Crimson Warrior (Onyx Assassins 3)

The newcomer cleared his throat and looked at Olivia with expectation.

“Yes, Michael?” Olivia responded with a tone that bordered on too sugary to be sweet.

“You are her lady in wait, are you not?” he asked in thickly accented English. “Perhaps you could introduce us?”

Benedict grinned. “Oh, yes, Lady Sorokin, please do.”

Hawke looked like he was measuring the soldier for a casket, his dark eyes narrowing.

“Of course,” Olivia replied. “Major Michael Kozlov, please meet Her Royal Highness, Princess Avianna.”

“Your Royal Highness,” the major bowed low with some kind of flourish.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Hawke muttered under his breath.

“It’s lovely to meet you, Major.” Avianna offered her gloved hand.

“You are more beautiful than even the rumors suggested.” The major’s eyes trailed up her glove with the same kind of disdain I’d witnessed dozens of times before, before plastering a smile on his face. No doubt the guy would try to touch the back of her neck or even the curve of her face in hopes that his touch would bring out a mating mark. “Shall we dance?” He motioned to the floor, where couples swirled to the lilting waltz played by the orchestra.

“Of course.” Avianna lifted her chin and took his offered hand as he led her to the floor.

“Who the fuck wears a dress uniform to a ball?” Hawke snapped.

“Someone who needs to be thanked for his service,” Benedict snorted a laugh.

“He’s not really that bad,” Olivia protested, sending Aviana a sympathetic smile when the princess looked back. “Michael comes from a good family. And yes, he’s a little pompous—”

“A little?” Hawke’s glare intensified on the soldier’s back.

“—he’s a pretty great guy. He dated my older sister for a while.” Olivia glanced at Hawke, her brow furrowing. “She’s perfectly safe with him.”

A low rumble that sounded like a growl emanated from Hawke’s chest, and I pivoted slightly so I could put myself between them if necessary.

“I. Just…” He huffed. “Look, while you’re busy playing lady-in-waiting, she’s my responsibility, and anything could happen to her out there.”

Olivia sidestepped my protection. “Like what? His cufflink gets caught in her hair? She’s in no danger, Hawke.”

“If anything, the two would be an advantageous match,” Benedict noted, crossing his arms in front of his chest and peering sideways to catch Hawke’s reaction.

“Don’t,” I whispered in warning. The last thing we needed was Hawke losing his shit because Benedict was teasing him.

“They would. He’s Eastern European aristocracy, if I’m not wrong?” Benedict continued.

“A marquess,” Olivia confirmed.

“Still not high-ranked enough for her,” Hawke snapped.

“Like anyone is in your eyes—” she started.

Hawke walked away without another word, blending into the crowd as best he could while being a head taller than everyone else.

“So I guess it’s work time.” I kissed Olivia in farewell and headed into the crowd myself.

Time to find out who our enemies were.

“We need a return to traditional values,” the Countess Marchburry went on as I counted to one hundred in my head. The older vampire was the last on my list of targets, and given the way she was talking, I could eliminate her from suspicion.

Hell, she’d probably be in the chamber right now, helping the Hunters regenerate if she could.

“We need males to be strong again. None of this as you like it nonsense. Where are the real males? The ones who aren’t afraid to tell their mates how it will be? Don’t these floppy boys realize that a woman likes to be under a male who’s in control?”

Oh God, this was not going the way I’d foreseen.

“I think there’s something to be said for the female liberation movement,” I argued.

“Bosh.” She waved me off. “Are you telling me you’d be just as happy with that pretty little mate of yours running off into combat instead of staying in the home you provided her to raise your young?” She lifted a set of grizzled eyebrows at me.

“Well…” I came up short. Olivia was trained to defend herself and others. She could knock just about every male on his ass in here with the exception of the Assassins, and come out of it without a scratch. But there was a primal part of me that roared in satisfaction at the thought of her swollen with my young, safe and tucked away. She’d kick your ass if she knew what you were thinking. “Olivia can handle herself,” I finished with as much grace as possible.

“Can I?” Olivia asked as she joined us, sliding under my arm.

My shoulders sagged in relief. I might have been the master tactician, but Olivia’s tongue was the master of verbal combat. “The Countess here was saying we needed a return to traditional values. Apparently, she’d like to see the females tied up at home again.”

“Well, I’m certainly not opposed to you tying me down,” Olivia said without batting a lash, as if we weren’t in the middle of a dwindling crowd.