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Eric sat down at his desk, staring at nothing.He’d thought getting the Trinity Archive, which Colum had been talking about for months, would make him happy.It was the only thing Colum had seemed excited about since Josephine died.

But based on that call, Colum was in a place, emotionally, where he could fall in love.How the hell was he going to fix this to give Colum the chance at happiness he deserved?

ChapterTen

Colum: I have a concern about Eric with Nikolett.

Franco: Your wife?

Colum: Feck.

Franco: Just one concern?

Colum: Do you think if…like a female preying mantis…once they’ve had sex, she’d eat him?

Franco: Did you eat another pot brownie?

Franco: Also, valid concern.

Xavier was in a mood.

Colum watched him pace.

No.Not pace.

Prowl.

Xavier’s seemingly casual yet deliberate steps as he prowled around the living room of the suite were like a tiger pacing the edges of a zoo enclosure.

Restless.

Dangerous.

Colum switched his attention from Xavier to Annie.

Annie was watching Xavier too; except she wasn’t just watching him.She was studying him, and the way she tipped her head to the side made Colum tense in anticipation.

If it were up to Colum, he would have picked up a book or his laptop and immersed himself in study or research, ignoring everyone around him until whatever emotions or interpersonal issues were at play simply went away.

Except that wasn’t really an option.When he tried to open his laptop, Annie reached over without looking and snapped it closed.

And surprisingly, Colum wasn’t upset.He didn’t really want to ignore Xavier and Annie.He wanted to know what was making Xavier pace like that.Wanted to know what that calculating look in Annie’s eyes would manifest as.He just didn’t have any idea how to engage with them, and he’d never had to learn how to.He’d always had Josephine for that.

Annie rose, and Colum tensed with anticipation, gaze bouncing back and forth between them.

She sauntered over to the desk and picked up a small, thick pad of paper with the hotel’s logo on it.She pulled back her arm and winged it at Xavier.

The paper fluttered as the pad flew, making just enough noise that Xavier whirled, saw it coming, and ducked.

“What the fuck was that?”he snarled at Annie.

Annie smiled, reaching for a hotel pen.

Xavier stalked across the room toward her.Annie raised the pen to throw, and Xavier picked up speed, his posture threatening.Colum rose, watching carefully but silently vowing not to punch Xavier unless Annie told him to.

He caught Annie’s wrist, and the pen clattered from her hold.She tipped her head back, locks of her smooth hair sliding off her shoulders as she looked up at Xavier.

“I dare you,” she purred at Xavier.