“This is not my most fashionable look.”
Wrath studied her body. “You look very attractive to me.”
That made her smile. “Thank you.”
They both used the bathroom and Wrath insisted on brushing out her hair. She sat on the bed facing away from her while he tenderly removed all the tangles. It was nice, a bit too personal, and a new experience for Lauren. No man had done that for her but she enjoyed it.
“Let’s go.” He stood, dropped the brush and walked to the door.
He opened it and waved Lauren to step out into the hallway. Wrath gripped her hand in his and stayed at her side until they reached the main room. Lauren hesitated when she saw two of the men from last night seated at a table. Vengeance wasn’t one of them.
“He’s gone,” Wrath said softly, as if he could read her mind. “Vengeance was sent back to Reservation early this morning.”
Lauren felt relief. The two men at the table stared at them as they approached. Shadow was the one to speak.
“You both overslept and missed breakfast. I put your plates in the refrigerator for you.”
Wrath nodded. “Thank you.” He showed Lauren to a seat. “I’ll warm them. You relax. You’re a guest.”
Lauren glanced at the two men to discover Brass openly staring at her hair. It was still wet from the shower. She watched the large man until his gaze flicked to hers.
“It is beautiful hair. I imagine when it is dry it is breathtaking.”
“Thank you.” She smiled.
“How are you today?” Shadow drew her attention next.
“Better.”
“Vengeance caused you no injury?”
“I have a few bruises but I’m fine. Wrath said he’s gone now.”
Brass nodded. “Yes. A helicopter and some of our people came to take him home. We apologize again for what he tried to do to you. Forced mating is forbidden and so is forced breeding.”
“Wrath explained the difference to me.”
Shadow blinked. “He did?”
She nodded. “I was curious and asked him. I didn’t understand what Vengeance was talking about.”
Shadow glanced at Wrath before meeting her gaze again. “I wondered how the subject came up.”
Brass shook his head and the two men frowned at each other. Shadow turned back to Lauren.
“We would like to ask you a favor.”
“What do you need?”
Brass spoke. “We would like you to take one of us into your work and see if you can find out where Bill is.”
Lauren was stunned at that request. “You plan to just grab him if he’s at work?”
“We have the right to arrest him for his crimes against New Species,” Brass assured her softly. “I doubt he will be there but he’s made friends at work, hasn’t he? Perhaps you could find out from them where he is.”
Lauren glanced at their black clothing. “I guess I could do that but one of you would definitely have to change clothes and wear…” She studied their eyes. “Sunglasses. Otherwise if Bill is there he’s going to spot you right away. The black clothing will draw attention and if Bill worked for Mercile Industries he’s going to be alarmed to see a New Species.”
“We’re sure he’s the correct human male. We thought of this already.” Brass hesitated. “We thought we’d have Wrath dress up however you think he should. He could pretend to be a client of yours and walk inside the building with you. Would it be appropriate for you to take a client to work?”
“Sure. I’m due in to work at ten today.” She glanced down at her clothes. “Could we stop by my apartment first? I can’t go to the office wearing this and my boss would have my ass.”
Brass shrugged. “That would be fine. What would be appropriate for Wrath to wear?”
Wrath sat a plate of warmed scrambled eggs, bacon and toast in front of her. She gave him a smile and picked up her fork. She glanced at Wrath, who took the seat next to her and noticed he had two large steaks on his plate. That was all he had. He didn’t reach for his silverware.
“You may not want to watch him eat,” Shadow suggested softly. “We enjoy our meat barely seared on the outside and raw on the inside. We find it easier to eat with our fingers than with your utensils.”
Lauren glanced at Shadow before purposely smiling at Wrath. “Eat up.”
Wrath shrugged and dug into his food. He grabbed hold of one of the steaks with both hands and bit into it. His dark eyes met hers as he tore a section of the meat off. Lauren wasn’t horrified but she was more than a bit curious. Blood dripped onto the plate and the interior of the steak was raw, red meat. She wasn’t repulsed in the least. She glanced back at Shadow.
“Have you ever seen kids eat? I am from a large family. At least you guys don’t shove peas up your nose and shoot them out.”
Brass laughed. “No. We don’t.”
Shadow laughed. “Did you do that as a child?”
She shook her head. “No. But I used to gross my cousins out by telling them my spaghetti was worms and sucking them up. I was always kind of a tomboy.”
Brass smiled at her and asked, “What should Wrath wear to your job?”
Nothing. That was her first thought but she didn’t say it aloud. She’d love for Wrath not to wear a single thing ever again since he looked so good naked. “Nice jeans and maybe a casual dress shirt. Good shoes. Realtors notice those things right off the bat to judge if a client can really afford to buy a home. It’s how we try to root out the looky-loos from the real buyers.”
Wrath studied her body. “You look very attractive to me.”
That made her smile. “Thank you.”
They both used the bathroom and Wrath insisted on brushing out her hair. She sat on the bed facing away from her while he tenderly removed all the tangles. It was nice, a bit too personal, and a new experience for Lauren. No man had done that for her but she enjoyed it.
“Let’s go.” He stood, dropped the brush and walked to the door.
He opened it and waved Lauren to step out into the hallway. Wrath gripped her hand in his and stayed at her side until they reached the main room. Lauren hesitated when she saw two of the men from last night seated at a table. Vengeance wasn’t one of them.
“He’s gone,” Wrath said softly, as if he could read her mind. “Vengeance was sent back to Reservation early this morning.”
Lauren felt relief. The two men at the table stared at them as they approached. Shadow was the one to speak.
“You both overslept and missed breakfast. I put your plates in the refrigerator for you.”
Wrath nodded. “Thank you.” He showed Lauren to a seat. “I’ll warm them. You relax. You’re a guest.”
Lauren glanced at the two men to discover Brass openly staring at her hair. It was still wet from the shower. She watched the large man until his gaze flicked to hers.
“It is beautiful hair. I imagine when it is dry it is breathtaking.”
“Thank you.” She smiled.
“How are you today?” Shadow drew her attention next.
“Better.”
“Vengeance caused you no injury?”
“I have a few bruises but I’m fine. Wrath said he’s gone now.”
Brass nodded. “Yes. A helicopter and some of our people came to take him home. We apologize again for what he tried to do to you. Forced mating is forbidden and so is forced breeding.”
“Wrath explained the difference to me.”
Shadow blinked. “He did?”
She nodded. “I was curious and asked him. I didn’t understand what Vengeance was talking about.”
Shadow glanced at Wrath before meeting her gaze again. “I wondered how the subject came up.”
Brass shook his head and the two men frowned at each other. Shadow turned back to Lauren.
“We would like to ask you a favor.”
“What do you need?”
Brass spoke. “We would like you to take one of us into your work and see if you can find out where Bill is.”
Lauren was stunned at that request. “You plan to just grab him if he’s at work?”
“We have the right to arrest him for his crimes against New Species,” Brass assured her softly. “I doubt he will be there but he’s made friends at work, hasn’t he? Perhaps you could find out from them where he is.”
Lauren glanced at their black clothing. “I guess I could do that but one of you would definitely have to change clothes and wear…” She studied their eyes. “Sunglasses. Otherwise if Bill is there he’s going to spot you right away. The black clothing will draw attention and if Bill worked for Mercile Industries he’s going to be alarmed to see a New Species.”
“We’re sure he’s the correct human male. We thought of this already.” Brass hesitated. “We thought we’d have Wrath dress up however you think he should. He could pretend to be a client of yours and walk inside the building with you. Would it be appropriate for you to take a client to work?”
“Sure. I’m due in to work at ten today.” She glanced down at her clothes. “Could we stop by my apartment first? I can’t go to the office wearing this and my boss would have my ass.”
Brass shrugged. “That would be fine. What would be appropriate for Wrath to wear?”
Wrath sat a plate of warmed scrambled eggs, bacon and toast in front of her. She gave him a smile and picked up her fork. She glanced at Wrath, who took the seat next to her and noticed he had two large steaks on his plate. That was all he had. He didn’t reach for his silverware.
“You may not want to watch him eat,” Shadow suggested softly. “We enjoy our meat barely seared on the outside and raw on the inside. We find it easier to eat with our fingers than with your utensils.”
Lauren glanced at Shadow before purposely smiling at Wrath. “Eat up.”
Wrath shrugged and dug into his food. He grabbed hold of one of the steaks with both hands and bit into it. His dark eyes met hers as he tore a section of the meat off. Lauren wasn’t horrified but she was more than a bit curious. Blood dripped onto the plate and the interior of the steak was raw, red meat. She wasn’t repulsed in the least. She glanced back at Shadow.
“Have you ever seen kids eat? I am from a large family. At least you guys don’t shove peas up your nose and shoot them out.”
Brass laughed. “No. We don’t.”
Shadow laughed. “Did you do that as a child?”
She shook her head. “No. But I used to gross my cousins out by telling them my spaghetti was worms and sucking them up. I was always kind of a tomboy.”
Brass smiled at her and asked, “What should Wrath wear to your job?”
Nothing. That was her first thought but she didn’t say it aloud. She’d love for Wrath not to wear a single thing ever again since he looked so good naked. “Nice jeans and maybe a casual dress shirt. Good shoes. Realtors notice those things right off the bat to judge if a client can really afford to buy a home. It’s how we try to root out the looky-loos from the real buyers.”
