Rick.” He’d called as soon as he woke up, pissed that he’d missed the fight. “It’s going to be one hell of a party tomorrow.”
“Yep,” Damien agreed. “You can go to her, Ryder,” he added after another minute. “All the pressing details have been handled, and I’m well enough to monitor the download on my own.”
While he was right, I couldn’t seem to convince my feet to move toward the door. It felt imperative I remain by his side, not just because of the monumental discoveries lurking in Lilith’s files but because I owed this man my time. “It’s my duty to oversee this region, and I’ve not taken it seriously enough. Instead, I left you here to manage everything in my absence, and I nearly lost you as a result of my own selfish choices. It won’t happen again.”
He lifted his one working eye from the monitor, his expression holding a note of disbelief. “You’re fucking with me, right?”
“This isn’t something I would joke about.”
He huffed out a laugh. “Seriously, this feeling shit isn’t for us. You know that.”
I didn’t share in his humor. “Lilith nearly killed you.”
“And she incapacitated you,” he tossed back.
“She nearly killed you to hurt me,” I rephrased.
“She nearly killed me because she was a psychotic bitch on a power trip,” he drawled, pushing away from his desk to stand.
“Look, you put me in charge here because I’m good at it.” He moved around his desk to walk toward me. “What’s more, you know I enjoy it. If I didn’t want to play strategist, I wouldn’t. If I didn’t want to kill vampires who prey upon children, I wouldn’t. And if I didn’t want to attend meetings and tell people to fuck off all day, I wouldn’t.”
He stopped right in front of me, daring me to argue.
“You like to issue edicts and demands, but we both know I only obey the ones I want to obey. I’ll fight you when I disagree, just like I’ll tell you when I need you. And I’m saying that, right now, I don’t need you. So stop being a pansy ass and go fuck your wolf. Because after that display earlier, she’s earned a few orgasms. Unless you’re entering another century of celibacy? In which case, I’m happy to go take your place. Because that show earlier in the dining hall was hot as hell.”
“I don’t share,” I growled.
“Then go do your damn job,” he snapped. “And let me do mine.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You seem pretty damn good at issuing edicts just fine without me.”
“I learned from the best,” he countered.
“Yeah. You did.” I grabbed his shoulder and pulled him into a hug, which earned me an annoyed grunt from Damien. But I didn’t care. “Don’t ever let yourself get captured again,” I told him, meaning it.
He relaxed slightly, just not enough to return the embrace. “Save the emotions for your pet.”
I laughed and released him. “Get caught again and I’ll kill you myself. Better?”
“Yep.”
I shook my head. “Do you want me to check in on the cleaners downstairs?”
He gave me a look like I’d lost my mind. “Are you playing a game of delayed gratification? Is that the purpose of this inane questioning?”
“I’m trying to help, jackass.”
“You’ll help me more by going back to Willow and letting me do my job without your mothering.” He returned to his seat in a huff, his annoyance palpable. But I caught the hint of a smile on his lips as well. “If you need a task to feel useful, then go thank your wolf for me. Tell her I appreciate being alive so I can continue being your bitch for eternity.”
“Funny,” I said.
“Actually, I’m considering a new job as a comedian,” he replied without missing a beat. “Will you serve as a reference?”
“Of course.”
“Excellent.” He refocused on his screen. “And don’t ever hug me again.”
“You enjoyed it.”
He flashed me a look of mock concern. “If you consider that enjoyment, then perhaps I do need to go tend to Willow on your behalf. I’d hate for you to inflict the same mediocre level of enjoyment on her, especially after everything she accomplished tonight.”
“Keep doubting my sex life and I’ll make you watch.”
“You say that like it would be a punishment,” he drawled.
“It would if I didn’t allow you to join in,” I tossed back, heading for the door. “And for the record, you’re not invited to join in. Ever.”
“Ryder,” he called as I stepped through the threshold.
I popped my