Cass could hardly keep his hands off me as I moved around the kitchen and had me giggling like a teenager when he pinned me to the counter with his hips—and his rock hard dick—while he cleaned blood splatters from my face with the kitchen sponge. So hygienic.
Zed came in before things could get too heated in the kitchen and gave us both an accusing glare. "You." He pointed a finger at Cass. "Are a sick kitty, getting turned on by that mess."
Cass just shrugged and gave my neck a teasing bite as he kissed me there.
"And you." Zed pointed at me. "Need to go talk to Seph. Now. Move it."
I gave him an exaggerated pout back. "Do I really have to? Lucas seems to be handling her just fine." Zed's glare flattened, and I huffed. "Fine. Hold this thought, Saint." I gripped his dick through his jeans so he knew exactly what thought I was talking about. As if there could be any confusion.
No doubt Seph was going to want to know what we'd done with that guy, and I really wasn't ready to explain to her how we'd maimed him in excruciatingly painful ways to make him talk, then shot him before we dumped him on Chase's doorstep. So I very reluctantly dragged my feet upstairs to find my sister.
I took my wine with me, though. Dutch courage.
Voices came from Lucas's room, so I headed in that direction but paused just outside when I heard my name. It wasn't the most mature decision of my life, but I was curious to hear what they were talking about without my presence influencing Seph's attitude.
Zed and Cass had followed because, of course, they weren't missing out on the entertainment, and I held up a hand for them to wait while I tilted my head to listen.
"Look, Seph," Lucas was saying in a kind but firm voice, like he was repeating himself. "I understand where you're coming from, but I'm not comfortable having this conversation. You need to speak with your sister directly."
Seph gave a frustrated sound that I was all too familiar with, and I rolled my eyes. I raised my hand to push open the door that was already cracked, then stilled when I heard what she said next.
"I don't get it!" she exclaimed. "Why are you so freaking obsessed with Dare? She's like old, for starters. You know she's probably getting wrinkles and gray hair soon?"
My jaw dropped in outrage, and my eyes flicked to Zed, who was grinning like a shithead. I glowered at him, and he just shrugged.
"She's twenty-three, Seph," Lucas replied with a laugh, "not fucking fifty."
"Yeah, well, even so. You deserve better than her, Lucas. I know she says she loves you, but do you seriously think she even knows what that word means? She's like the dictionary definition of cold-hearted. All she ever does is ruin the people who love her, too. First Chase, then my dad. And look what she's done to Cass! He's literally given up everything to play her little sex slave. Don't tell me you're okay being another one of her toys to be used and thrown away when she breaks you too hard."
Wow. That one hurt. I shot Cass a guilty look, but he shook his head firmly, disagreeing with Seph's statement.
"Seph," Lucas replied with a long exhale. "I'm trying to be nice here. I'm trying to be your friend. But for fuck's sake. I just got my ass beat by a guy trying to kill me, and you're in here bad-mouthing the woman I happen to be in love with? Nah, sorry. I'm done. Go do your homework or something, I've had enough."
Zed gave a soft grunt of surprise, shooting me a grin as we listened. "Smart kid," he whispered.
"Excuse me?" Seph damn near shrieked. "You can't be serious!"
"I'm dead serious," Lucas snapped back. "If anyone deserves better, it's Hayden. She deserves better than this shit from her little sister who she has sacrificed so goddamn much for. She loves you harder than you can clearly understand, so wake the fuck up. And stop flirting. With me, with Zed, fucking hell, even with Cass. It's insulting, and one of these days Hayden's going to slap the shit out of you for it."
Biting my lip to hold back a smile, I decided we'd eavesdropped enough, so I pushed the door open fully and met my sister's startled gaze unflinchingly.
When I said nothing, she threw up her hands in a rage. "Oh, I suppose you heard all of that, then? What are you, twelve? Who listens at doors?"
Choosing to take the high road, no matter how badly it grated on my nerves, I bit my tongue to hold back my cutting replies. Instead, I just crossed over to where Lucas sat on the armchair at the end of his bed, holding an ice pack to his ribs over his T-shirt.
"Are you okay?" I asked him softly, tilting his chin up to check the mark around his neck. I was beyond impressed that he'd managed to break free from what looked to have been a tight garrote hold. Zed really had trained him well. I could hardly wait to see what Cass could do to hone his skills once he had more time at home with us.
Lucas's answering smile was pure adoration, and he kissed my wrist. "I'm fine. Alexi roughed me up worse than this last week."
"You're not going to ask how I am?" Seph demanded, her hands on her hips. "I could have been traumatized from that attack, and you don't even care! You never have. I'm not even a real person to you, am I, Dare? Oh, sorry, I mean Hades." The scathing sarcasm in her voice made my shoulders tighten and my teeth clench.
Drawing a calming breath, I turned back to face my sister. "I think from what we overheard, you're just fine."
Her face turned blotchy with embarrassment, knowing full well what I'd heard her say, but true to Seph-style, she just popped a hip and tilted her chin up stubbornly. "So what? Now you're punishing me because I told Lucas the truth? That he should be running as far and as fast away from you as possible because you're nothing but a walking death trap. You're Hades through and through, killing everyone who ever tries to get in your way or tell you no. Dad would be ashamed to call you his daughter if he could see you now. At least he ran the Timberwolves with integrity and respect, not just fear and death."
As hard as I was trying not to snap at her over hitting on Lucas again, I was unprepared for that insult. I flinched, and Zed saw it. He met my eyes for the briefest second, and I knew Seph had finally pushed it too far. Nothing I could say now was going to stop him.
"Sit down, Persephone," Zed said in a glacial voice, stepping into Lucas's room. Cass lounged against the doorframe like some kind of security guard backing Zed up and preventing Seph from escaping.
Seph clearly didn't identify the danger, though, screwing up her face as she spun around to spew more of her venom in his direction. "Screw you, Zed," she sneered back. "You're so fucking pussy-whipped by her you can't even—"
"Sit down!" Zed barked, fury coating his voice.
It was enough to shock Seph into doing as she was told, and she meekly perched on the edge of Lucas's bed with big eyes. "Happy?"
Zed glowered. "Not even close. It's high fucking time you had a dose of truth, Seph." He looked over at me, the apology clear on his face. "I'm sorry, Dare. She needs to know."
I shook my head, feeling numb because I knew I wasn't talking him out of it this time. We'd gone way past the point where I could just threaten to shoot him for disobeying me.