Page 37 of Brushed By Moonlight

A low rumble built in my throat.

Bene grinned. “She might have a bee up her ass, but it’s a pretty great ass. Also, an entire week has gone by withoutGordon putting us to work. If we’re lucky, he’ll forget about us, and in a few months, we’ll all be free.”

I scoffed. “Dream on. Gordon will have something for us soon.”

Silence reigned as we both considered what thatsomethingwould be. Gordon hadn’t achieved pole position by playing nice. The only use he had for guys like us was to keep his hands clean of his dirtiest deeds.

Plus, Gordon had only contracted for us to stay with Mina for three months. Where might he ship us off to when our time here was up?

“How bad do you think it will be?” Bene asked quietly.

Unbearable,my dragon lamented.

But Bene meant the missions we might be assigned.

I shrugged. “Something dangerous, for sure.”

Bene flapped a hand, unimpressed. “I can do danger.”

“Remember, we’re expendable,” I said.

“Speak for yourself, man.”

I grimaced. “What I mean is, Gordon will only give us jobs he wouldn’t risk his best men on.”

Bene’s eyes went wide in alarm. “You mean,canary in a coal minetype thing?”

“Yeah. Canaries in a coal mine rigged with explosives. Canaries deep behind enemy lines, outnumbered and on their own.”

“What did I do to deserve this?” Bene started. Then he caught himself with a rueful shake of the head. “Okay, scratch that. I do deserve this.”

I made a face. Each of us had screwed up, but none of our crimes warranted a death sentence. But, hey. Maybe we would get lucky.

Bene faked a cheery grin. “Well, maybe we’ll get something to break up the monotony.”

Yeah, right. He was starting to love this place as much as I did — but for different reasons, I hoped.

My claws strained under my fingernails as my dragon fought to emerge.If Bene so much as looks at Mina the wrong way…

Thegreat asscomment was evidence that he already had, but I couldn’t blame him for that. But if he got it in his big, blond head to get anywhere near that great ass — or any other part…

Touch her and you’re dead,my dragon rumbled.

The message must have carried — a miracle, given the thickness of his lion skull — because Bene backed away with his palms up.

“Maybe not such a great ass after all.”

My growl grew louder.

“Uh…I mean…” He backpedaled on the comment. “Just kidding. Anyway, you know me, man. All work and no play.”

Ha. More like all play and no work, like most lions.

“Speaking of which, I think I hear Roux calling…” Bene inched away.

A lie, but it reminded me of the scent I’d caught in the woods, so I followed him inside. We found Roux going over his messages in the drawing room.

He looked up. “What?”