Page 59 of Bonded By Blood
Probably.
She wound her arms around his shoulders as desire licked through her. They had time, didn’t they? With the search for the traitor over, they were back to focusing on the hunt for the Wilsons. She wasn’t even directly involved in that. Maybe they could just roll around in her room, making each other feel good, until it was all over.
Sharp knocking at the door shattered the moment and reminded Brianna that she might have been considered a princess, but she didn’t live in such luxury.
“Lady Brianna!” a guard called through the door. “The Queen insists upon your presence. She says to bring Mr. Pearce, and come urgently.”
Brianna straightened and drew a breath. Urgently? Had Jasen returned with the Wilsons in tow? “I’m on my way,” she said. There was no sense physically opening the door. She turned an apologetic smile to Joe. “We’ve been summoned.”
“I heard,” he said, his voice thick with need and frustration.
Brianna stood, but barely took a step before he caught her by the wrist.
“Wait,” Joe said, speaking quietly. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
She arched a brow at him. “Does it have to be now?”
He glanced away and released her. “Yeah,” he said. “I’m a little worried… That is, I had a conversation with Kendall earlier, and we were brainstorming ways to try and help with this Wilson situation. Your mother’s probably summoning us because they’ve dropped another body, and they left a note this time. It sounds like they’re leaving.”
Brianna shook her head. “Why are you worried? Is Kendall all right?” He sounded like he was jumping between conversations. He was barely making any sense.
“I hope so,” he replied, practically blurted. He held up a hand. “She should be. We thought of something. It’s an insane idea, but she said she was going to do some ‘digging,’ whatever that means. That’s the part that has me worried.”
Now she understood his worry a little more. “Joe. What aren’t you saying?”
He looked her in the eye. “You aren’t going to like it.”
****
“I told you you shouldn’t have made a deal with one of her pets,” Troy snapped. “What if he said something stupid?”
Tobias shot out an arm and grabbed hold of his brother’s shirt collar. He hauled Troy up and leaned in close as he snarled, “I wouldn’t have had to if you hadn’t gotten your stupid ass caught. Or have you already forgotten? One look at that idiot human and you lost your head.”
“At least I kept my mouth shut,” Troy bit back. “Who knows what that bleeder’s told ‘em by now!”
“Anything he’s said is on you, understand?” Tobias pressed his brother into the nearest wall. “If you’ve fucked this up—”
“That’s enough, boys.”
Tobias froze for just a moment, then stepped back and let Troy fall to the floor. Great. Now we’ve upset the boss.
Pushing to his feet, Troy said, “Tobias’s little spy-puppet’s been caught. We need to get the hell out of here before he gives us all up.”
Tobias felt the familiar prickle of agitation spark up his spine.
“Tobias.”
He straightened, smoothed out his facial expression, and turned his attention to the table and the older vampire seated there. “Yeah?”
The elderly looking man leaned back in his chair, as if only mildly curious. “Are you certain the human has been compromised?”
“I am,” Tobias said. “I gave him a burner phone and instructions to respond to my text messages immediately, then delete them. This is the first time he hasn’t responded.”
Silence. Then a single drum of fingers against the tabletop, then another question. “Did you tell Trista’s human servant your agenda?”
Tobias fought the urge to scoff. “No.”
“Did you tell him who you work for?”