up around my legs and my sports bra, which I'd put on for my workout that never happened, was digging uncomfortably into my ribs just below my new tattoo. Damn it.
Scrubbing my hand over my face, I crawled out and headed for the shower. Even if Chase wasn't being a mega-creep and clearly planning something, I still had an empire to run, and I couldn't keep leaning on Zed to do the heavy lifting while I stayed home and rode Lucas like my own personal pony.
I took my time getting ready, making sure my hair was blow-dried and curled perfectly and my make-up precise. My outfit was all business, with a tight, black velvet pencil skirt and a slate-gray silk blouse. I carried my shoes and gun downstairs in my hands, though, because those felt like a bit much to be wearing indoors.
Lucas was already at the dining table eating his breakfast with his laptop open in front of his plate and a stack of textbooks beside him.
"Good morning, babe," he greeted me with a smile. He was shirtless, in just a pair of sweatpants, and his new tattoo looked even better in the light of day—red and sore, of course, but the artistry was incredible. "How'd you sleep?"
I wrinkled my nose. "Um, good. Sort of. Working on assignments?"
He nodded back with a grimace. "Sure am. This is probably my whole day. Unless you need me for something else?"
Shaking my head, I bit back my desire to look more into his father's history. That was research I could get done without him, anyway. It was much more important for him to catch up on schoolwork.
"Nope, you're all good. I have to head into work, though." I hesitated, not wanting to make him feel like a child by asking if he was okay to stay home alone but... also not wanting to leave him vulnerable.
Lucas read my mind, though. "I'll be fine on my own, Hayden. I don't know if you noticed, but Zed's house is legitimately Fort Knox." He shot me a sly smile. "Besides, he already gave me a whole fucking big brother lecture about not opening the door to anyone and showed me where all the guns are stashed around the house."
I scoffed a laugh. "Of course he did. Is he down here somewhere?"
Lucas nodded toward the courtyard doors. "Out there on the phone. Has Cass gone already?"
"Yeah, before dawn." I wrinkled my nose and shook my head before I could start worrying about the big grump again. "I'm going to make coffee. You want one?"
He grinned wide and nodded. "Please. You're the best."
I smiled back and kissed him before heading into the kitchen in search of liquid energy. The machine was still warm, so it didn't take long at all to make lattes for both Lucas and me. I delivered his, then took mine with me out to the courtyard where Zed was pacing with his phone to his ear.
He looked up when I approached, his eyes meeting mine with a flash of hot, raw desire, making my stomach tighten and my pulse race.
"I don't fucking care what it takes, D'Ath," Zed barked down the phone. "Just sort it out. You're more than capable." He paused while Archer responded to him, and whatever was said made Zed scrub a hand over his face in frustration. He hadn't shaved, and the shadow of stubble on his face was all kinds of sexy.
I arched a brow in question, perching my ass on the outdoor lounge and sipping my coffee.
"Believe me," Zed snarled in reply to whatever Archer had said, "you do not want to end up on Hades’s bad side. Or did you fucking forget what she's capable of when Seph's in danger?"
Both my brows shot up, but Zed ignored me, continuing to threaten one of our closest allies.
"What happened to Cass was business. Nothing more. You know the rules with Timberwolves, just like he did. Don't like the consequences? Don't play the fucking game." His voice was hard and low, all business. It shouldn't have been such a damn turn on... yet here we were.
Taking another sip of my coffee, I folded my legs and tightened my thighs in an effort to stop thinking about fucking my best friend. I needed my head firmly screwed on my shoulders for work today, not fantasizing about group sex.
Zed stalked closer to where I sat, listening to Archer speak again. Then he grunted and gave me a pained look. "Just keep