Sage and Rand were both extremely hot men. Would they be drawn to me if I wasn’t the Mazza? I folded the paper back around the package and opened the bathroom door, squelching all thoughts that would never have answers.
One step through the door and the bare ass of another girl standing in the living room area accosted me.
“The fuck?” I yelled.
Three heads swung my way and Sage herded the girl toward the door.
“Hey!” she raised her voice as much as her soft pitch would allow, as she stumbled in front of him.
Rand was frozen with his mouth open in his best impersonation of a dead fish. I was in shock too as Sage closed the door deceptively soft. I barely caught a glimpse of the girl’s face before it was just the three of us again.
I thought both men were waiting for me to say something. Too bad I didn’t know what to say. Going over the scene in my mind, they’d been chatting, nothing nefarious happening and even if they wanted to have sex with someone else, they didn’t owe me anything at this juncture. The only thing I could have possibly been angry about would be if they sexed her up right in our living room.
“So… I had the cookie bread in there with me. Are you all hungry?” I held out the package and shuffled forward a few steps.
Rand scratched the back of his head and met me in the middle of the room. “That’s it? No questions or comments?”
“If it’s important, you would tell me. I’m not your keeper, and while I was shocked to see a buck-naked girl in our suite,” I didn’t say that with any animosity at all. “It wasn’t like a giant orgy was happening right here.”
Sage had the audacity to laugh but turned his face away in a poor attempt to hide his mirth. Whatever, I already saw it.
“Iss, I would be mad as hell if I came out and you were talking with one of those guys. It’s fine if you want to know what was going on.” Sage came right into my bubble and ran his hands down my arms, tangling our fingers together. The look in his eyes reminded me of the morning on the porch and for a second I wanted to hug him.
Instead, I shook him off and sat at the kitchenette bar. The wooden stool was cool on my legs as I scooted it away from the counter. Sage had been such an ass since we left the safe house and now he wanted to act all loving and caring? Now he wanted to be considerate of my feelings?
Promises were important to me, sometimes your word was all a person had. The promise I’d made Sage dangled on the edge of my mind, never letting me forget we would try things out and see if we could make something out of our friendship. It was just fucking hard with the attacks and threats over our heads. His assholery sure didn’t endear me to him. I was about to revert his name to Douche again.
I twisted around in my seat and Sage’s pain was obvious in the line of his brow and tilt of his head. A brief flash of regret moved through me, but I pushed it away. We didn’t have time for hurt feelings right now.
Rand clapped a conciliatory hand on Sage’s back. “That was Keeva. She’s been with Cabbie for decades now. She heard we were here together, and it’s no secret that we aren’t bosom buddies. There have been whispers and she was about to share with us what she’s heard.”
I didn’t miss the disapproving tone in his voice.
Sage threw his hands up. “I panicked okay. I didn’t want Isolde to get the wrong idea.”
“You’re only saying that because she was one of the girls that you used to visit.” Rand shot back.
That raised my brows. I thought she would have been here for Rand, but it was Sage. I wish I’d gotten a better look at her.
Sage held up his hands in a placating gesture. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been here, yes. And she is someone that I would visit when I came, but it was never anything serious. I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea. I didn’t plan on keeping it a secret from you and I know how women can think.”
A laugh bubbled out of me. I was equally touched and offended. He tried to protect my feelings by kicking her out as soon as I saw her, but he clearly didn’t understand women. Shoving the woman out the door came across more suspicious than thoughtful. Exhaustion hit me so hard, the laughter became uncontrollable.
“What whispers? Can we get her back here?” I managed to stop laughing and completely ignored his comments.
“Not unless one of us wants to wander around the hallways looking for her. I can’t speak for Sage, but I don’t think it’s wise to leave you unprotected. We’re all tired, let’s grab some sleep and we can start the investigation in the morning.”
“Sounds good to me. I’m going to shower first, and then I need sleep.”
I didn’t know what it was, but when I was deliriously tired, a hot shower always made me feel extra relaxed with a healthy side of content. Who cared we could be attacked at any moment. It wasn’t even important if the Fennin find out I was the Mazza.
I realized it was my sleepy brain forming these insane thoughts, but I couldn’t help it.
Half-floating, half-tottering to the bedroom, I stopped in the doorway to see Sage and Rand both on the king size bed. At least they left plenty of room for me in the middle.
I stood at the foot of the bed and tugged the shift down. The clothing Cabbie provided was like a cloud on my skin, cool and airy, but it was going to make for awkward sleeping.
In my bundle was a shift only. No underwear. I slipped into the dirty bra, but I’d have to go commando. The guy’s clothes were also short on underwear. I wasn’t ashamed to admit I would have hijacked a pair if I thought they would have fit. Probably from Sage. He was just one giant ass and the underwear wouldn’t have covered it all anyway.
Light snores sawed through imaginary logs as I climbed on the bed and crawled my way up the center.
It was cool enough that I wedged myself under the heavy covers, finding a perfect pocket of warmth. Rand and Sage didn’t bother sliding under the covers, which could have been a good thing since I was flying free down south.
My eyes were so heavy, with two blinks I was out for the night.
“Rise and fucking shine, you fabulous people!”
I groaned and slid down under the covers, disappearing from sight.
“I see you, girl. Wiggling that fine ass to the bottom of the bed does not make you disappear. It’s time for breakfast.” Cabbie voiced the last in a singsong manner as footsteps padded away from me.
My little pocket was so safe and cozy, I was confident I’d be able to go back to sleep once Cabbie left.
“I said get up,” Cabbie stomped back into the room and the covers disappeared.
Squeals and grunts sounded around the room as I scrambled to find some type of blanket. Gone. Cabbie didn’t spare even a single top sheet.
I pushed tangles of hair out of my face as I glared at Cabbie through crust filled lids.
“Why are you here?” I growled. Egan was rubbing off on me.
At that thought, my heart ached for my Lusty Legion. Whatever they were doing, I hoped they were okay. Better yet, I wish they’d come back soon.
“Doll, I run a pleasure house. The only spare time I have is the morning hours. If you want to discuss what happened last night and what my Stags said, you need to get up, up, up.”
“You talked to the Stags?” My face smoothed out, getting rid of the scowl.
“That perks your tits right up, doesn’t it?” Cabbie raised his eyebrows.
A heavy sigh escaped me as I nudged Rand and Sage. They must have climbed under the covers at some point in the night, and somehow, Cabbie’s magic trick didn’t wake them even a little.
“Guys. Guys,” I drew out the syllable and nudged Rand with my knee, when I remembered I had no panties on. My hands flew to my crotch, then I squeezed my thighs together.
“Doll, you don’t have anything I haven’t seen fifty times each night. Now if Rand was flashing his man goodies at me, well… I might be tempted. But your love muffin does nothing for me. Here, I’ll even help you.”
Cabbie he
ld out his hands, motioning for me to go to him. As classy as I could, I raised up on my knees and edged my way closer. King size beds were massive. Cabbie was so far away, it took a good bit of knee walking to reach him.
Once I was in reach he picked me up and set me on the floor as if I was just a silly kid. Who knew how old Cabbie was. Maybe to him, I really was a kid.
“Rand. Sage.” I raised my voice and started to tickle their feet. Right before my fingers make contact, I remembered tickling Sage in the little mountain house. I shook their legs instead.
“We’re up, Is.” Rand murmured face down in a pillow.
“Yeah, we’re wide awake.” Sage piled on with his head actually under the pillow.
“If both of you are awake, why aren’t you getting up?” I gave them one more good shake and backed up. “All right, I’m going to grab a bite for breakfast with Cabbie and see what he has to say about last night. I’ll fill you in when you join us.”
Cabbie led the way to the main living area where there was a tray of three steaming plates of bacon and eggs.
“Bless you, Fab Cab,” I reverently exhaled.
My butt hit the chair at the same time Rand and Sage busted through the door to reach us. I dug in as they sat on either side, pressing me tight between them. Warmth spread like wildfire through my limbs at the affection. Now that I had caught up on some sleep, I enjoyed their presence a hell of a lot more.
“Tell us what you found.” Rand demanded as he started in on his own plate. He slid into the leader role so easily, it was a reflection of how he was groomed in his previous life.
Cabbie braced his hands on the seat beside him. “It’s the strangest thing. I went down and pulled each of them aside when they weren’t occupied, and they all had the same reactions. Which is, they didn’t remember anything unusual. They remember you all walking through, they remember greeting Isolde and offering services but that’s it. I asked them why they were so enamored with her, and they looked at me like I was insane. I really think they believe nothing was out of the ordinary.”
The three of us shared a confused look. We should’ve had Mehki question the men at his lodge. There was no way for us to compare the two events now. Even if Mehki were to show up, the chance he had actually talked to any of the men about what happened was slim.
“We wanted to talk to you about why we’re here.” Rand hedged, completely changing the subject. “Yunez wants us to investigate the attacks here. He believes if we can learn enough about what’s been happening then we can stop the attacks altogether.” He flicked a glance to me before returning to Cabbie. “I’m not ready to take Isolde out yet, on the off chance that last night wasn’t a fluke. Can you send some of the women up here that are from this area? Specifically the ones present when the attacks occurred?”
“I wish someone would be able to figure out how to stop those attacks. It’s bad for business. I do have a number of girls that grew up within a half mile of the Wasaeris. I can’t send them up all at once, but they can come when they aren’t getting ready for tonight.”
“What about you, Cab. Have you noticed anything out of the ordinary? Yunez believes any information could be helpful, no matter how small.” Sage slid to the edge of his seat.
Cab scrunched his face up before answering. “Hmm… There are always strange happenings in this part of the realm, but we’ve definitely had more visitors in the last few months than normal. Outside of that, no. Nothing that strikes me as odd.” His crazy ass lifted one shoulder in a half shrug as he got up, like he wasn’t affected by the attacks. He stopped at the door, tossing a cheeky wink over his shoulder. “I’ll send up the girls as they’re available.”
He was almost out the door when a thought popped into my head.
“Cabbie.” I called after him.
“Yes, doll?”
“Please make sure the girls are wearing more than my nightly ration of floss.”
The madam grinned wickedly. “You have nothing to be ashamed of. I could get you one of the Cherry outfits so you feel on equal footing. Wouldn’t that be nice boys?” He cocked a brow.
Rand choked while trying to hold back his laughter and Sage’s face deepened to a scary shade of red.
“Isolde would look amazing in that outfit, I agree.” Rand smirked. He totally knew I would never wear it, around them or anyone else.
“You always have a job here. I can just imagine how the men would flock to you if last night is anything to go by.”
“I don’t think that’s necessary. Make sure the girls are clothed, Cab, and stop trying to start shit.” I grinned.
A throaty chuckle trickled out of our host as he crossed his arms and reclined against the doorjamb. “I’m not joking. She could be a Cherry anytime she desires.”
Sage sprang from the couch, as if he was about to rush Cabbie. I placed my hand on his back and tugged on the shirt. “Sit down. He doesn’t mean anything by it. You’re overreacting.” I rolled my eyes.
What was he going to do, karate chop his dick for offering me a job if I wanted one? Sage should have known I would never take a job like this, not with three bonded mates already. What kind of girl did he take me for? I was all about commitment and feelings. Hell, that was why I wouldn’t bond to him out of a misled sense of duty and brotherhood.
Sage stayed standing, giving Cabbie a glimpse of his resting dick face.
“Thanks, Cabbie. I’m good for now, but I appreciate the offer.” I straightened my legs to stretch my calves.
“I’ll be in my office for the day if you all need anything.” He was gone in a blink and the door closed behind him.
“Give me your plates, we can at least keep the place picked up.” I stacked the dishes and carried them to the sink. It helped to keep my hands busy as we waited for our first interrogation. The last thing I needed was to be worrying over our predicament, how we couldn’t leave the room, we hadn’t heard from any of the LL, and if, or worse, when Rainer might succeed in infiltrating the Earth governments. See, not good to have idle time.
Warm, large hands slid over my hips and a chin rested on my shoulder. “Isolde, are you okay? I know this whole trip has been intense.”
The water was warm on my hands, competing with the heat from Rand’s body pressed along my back. He molded himself to my back and I shut off the water, letting him take my weight. My eyes closed as I enjoyed the moment.
Right before the guilt set in on how I needed to figure out my Janer mate fast. I didn’t like the in-between feeling or the fact I hurt Sage by not choosing.
When I tilted my head up, there was a vulnerability shining in Rand’s eyes. He only showed this side of himself when we were alone. I caressed his cheek and realized how much I loved seeing this side of Rand. Even though he’d been distant, I couldn’t deny the feelings I had for him. He hurt the same way I hurt. He knew what it was like to be alone, when people saw you for what you could do instead of who you were.
“I’m good. Thank you for asking. Let’s think positive thoughts today. Maybe we’ll find out something that will give us a lead on what’s going on with the attacks. Although, I’m doing this blind. I’m sure Yunez knows more than what he’s letting on.”
“Yunez always knows more than he lets on. I used to view him as my hero, and in a way, I guess I still do. But it’s frustrating as hell when he won’t share important information. Especially when we are all in this together and he needs our help.” Rand flexed his fingers into my hips.
I sighed.
“What the hell? Every time I have to leave the room, you attach yourself to Iss. Is that really necessary?” Irritation surging in his voice, Sage clenched his fists in the door to the bedroom.
Rand hesitated before he removed himself. “It’s not what you think, Sage. I just want to make sure that she’s handling everything well.”
Sage acted like it was his right to police the people around me. It wasn’t. Rand wanted to be the nice guy and placate him but I was so over his shit. We w
ere going to hash this out right now.
Sage opened his mouth and took a threatening step forward, but a knock at the door interrupted whatever he intended to do or say.
Keeva was our lucky visitor number one. Now that I had the opportunity to get a look at her, I was glad I hadn’t last night. It would have caused loss of sleep for sure.
Dressed in a pink, sleeveless dress, she fidgeted in the chair across from where I was sandwiched between the guys. Her fingers twirled the ends of gorgeous, shiny hair and she looked anywhere but at us. Thank god Cabbie had spread the word about the floss. I didn’t think I could have seriously questioned naked women about the attacks.
This girl was a beauty for sure.
She didn’t seem the timid type, but Sage threw her out last night as soon as I had appeared. It wasn’t a stretch for her to believe he’d done it because of me, and to protect our relationship. That would have made any woman uncomfortable.
“Keeva,” I said, because no one else seemed likely to begin. “How long have you been working in this area or living close to the Wasaeris?”
“Oh, um… twenty years or so. I grew up here, but moved away for about a century. My family still keeps their home in the countryside,” she rambled as she kept her gaze locked onto my left ear.
My eyes widened at her admission but I quickly hid it. Another person older than anyone I had ever met and she looked my age or younger.
“That’s nice that they’re close to you.” I shifted around in my seat to get comfortable. If I relaxed, she might settle down. We needed her calm to actually share any worthwhile details. “Have you ever witnessed the attacks?”
Her gaze briefly met mine, then she looked back at my feet. “Yes, one. I was here for several though. It’s terrible, and the sadness afterward is hard to work around. Men still visit, but they’re angrier, more detached than normal.”
No shit. There was a high chance they lost someone or several someones close to them. I fought to keep my face neutral. I was being unfair to her in my head because of her past with Sage. Even if she didn’t have a clue, I was better than that.
Bonds of the Mazza Page 7