Semper Mine (Sons of War #1)(35)

“Can we have bacon?” Morgan asks.

It’s the first time I’ve heard her talk. I shouldn’t be surprised it’s about the food. They’ve obediently eaten everything Katya planned.

“Please?” Jacob added. “It’s French toast day!”

Carson chuckles. “Heard about your health food.” He bends down to see Jacob’s collection. “You got some good ones.”

I don’t mind spiders. I don’t particularly care for them either. Jacob passes them over to Carson while I consider what to do.

“I was taking them out to go to the bathroom,” Jacob explained.

“Spiders pee?” Carson asks.

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t they?”

I snort, amused. I’ve never thought twice about spiders peeing.

“Bacon,” Morgan prompts me. She looks desperate, the way I feel whenever we go to the mess hall.

A glance at the tent assures me that Katya hasn’t gotten up yet. “I’ll make you a deal,” I start.

They wait expectantly. Carson hands back the container of spiders.

“Jacob, go show Ms. Khavalov your friends and have her help you walk them for their morning run to the head. Morgan, round up the team and line them up out here. If you both can do that within ninety seconds, you can have bacon.”

Jacob sprints towards the pup tent while Morgan dashes into the larger one.

“Why do I suspect Khav’s sister doesn’t like spiders?” Carson asks.

I shrug and sip my coffee. It’s a relatively easy way to put Katya and me back at odds, where I’m more comfortable being with her. If I let myself think too much about how much good she’s hiding beneath the anger …

Less than a minute later, her shriek rings out.

Carson gives a low, rumbling laugh.

I smile.

The tent looks ready to implode from the thrashing going on inside. Katya dashes out, still wearing underwear and bra. She bends over and frantically paws at her hair.

So f*cking sexy. Whether or not I should feel regret, I do as I look over her body. I could have spent the night f*cking her …

But didn’t. Because I’m a f*cking good guy.

Jacob exits the tent, distraught. I wave him over, not wanting him to get yelled at for something I put him up to.

“This is good,” Carson says, drinking his coffee as he watches the mostly naked Katya try to get spiders out of her hair.

“I could wake up to that every day,” Riley agrees, approaching.

I eye him. I know how Riley is with women, more flirting than anything. His comment still annoys me.

His attention is on Katya.

“I lost a couple,” Jacob reports mournfully when he reaches us.

“We’ll find you more,” I assure him. “Put them away and fall in with the others.”

He perks and heads into the kids’ tent.

“Katya! Put on some clothes!” Petr shouts, emerging from his tent. “What the hell are you doing?”

Shaking out her hair one last time, she straightens and stares at us. Carson continues to laugh. I meet her gaze and raise my coffee mug.

“Time to get up,” I call.

“You put him up to that?” She flushes. I’m not sure if it’s anger or in memory of last night. Either way, it’s sexy as hell.

“Friendly reminder. You guys are within –“ before Petr can finish, a shoe is flying at us.

It’s a damn good throw, aimed at my head. I duck, and it sails over me. The second catches Riley in the chest.

He laughs.

Furious, Katya disappears into the tent.

“Show’s over,” Petr says with the gruffness of a protective brother. “Go inside before she starts throwing something that can do damage.”

I turn away from the tent, warm for more reasons than because I just drank coffee. Morgan has the team lined up and waiting anxiously. Word about bacon and French toast must’ve spread, because they’re unable to stand still more than usual.

Satisfied with my morning thus far, I walk them over to the mess tent then let them loose. Knowing what our day will be like, I load up on French toast and sit with the team.

It’s fantastic. Vanilla, cinnamon, bread so fresh I almost groan … Why the f*ck have I been eating yogurt for three days?

Katya. Trying to be an honorable guy and respect her. Because of that, I missed out on incredible food and getting laid.

She’s absent again from breakfast. I’m not sure if she’s pissed at me or what’s up with her, but she missed dinner last night as well.

“You get in a fight with a bear?” Riley calls over to Harris, who walks in beside Harper.

“Allergies,” Harris mumbles and ducks his head. He’s got a swollen eye.

Riley catches my gaze and nods towards the civilian, amused. I shake my head. The guy clearly had a run in with someone. All the members of my team have had black eyes, whether from fighting enemies or sparring among themselves. We know what one looks like.

The creep probably deserved it.

I’m starting to consider taking Katya a plate of food to make sure she eats. I don’t know that being alone with her is a good idea. Then again, when have I ever backed down from a challenge? After a moment of arguing with myself, I finish eating and stand.

She twists me into knots, and I hate that. Ordering the internal dialogue silent, I duck out of the mess tent. The kids aren’t even halfway done, so I have time to check in on her and return for them.