Page 6

Chapter Five

M alik entered the restaurant to find his teammates and Rurik and Garth there as well. The restaurant leaned heavily on modern styling and had floor-to-ceiling shelves behind the bar that were backlit, creating the perfect lighting level and ambiance .

Several long, dark tables had been put together to accommodate their group size, not to mention the size of the men. Supernatural males tended to run on the large size .

Duke and Rurik sat across from one another, each glaring at the other. Boomer was next to Duke, talking with Brooke’s friend Edee. The two seemed engrossed in conversation. Garth was next to Corbin, who appeared to be keeping Striker sitting as far from Edee as could be .

Malik hid his laugh, wondering what the Scot had done to earn him a timeout. Knowing Striker, the sky was the limit .

Corbin looked up and his blue gaze locked on Malik .

The next Malik knew, his team captain’s voice was in his head .

I heard you made quite the scene for the woman , said Corbin .

Malik inclined his head. Yes. And I’d do it again .

That’s what I thought you’d say , Corbin returned as he stood and buttoned the suit jacket he was wearing. The man cleaned up well and preferred to be dressed nicely, as did Malik .

Corbin came around from the other side of the table and put his hands out to Brooke, taking hers in return .

Malik’s lion pushed up, wanting to warn the fellow lion-shifter away from what was his .

Mine?

He swallowed hard. The damn suppression medicine was really doing a number on him. If he wasn’t careful, he’d do something stupid .

“You must be Brooke,” said Corbin, his English accent showing through with ease. He’d made no attempt to ever try to rid himself of it. “I’ve heard so much about you already. Your friend tells me you just graduated university with exceptional pass marks .”

Brooke’s cheeks heated, and Malik realized she didn’t like attention on herself. He couldn’t understand why. She was stunning. Other women he’d seen who paled compared to her loved attention. But not Brooke .

“Yes. This trip is to celebrate graduating,” she said .

Corbin’s lips twitched. “I see. Then it’s not to, how did your friend put it? To find you a hot hunk to rock your world for a night ?”

Brooke squeaked and leaned forward, looking past Malik at Edee .

Edee lifted her glass of wine and blew Brooke a kiss .

Brooke yanked her hands from Corbin’s and went ramrod stiff. “No. Not at all. No. Did I mention no ?”

Corbin chuckled. “You did. Though I’m sure Malik was hoping for a different response .”

Brooke’s attention swung to Malik. She raked her gaze over him slowly, making his dick harden again. If she kept it up, his cock would be permanently erect. He’d been struggling with it from the second he’d caught her scent in the lobby—honey and lotuses. She licked her lower lip and the act made him think of what her mouth would look like wrapped around his cock .

“Well, I’d be willing to make an exception for him,” said Brooke quietly, surprising Malik with her humor .

Corbin laughed long and loud, something he tended to avoid doing. The guy was so repressed. “Note the glimmer of hope returning to Malik’s eyes .”

Malik grunted. “That will be enough from you. Go sit by Striker before he does something else to get himself in trouble .”

Corbin groaned. “Boomer told me about the, uh, measuring incident earlier, and Edee asked more about it. Striker offered to take her upstairs and show her what a real Highlander came built with. She in turn offered to remove anything he showed her with a butter knife .”

Brooke snorted. “Sounds like Edee .”

Corbin grinned. “She’s refreshing and seems more than capable of dealing with Striker. Never thought those words would fall from my lips. I’m considering hiring her just to babysit him .”

“So why does he look like he’s being punished?” asked Malik .

“Oh, he’s by me because he and Duke wanted to team up and see if they could bring Russia to his knees,” said Corbin, sounding exhausted. “Garth and I grew tired of putting out that fire so we thought it best the main instigator be separated from the other two. Hence, Striker is being punished .”

Malik took Brooke’s arm gently and led her to a chair at the table. He held the chair out for her and then made sure she was seated and comfortable before taking the chair next to her, leaving Duke seated to his left .

Corbin returned to his side of the table and sat across from Malik. “Edee didn’t mention what you studied while at university .”

Brooke smiled and smoothed her long brown hair behind her ears. “Computer science engineering with a focus on cyber security .”

“Interesting,” said Corbin. “Have you started your job search yet ?”

She nodded. “I have four great offers that I’m thinking about while here. One is with the DOD and the others are with the private sector .”

“I hate computers,” said Duke before he lifted his glass of wine and gulped it down. “And if you’re smart, you’ll avoid the DOD like the plague .”

“I love computers,” said Brooke, her eyes lighting. “I love everything to do with technology. I hope to one day own my own cyber security firm. Edee just laughs. Though, I don’t know why. She’s a total science nerd. Molecular science. No thanks .”

“I laugh because you’re a social leper. Instead of meeting men, you spent your time hacking. Brooke, how are you going to get laid if you hide away all the time? You’re young and hot, you only live once,” said Edee loudly from the other side of Duke .

Brooke rolled her eyes. “Can we not discuss my lack of a social and sex life in front of people we just met ?”

Rurik lifted a dark brow. “You are very attractive, for an American .”

Brooke eased her chair closer to Malik, looking nervous. “Um, thanks .”

He put an arm around her. “He’s harmless. Just loud and very proud to be Russian .”

“Russians are arseholes,” said Striker, earning him a nod from Duke .

Garth touched Rurik’s shoulder, keeping his second-in-command in his seat for the time being. “What did we talk about, Rurik ?”

Rurik grunted. “My temper is warranted around them. Let me kill one of them and then I’ll promise to behave. Just one. You pick the one. Doesn’t matter to me .”

Brooke’s giggle eased the tension at the table. She lifted a glass of water that was in front of her. “How long have all of you been friends ?”

Malik cleared his throat. “Some days it feels like forever .”

“Because you’re ancient, old man,” said Boomer under his breath. “Old as fucking time .”

“Dick,” returned Malik, partially under his .

Brooke laughed again and sipped her water, her hand finding his thigh .

Instantly Malik’s throat went dry. He grabbed his water goblet and downed it before taking Duke’s and doing the same .

Duke stared over at him and grunted. “What is with you tonight? Normally you’re the picture of suaveness, saying all the right things to the ladies, making us all look like Neanderthals. You’re acting like you’re about to get laid for the first time. Not like the six thousandth .”

Brooke’s hand moved quickly off his thigh and she eased away from him slightly .

Malik turned a hard gaze on his longtime friend. Do not ruin this for me .

What the hell has gotten into you? You’re picking fights in public. You’re nervous as shit at dinner. Seriously, what’s with this piece of ass? asked Duke .

Malik was up and out of his chair in the blink of an eye. He had Duke by the throat and was more than willing to kill the man. Speak of her in such a manner again and I will be your end .

“Whoa!” said Striker, moving suddenly around the table and touching Malik’s shoulders. “No killing Grumpy. He comes in handy every once in a while .”

Malik, control your anger. That is an order , said Corbin mentally .

Malik did his best to rein in his temper. It was hard. He didn’t like hearing Brooke referred to as a piece of ass .

Brooke slid her chair out and stood. “Edee, let’s go .”

“What? Wait. Why?” asked Malik, spinning to catch her by the elbows lightly. “Don’t go .”

“Don’t be a jerk and I’ll stay,” she said, her lips pressing in a thin line .

Striker laughed and then stared past Malik, his face paling. “Do nae be thinking of using that on me, lass .”

Malik looked back to find Edee eying a butter knife on the table. “Gelding him would be so much fun and so easy .”

Striker backed up and cupped himself before hurrying around the table and taking a seat, as if he was the most well-behaved operative to ever live .

Yeah, right .

Malik kept hold of Brooke. “I didn’t like what he said about you .”

“He didn’t say anything,” she snapped back .

He remembered then that she couldn’t hear their mental communications. “Right. I just, um, I’ll sit down and not be a jerk anymore .”

Duke huffed at the same time as Rurik before they both said, “Good luck .”

“How cute,” said Boomer, leaning back in his chair, appearing entirely too amused by the events. “The pissy doppelgangers now share a brain cell .”

Malik fought to keep from laughing but failed .

Brooke stared up at him. “Is everything all right now? Are you done with the violence ?”

He averted his gaze .

“Malik, violence isn’t the answer. It should be the last resort, not the go-to response. I would have thought your parents would have taught you as much .”

“My mother was Roman and put my brothers and I in an arena when we were little and demanded we fight to see who would be the next to take over the pride. And then the winner had to face off against the winner out of my cousins. She cared little for us if we were weak in any way. There was no place for the weak in my world. Violence is what I grew up knowing .”

As the words left his mouth, he wanted them back .

All the men around him jerked in their seats, obviously catching on to the fact he’d just slipped up about being a shifter. He’d also never told any of them about his upbringing. Very few operatives knew the truth of it all .

Malik tensed. “Metaphorically speaking .”

Brooke’s expression was pained as she cupped his face. Her gaze searched him. Whatever she saw made her eyes grow moist. “I’m sorry she didn’t nurture you the way you should have been nurtured.” She went to her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her lips went to his ear. “Don’t think with your fists. Think with your head and your heart .”

“My heart tells me to never let you go,” he said before thinking about the fact that every male at the table was a supernatural and could easily hear his whispers .

Is she your mate? asked Corbin via their mental path .

She’s human, said Malik, though he had to admit she had damn fast reflexes for one .

That didn’t answer the question , replied Corbin .

Does she smell like a supernatural to you? he asked of Corbin .

No, returned the Brit .

She can’t be my mate. Humans aren’t mate material , returned Malik, his body tense. The suppression drug is having adverse effects on me .

Then exercise extreme caution around the human, added Corbin .

Malik nodded, wrapping his arms around Brooke’s waist .

Edee tapped the table. “I’m hungry. Let’s order. You can listen to your heart and never let her go later. Food now .”

She’d heard him whisper to Brooke too? How ?

Brooke took his hand and led him back to his seat before taking her own. She then put her hand on his thigh as the waiter came to take their order. Malik couldn’t tear his gaze away from her profile as she laughed at Duke and Rurik, who started calling each other various country-specific insults .

The antics continued and the tone at the table lightened. Striker began telling dirty jokes and Corbin looked tired .

“Would that I could fire you,” said Corbin .

Edee offered a joke that made Striker’s sound tame, making the entire table laugh .

Brooke cringed. “I really can’t take her anywhere .”

“It’s okay. We have Striker. We understand,” said Duke with his version of a smile .

Before long the food arrived and everyone ate, having fun, something they’d all been in short supply of as of late .

Edee and Boomer were the first to stand. Boomer ran a hand through his long black hair. “We’re going over to the nearest club. We heard they have a DJ and dancing. Our goal is to watch Duke and Rurik try to bust a move .”

Edee laughed, and it was good to see Boomer letting loose with someone he clearly clicked with .

Striker stood fast. “I’m in .”

“Of course you are,” said Edee with a sideways glance at the Scotsman .

Duke shook his head. “No dancing for me. Malik is the one who does that shit. Not me. He also likes that hip-hop crap .”

“My taste in music is not crap.” Malik finished off the last of his wine. It was true, he did enjoy dancing in clubs. And he did like hip-hop music. Something that got on Duke’s last nerve. When Malik broke out the old-school rap, Duke normally hightailed it out of the room .

Rurik stood and pushed his chair out, his shoulders back. “Russians are not afraid to dance .”

“I’m not afraid,” protested Duke .

Edee laughed. “Dance-off! The bear versus the eagle .”

Rurik stared at her. “How is it you know I’m a bear? And he’s not an eagle. He’s a wolf .”

Corbin rubbed his brow, expelling a long breath. “A bullhorn announcing all our secrets would be easier .”

Rurik’s brow furrowed. “What? What did she mean by bear versus the eagle ?”

Garth touched Corbin’s shoulder. “I’ve got this one .”

Malik put his hand over Brooke’s. “Up for going to the club ?”

She nodded. “But I’m not much of a dancer .”