Page 89 of Cherished By the Sinners

“I will ensure that Louise has enough hands to get the work done,” Mason told her.He cupped her face in one hand and leaned down to kiss her.He wanted to devour her, but he kept it much shorter than he wanted.“If you were to be taken or harmed again, Magnus and I would—”

“Destroy the world?”Darlene finished with one eyebrow rising into her hairline and a smile playing across her lips.

“Yes.”

She huffed.“Okay.I’ll get into the shower.”

Mason spent the next ten minutes on the phone ordering a security uniform for Darlene, touching base with the rest of his people, and organizing transportation for all the incoming groups.

Yvgeny would be landing first with Sam and the rest of their family.

Anna had been in contact with her government and military contacts handling the paperwork and cutting through the red tape for their entry into the United States.

A knock at the door had Mason opening it to find Louise standing in the doorway.

“You’re stealing my best employee,” she said with a pout as she handed over a folded stack of black clothing.

He shrugged.“That’s one of the reasons why we’re stealing her.”

Louise’s eyebrows rose.“And the fact that she’s now living in your suite has nothing to do with it?”

“I’m not going to apologize for being possessive of the woman my brother and I love.”

Louise’s jaw dropped open.Then a huge smile lit up her face.“I knew it!Baz owes me fifty bucks.”

That made Mason laugh.

Louise’s smug expression turned into pure delight.“I’m thrilled for all three of you.She deserves to be cherished, and you two boys have needed her kind of sunshine in your lives for as long as I’ve known you.”

“Thank you,” Mason said.

Louise slapped her hands together and rubbed them with glee.“Our guests will be arriving soon.Will you be in the lobby to meet them?”

“Yes, Magnus and I both.”

“Anything I should know regarding their rooms?”

“Standard VIP protocols are more than sufficient.”He tapped his ear.“Darlene will notify you if anything additional is needed.”

She nodded and hurried away towards the elevator.

Mason closed the door, locked it, then went to the bathroom and knocked.

“Come in,” Darlene called out.

He opened the door and found her wrapped in a large towel.The bruises on her face, neck, and body had darkened in the hours since she’d been rescued.A dark, purplish-blue now shadowed them.

“Are you in any pain?”he asked.“Can I get you something for it?”

She considered his question for a moment then nodded.“But just something over-the-counter.As long as I don’t bump into anything, they’re not too bad.”She smiled and held her hands out for the clothes.“Sitting in the security room is probably the safest I can be without wrapping me up in bubble wrap.”

“One of those puffy winter coats might work,” he said letting a smile play at the corner of his mouth.

She laughed, and it was so open, so cheerful, it was as if the sun had come out from behind storm clouds that had cloaked it for months.It warmed him from the inside, and he couldn’t help reaching out to her.He cupped her face with one hand and leaned down to kiss her.

“Thank you,” he whispered when he pulled back after several seconds.

“For what?”she asked, out of breath.