Black and Blue (Otherworld Assassin #2)(55)
Author: Gena Showalter

“You’re alive,” Blue said. He’d known Solo was alive—of course he had—and had even known the male was in the area, but that was the equivalent of a starving man stumbling upon a banquet—with raw, uncooked food. He’d needed to see his friend with his own eyes.

“I’m alive,” Solo agreed.

“Dude.” Blue strode forward, grinning from ear to ear.

The back door splintered open and Evie flew into the kitchen, pyre-gun raised and ready. Solo reacted just as he had before, protecting the blonde and lifting a weapon.

“Solo?” Evie demanded, arms falling to her side. “Bloody hell, man. Do you know how close you came to losing your head?”

“As close as you came to losing yours?” The male did not lower his weapon.

Having none of that, Blue used his power to force the gun out of Solo’s kung fu grip, letting it hover just out of reach.

Solo frowned at him. “I wouldn’t have shot her. I just wanted to make a point.”

“No one’s losing their head today,” Blue snapped, swiping the gun and slamming it on the counter. “Especially Evie.”

“Especially Evie?” Solo stared at him as though he’d just sprouted horns and a tail.

The little blonde jammed her hands on her hips. “If you’re going to fight, let’s make it interesting. Take off your clothes while I get the oil.”

Evie slapped her gun beside Solo’s. “Next time, come to the front door and knock, you bloody—argh!” Glaring, she pointed at Blue. “If he broke anything, it’s going on your bill. And I’m charging double!”

Knowing Evie better now, Blue saw her through a new pair of eyes. She wasn’t angry with Solo about possible damage to her home. She was scared about what could have happened—harm to her, to Blue, even the harm she could have done to Solo and his woman—and she was trying to purge the excess emotion the only way she knew how. Through her fiery temper.

He wanted to pull her into his arms so badly, he shook. And he would have done it, uncaring about their audience, if he thought she would let him. Right now she might just claw out his eyes and use the insides to spread on her toast.

“I’ll pay the charges, whatever they are,” he said, and Solo gaped at him.

“Good, because you owe me a new back door! A good one, too. Nothing mass-produced.” She stomped to the security panel Solo had been screwing with and punched in a code, then rerouted some of the wires. The alarm finally shut off. “That just cost you an extra thousand.”

“Why so much?” Solo asked. “That system is glitched to the max.”

“Glitched? Did you say glitched?” Bombs exploded in Evie’s eyes. She grabbed her weapon and was about to aim at Solo’s chest—and probably go trigger-happy.

Mr. Judah had just crossed her line.

“It wouldn’t shut off,” Solo gritted.

“For a reason, you idiot,” she snapped.

Blue took the gun from her. “Don’t crap on her security system,” he told his friend. “It’s the best you’ll ever come across.” To Evie he said gently, “Did you hear me, princess? The best. And you know I don’t lie.”

Gradually she calmed down. “You’re right. The best. I can’t blame a layman for not recognizing genius when he sees it.”

Can’t smile. Solo was far from a layman.

Blue gave the baffled Solo a hug and a slap on the back. His friend gave him a slap as well and almost drilled him into the ground. Guy didn’t know his own strength.

Without the taint of kill-or-be-killed aggression, Blue looked the warrior over. Same shaggy black hair he liked to cut with a blade, same electric-blue eyes—except they were no longer glazed with constant inner pain. They were almost . . . soft. Definitely happy.

“Where have you been, my friend? Why haven’t you come to see me before now?” Blue gave the blonde with plum-colored eyes a thorough once-over. “And who’s the babe?”

Grinning, Solo tugged the curvy little female close to his side. “Blue, I’d like you to meet Vika, my wife. Vika, this is Blue, my partner.”

Vika waved at him. “So fantastic to meet you at last. I’ve heard such wonderful things.” She was Solo’s opposite in every way. Tiny, petite, soft, and pretty. And her disposition seemed to be sweeter than sugar.

“The dark-haired tyrant is Evie,” Blue said, motioning to her. “She’s my—” What? He pondered the best word to use. “—friend.” No matter what, that was still true. Although, he wanted more. More of what they’d had last night. Sex and sharing. Cuddling. Waking up with her in the morning. And he could have it. She’d offered.

But she’d offered something with a definite expiration date.

He should be okay with that.

He wasn’t.

“Now that the introductions are over, why don’t you go put on some clothes, Blue,” Solo said, and Vika giggled. “Then we’ll talk.”

“I’d be fine with you staying as is,” the girl said.

He looked down at himself. Thinking about Evie had gotten him hard again. Wasn’t that just freaking great.

He met Evie’s gaze and realized she was now trying not to laugh.

Worth the humiliation.

“I don’t know why you think this is funny, candy cane. You’re in the same half-naked boat.”

She gave him a double-birded salute before walking away, calling over her shoulder, “At least my flotation device isn’t sticking out for everyone to see.”

Nineteen

AFTER DRESSING IN A T-shirt and jeans, Evie called Michael to let him know what was going on. He couldn’t wait to see Solo, and snuck over. Watching him jerk the agent into his arms filled her with happiness rather than the usual jealousy.

She was so happy, in fact, that she mixed up her favorite fruit smoothie and offered everyone a glass.

Blue brushed his fingers over hers as he claimed his portion, and tingles of heat and power nearly drew a moan out of her. She was hungry for him. More than hungry. Starving. They’d had sex a third time during the night, and she’d wanted a fourth in the morning.

Waiting, now that she knew just how perfectly he filled her, was . . . difficult.

Solo stared at his cup as if she might be trying to poison him, but Vika jumped up to give her a hug.

“Thank you.”

“Oh, uh, we’re really going to do this?” Evie said, uncomfortable. “Even though we’re strangers?”