“As I need you safe,” CK says, curling my hair behind my ear, trying to pull back his power-hungry attitude, and succeeding to my immense relief. “You will not be here when they come.”
I nod in agreement and Frederick says, “I will take them somewhere safe.”
“Not a chance,” CK says instantly, and I curse as his attitude zings straight back into the red zone. “You think that I trust you with my wife after last time?”
“Last time, she started it,” Frederick says with a look of triumph.
I gasp, as he has clearly been sitting on that for centuries, just waiting to throw me under the bus, or horse-drawn wagon, as it were. “You bastard,” I spit out.
“Just saying,” he says with a devilish grin at me. “I think I will be safe this time from her wiles.”
CK is glaring at me with immense displeasure and I have to say something, anything, to backtrack. “He is a fool,” I say breezily. “Pay him no mind.”
“Humph,” CK says and turns his back to me. It seems to be a trend at the moment as Devon is still staring out of the window, lost in his own thoughts. “Very well,” he says to my surprise a moment later. “But Vito goes with you.”
“No, I need to be at the meeting,” Vito says.
“We don’t need a chaperone,” I complain.
“Clearly, you do,” CK says to me flatly. He turns back and looks around with narrowed eyes. “Where is the Demon?” he asks, only now just noticing Xane’s lack of presence.
“We had a fight,” I say shortly, still feeling the burn of humiliation at his words to me.
Lincoln does nothing to suppress his snort of amusement. “You could call it that,” he says.
“About what?” CK asks, turning his amber-flecked eyes to me with about as much suspicion as possible.
I struggle not to look at Vito and potentially give the game away, but in the end, I just can’t. I feel my eyes go to him of their own volition.
Vito raises his eyebrow at me and gives me a questioning look. His eyes seem to ask me, now?
I shake my head imperceptibly, but I might as well have yelled out “No!” at the top of my voice. “CeeCee went into labor early and he was going to execute her,” I say in a rush before anyone can say anything. “I wanted to find another way. He wouldn’t listen. Our broken bond has hurt him. I feel guilty that I didn’t try and help her more.” I ramble on, only making it worse, but what can anyone say? It’s the truth.
Vito’s look of crushing disappointment does nothing to stave off my imminent nervous breakdown, so I smile brightly at CK and loop my arm through his. “We have bigger things to worry about,” I say.
“Indeed,” he says darkly, and I know he knows I’ve covered something up. “You should be resting.”
“Okay,” I say, eager to please. And I’m also getting pretty tired of standing up. My feet are aching, and my head is starting to bang.
“We still haven’t discovered who the baby was aiming for,” Lincoln says, pushing himself off the stacks and giving Frederick a baleful glare.
“It was the Cleric, it has to be,” I say. “See?” I wave my hands around to show that she is no longer agitated and chuckle when everyone dives for cover. “Relax,” I say with a giggle.
“I agree,” CK says, straightening up, completely ignoring his own momentary freak out. “Now, if you will excuse us.” He whisks me up into his arms and Teleports us upstairs to our bedroom. “Wait here,” he adds as if I am about to go anywhere except to sink into the sumptuous bed, with a sigh of bliss that I am no longer standing up, and Teleports back out only to return a moment later with the hunky Ramon.
My stomach growls when I see him giving me a sinful smile that sends a shot of lust straight in between my legs. Luckily, CK has made a hasty exit, not eager to see me sink my fangs into him.
“Buonasera,” he whispers to me in his husky voice.
“Hi,” I say shyly, lowering my eyes and playing it coy. It works like a charm and he soon has me crushed to him, feeling his hard body pressed against…my bump.
Dammit.
With a sigh, I push him away and indicate that he should sit at the dresser, which he does. Still not completely over my desire, I run my hand through his hair and then grip it tightly, tilting his head to the side and gazing at his perfect throat. I drop my fangs and sink them slowly into him, enjoying his loud groan of appreciation.
I take my fill and linger over retracting from him, then, swiping my tongue lavishly over his closing wound, I make it all the way up to his mouth, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.
“Thank you,” I murmur, stepping back before he gets it into his head to jump me.