Page 70 of Collateral Claim

I take off my nightgown and get into the spa with a smile. Endo thinks about me too.

Chapter 29

My stained tongue

Endo

Scarlett didn’t just come on my tongue. She fucking stained it. No amount of mouthwash or toothpaste or even the tea I drink with breakfast this beautiful Saturday morning can remove the stains on my tongue.

Last night, she tasted perfect, like an edible flower. Ever had one of those? They’re sweet but also tart. You want to eat more, but if you do, you might stain your mouth with the color of the flower’s petals. Purple or green. It depends on the flower. We grow them in the garden.

I stab the egg in its sunny side, lift the whole thing, and go to eat it, but pause when I realize eight pairs of eyes stare at me.

After the rainy day, the sun is up, and Philip put Marquis in the wheelchair so Marquis quits trying to walk more than he should. My twin cousins stayed the night at the Keep, and since the chef is in for the weekend, he made us the brunch we’re eating now in the front gardens by the river.

“What?” I ask.

“Nothing,” Marquis answers.

“Then stop staring at me while I eat.”

“Is that what you told the doc last night? Or did you blindfold her while you ate her out so she couldn’t look at you?”

The men snicker.

Slowly, I place the fork on the plate so it doesn’t accidentally end up in anyone’s eye. It still might, but like this, I at least have to pick it up. It’s not ready and in my hand. “What I do with your doctor is none of your business.” I glare at Declan, who ratted me out. My expression might look as serious as I mean it, because he frowns.

“We’re just messing with you, Endo,” Declan says. “Relax.”

I close my eyes and count backward to five. “I was relaxed and about to take a bite of my egg when you two started messing with me about a pussy I ate last night. Shut your mouths and let me relax, or suffer the consequences of what you’re saying. I don’t have to shut up when you’re poking me. Don’t fuck with me, then tell me to chill. How about you all stop talking about pussy while I eat? How about that, huh?”

I fist the fork and stab the egg, then eat it whole, in one bite. “Anyone want to talk about the stagnant Cass situation?” If I didn’t think Daniel knew where Cass was, I would have sent Declan after him, and Scarlett would wear a nice little black dress to her daddy’s funeral.

“Our assets are still in place for a quick rescue,” Marquis says.

“Are we still calling Daniel today?” Connor asks while poking his phone.

“Why wouldn’t we?”

Marquis shrugs. “Just checking. Things might’ve changed since last night.”

“For fuck’s sake. She’s pretty. I indulged myself. It’s not a big deal.”

“Not like he never ate pussy before,” Connor voices his support.

“Not this kind of pussy,” Marquis says.

“What kind is that?” I ask.

“The collateral kind. The irresistible kind. The kind men bleed for,” Marquis says.

I lean back and scrub my face. “Don’t be dramatic.”

“Speak of the devil,” Connor says.

Scarlett walks down the steps. She’s wearing a white suit and riding boots. Is she going somewhere? When she spots us, she waves.

“Hi, Doc,” Marquis shouts.