Jump Up - Susi Hawke Page 0,1

comfortable? My jaw cracked open with a deep yawn, answering my question.

Naptime for the win.

I slipped my fingers into the waistband of my joggers and drifted off into a pleasant doze. I had a perfect floaty feeling going, where I wasn't quite awake yet not fully asleep, when a loud pounding on the door startled me awake.

Adrenaline had me on my feet and reaching for one of our discreetly hidden handguns before my brain even processed what was happening. Dan glanced up with a slight nod. "Oh, good. You've got the door then."

As I strode over to see who was bothering us, I snorted and mentally flipped him the bird. I glanced back at Dan, rolling my eyes when I saw he was already focused on reading again. "Hey, asshat. I didn't hear any alarms chirp to let us know there was company coming. After I get rid of whoever this is, you need to shut the main gate and secure the perimeter."

He looked up with a frown. "I need to? Why me? Fuck off, Nash. I'm busy, and you're already up so you can deal with it."

"I was busy, in case you didn't notice. And yet here I am. That's why it's your turn."

"Busy checking your eyelids for cracks. Sorry, dillweed. Paper beats rock, and reading trumps napping." He tipped his chin at the door when the knocking started again, this time with loud pumps from the side of a fist. "You should probably get the door, Nash. Don’t worry. I'll be here if you need me."

Nostrils flaring, I harrumphed and yanked the door open. Morty had been mid-knock and nearly fell into me fist-first. To make him tumble on the floor instead, I took an agile step to the side. I tsked at him the whole time, even though I admired the way he caught himself and walked forward without further incident. "Mortimer, what an unpleasant surprise. Ever heard of calling first?"

"Right? That's what I said. Now put your peashooter away before someone gets hurt." At Gil Blythe's snarky tone, I did a double take at the door. Damn. I obviously needed more field time if he'd been able to sneak up on me.

Gil winked and slipped past me, patting a palm against my chest on the way. "Scent blockers, big boy. Don't start doubting yourself. Plus, it was probably hard to see little old me behind Morty's clumsy ass. Classic distraction technique. Make a note of it."

Dan's book hit the coffee table with a loud thump. When he realized Morty blocked his entrance, Gil paused mid-step. Dan growled and shook his head. "Nope. Get him out of here, Morty. You know better than to show up at our home out of the blue, let alone with unwelcome guests."

Gil looked bored. "Meow. Kitty has a temper today, I see. Settle down, Danny boy. The adults have business to discuss."

When Dan bared his teeth, I held up a hand. "Hold on, Dan. Calm your shit so we can see what this is about."

Gil lifted a shoulder. "Obviously, Morty needs to speak to the heads of his two most important asset families, which would be you and me, boo. Danny boy can go play with a ball of yarn or clean his litter box. Nobody needs to see his sharp little claws or hear him yowl."

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I took a deep breath and tried not to laugh. Gil was annoying as hell on his best day, but for some reason, it always pressed Dan's buttons more than any of the rest of us. Probably because Dan didn't appreciate getting told off by brassy little omegas, although he would never admit it. Dear and Gib would kick his ass if he did.

Why had Morty stayed silent for so long? That was damn near a record for him. When I saw he was busy with his phone, I had my answer. I resisted the urge to sigh as I stepped around our handler and headed toward the kitchen. "Come on, let's take this out on the patio. Dan, text our brothers and tell them to get down here, please."

When Morty walked too slowly, Gil skirted around him. "Do you really need your brothers, boo? I didn't bring my brood, just saying. It might be easier for the grown-ups to chat without the full peanut gallery present."

I snorted at Dan's growl and wagged a finger at Gil. "Play nice, little bunny. I'm in too good of a mood to