyes before rushing into position at her front. She doesn’t give him time for anything else before she yanks his head down by his dishevelled hair, causing him to sprawl across the bed with his head in her lap.
After another high-pitched sound, he gazes up at her with hazed-over eyes, completely lost in Ezla Land. “Oh . . .” he breathes.
“Oh! Don’t forget me, Wifey!” Tiger launches himself in the air, flying-squirrel style, arms and legs out wide.
“Shit!” Cooper hisses, only just managing to yank Havoc, and Alby along with her, back in time before he can land on top of them.
Oblivious, Tiger dumps his head next to Alby’s and directs starry eyes up at our Bonded. Then he puckers his lips.
Ezla arches a brow. “Would you like something, Puppy?”
He nods eagerly.
“Then where are your manners?”
Eyes growing to triple their usual size, he rushes out, “Please kiss me, Deadly Nightshade!”
Lips ticking up, she lowers her head before brushing her mouth across his in the barest touch.
More bedazzled sparkles are in his eyes when she pulls away, and he quickly pulls her back down, hands grabbing her head, before smacking a proper kiss on her lips with a, “Mwah!”
“Bad boy,” she scolds, whacking his arm—which he only flexes like the show-off he is—with not an ounce of gentleness when she yanks her head back again.
“Love you, Ezzy,” he drawls as if drunk from the short connection, and I can relate.
Havoc doesn’t flinch or stiffen like she used to, only stares at him. I think she’s trying to keep an unimpressed mask fixed to her face, but I’m sure her mismatched eyes soften a tad.
Brushing some thick blond locks away from his forehead, which has his eyes going even more bleary, she lifts her chin to look around at the rest of us, and I subtly bulge my own muscles, because there ain’t no way I’m not getting some of that gorgeous searing attention.
I’m ridiculously gratified when her eyes spear into my biceps, pupils expanding ever so slightly.
Finally, she responds to Alby’s question. “Yes. I did bind your lives to mine.”
The impact of those words almost knocks me off my feet.
Breaths hitch around the room, and Alby asks shakily, “W-why?”
“Because you are mine. I would not let you die.”
Shivering at her darkened tone, I move closer and sit myself on the edge of the bed to soak up as much of her as I can. “Fuck yeah, I’m yours.”
Following my actions, Scotty murmurs quietly in agreement, “We’re all yours.”
“You have no idea how much this means to me, to us, Vengeance,” Cooper says, muscles twitching when Ezla’s nails trail along his forearm again.
“But . . .” He winces when those claws halt in their tracks to dig into his skin in warning.
But I definitely don’t miss the subtle involuntary buck of his hips that goes alongside it.
“That’s incredibly fucking dangerous. Smart, but stupid. ”
I go rigid. “You did not just call our Bonded stupid,” I seethe.
“You’re right, I didn’t,” he fires back, arm pressing into Ezla’s middle as he tries to keep his temper in check.
Before this can turn into a full-blown argument, Scotty explains, “I think what he meant was risky. I . . . I think I understand what Cooper’s saying, Love.”
Eyes slitting, Havoc starts, “I have done this for you, and yet you are—”
“This means everything, Love. Truly. And I’m so glad you’ve done it.”
She pauses, boring her attention into him as she listens carefully, curious enough to hear him out.