him in close. “They’re usually pretty good about showing up exactly when we need them to conduct a bonding ceremony. I’m sure they’ll appear soon. We’ll be bonded.” He turned his attention to the rest of the Circle. “In the meantime, we’ll come up with a viable plan for Cort and me to go into the mall and how we’re going to take out John.”
It felt damn good to say the words, but Grey wasn’t entirely sure how they were going to make it a reality. What worried him more was whether John would be able to get into Cort’s brain if his mate walked in there and they weren’t bonded already?
No one was going to hurt his mate. He’d crush every mind, wipe them all clean, if he had to. No one was walking out of that mall if his mate was harmed.
Chapter 24
Grey’s fingers flew over his keyboard as the story poured out of him. His main character was in quite the jam, and Grey was having a blast getting him out of it. One of his favorite parts of writing was figuring out challenging situations.
A cool breeze came in through the window, and he momentarily closed his eyes to enjoy it, taking in the fresh scent of the air. He heard Cort moving around in the bedroom as he hung his clothes and put others in the drawers. He was making himself at home, and Grey couldn’t be happier about that. The comfort he felt with the man’s presence surprised him. Normally, he liked being alone when he wrote.
His fingers went back to work as he smiled. Already, Cort was a major part of his existence. He didn’t mind him being there at all, and that alone was proof of his feelings.
Cort walked into the small living room, holding his phone and grinning. “Can I bother you for a moment? Time to meet the family,” he said. He positioned his phone in front of them so they could both look at the screen.
A pretty Black woman stared at him on FaceTime, her hair a cloud of curls and her smile exactly like Cort’s. “Hi, I’m Abby,” she greeted. “And you are, apparently, the boyfriend.”
Grey glanced at Cort, who was nodding.
“This is him. Say hi to my sister, Grey.”
“Hello, Abby.”
“You are definitely a stunner. Cort tells me you’re a writer. Do you use a pen name? I looked up your name, and nothing came up.”
He dutifully gave her his pen name and watched her write it down.
“Great! Now I have something to read.” She paused, staring at him. “What exactly do you like about my brother?”
“Abby!” Cort complained.
“Everything,” Grey replied. “He’s a warm, compassionate man who takes care of people. He’s kind and yet he keeps me on my toes. What’s not to like?”
“Oooh, good answer.” She laughed, and it was a joyous sound that brought out an answering smile in Grey. He couldn’t get over how much she looked like her brother. The shape of her eyes and mouth were the same, but her eyes were slightly lighter than Cort’s.
“I didn’t introduce you so you could grill him,” Cort said as he placed one hand on Grey’s shoulder, the other still holding out the phone.
“You, hush. We’re getting to know each other. Like, do you know Cort talks in his sleep?”
“I thought he was supposed to be getting to know you?” Cort whined.
“Yes, I’ve heard him talking in his sleep.” Grey chuckled. “It’s adorable, but I won’t be repeating what he said. That’s private.”
She laughed, then focused on him. “Did he tell you about how we grew up?”
“That his mother was a nurse and worked long hours?”
Nodding, she made a little humming noise. “That and our grandmother partially raised us until she died.”
Grey nodded. “He told me.”
“Then Cort took over. He was like a drill sergeant when I was a teenager. Wouldn’t let me get away with anything. One time he even followed me on a date. The poor guy was so nervous, he never asked me out again.”
“He was probably just looking out for you. Like a good older brother.”
“I didn’t like that guy,” Cort grumbled. “Had shifty eyes.”
She shook her head. “Scared every boyfriend away, so I have some catching up to do.”
“Don’t scare this one away,” Cort said. “I like him.”
Grey turned his face to nuzzle Cort’s neck, smiling. “There is no way in heaven and earth she can possibly scare me away, and you know it.”
When he looked back at the phone, he