At the age of twenty-five he was declared a failure, without hope of training, and listed for cancellation along with nearly two dozen other Breeds. He had survived weeks in a pit designed to kill with torturous precision.
“I don’t think your friend trusts me, Tanner,” he commented hours after his arrival, as Scheme moved slowly from the bathroom into the main cavern.
Tanner stood by the counter, a beer in one hand, the other tucked into the pocket of his jeans while Cabal sat at the table, relaxed in his chair, his beer sitting in front of him.
“Is my trust required?” Scheme finally asked as she moved to the refrigerator and pulled free a bottle of water.
She had bathed and changed clothes and, for the first time since walking out of the caverns, felt warm again. Safe. God, she hadn’t realized the toll her life had taken on her over the years, until now.
And now she had to wait just a little while longer. Cabal would leave soon, and when he did, she could talk to Tanner. She could explain why she left, and why she needed so desperately to talk to Jonas.
“Perhaps not.” Cabal shrugged, his gaze boring into her. “At least not right now.”
She gave him a distrustful glare before moving past Tanner and heading to the seating arrangement located in front of the television.
“You know, your daddy was on the television last night,” Cabal announced. “His cheeks even got wet with tears as he begged for your return.”
She paused before turning to face him.
“Cabal, let it go,” Tanner ordered him softly.
Cabal’s green eyes flicked to Tanner before returning to Scheme with a gleam of predatory interest and satisfaction.
“Let what go?” she asked them both.
Her heart was heavy, sluggish, bordering on panicked. She hated that feeling, the premonition of danger, a sense of warning.
“Nothing,” he finally murmured, a mocking grin tugging at his lips as he glanced back at Tanner. “It can wait.”
Tanner shook his head as though in resignation, while Cabal’s grin deepened.
“Call me the impatient sort then,” she responded tightly.
“I already had that one pegged.” Cabal lifted his brows mockingly. “You know, I can smell your arousal as well.”
She didn’t flush or blush. Instead she sighed.
“It takes a lot more than that to humiliate me, Mr. St. Laurents,” she informed him. “Try again.”
“I think I could come in my jeans just watching his c**k stretch your pu**y,” he responded. “It would be enough to make a hungry man lick his lips in anticipation.”
She glanced at Tanner, watching the way his brows lowered and his stare toward his brother became dark.
What the hell was going on here? It was as though Cabal were deliberately trying to piss her and Tanner off.
“Those lips are the only thing you’re going to be licking where I’m concerned,” she told him sweetly. “If you and Tanner have an itch to play more of your games, then you can play them somewhere else.”
“It won’t be the first time you’ve let your lover share you, Scheme,” Cabal pointed out. “What made you trust that assassin more than you trust the Breed that saved your ass?”
She turned slowly, staring back at Cabal silently, furiously. Why bring this up? The fact that Chaz had shared her with another man shouldn’t be anything to Cabal. Had Tanner shown him the videos? They had shared women, she knew. Had they shared viewing the video feed Tanner had watched?
“He didn’t see the surveillance, Scheme.” Tanner’s voice held a note of resignation. “It was in my report.”
“You reported on what you saw?” she asked past the tightness in her chest.
“When needed.” He shrugged. “Allowing St. Marks to bring an FBI agent believed to be loyal to the Breeds to your bed was of interest to Security.”
“What was St. Marks paying him for?” Cabal asked. “And I should point out, that while you showered, the agent thanked St. Marks nicely for the two of you meeting his price so easily.”