Wicked Edge (Realm Enforcers, #2)(60)

Adam sighed and rubbed a hand over his eyes. “Okay. When you get to Seattle, send me copies of all the documents. We’ll have to start tracing all of the evidence.”

Before it showed up publicly? “We need to warn Simone. Things are going to get dicey before we figure it out.” Being removed from the Coven Nine would hurt her, so he had to make sure it didn’t happen. “When I find whoever is behind this, I’m ripping off his head.”

Adam nodded. “That’s a plan I support.”

Yeah. Daire grinned. One could always count on Adam to go for the quick kill and not screw around with it. He cleared his throat. “Ah, one more thing.”

“What?” Adam said, focusing in.

“What kind of a disaster are we facing, PR-wise, if I mated Felicity Kyllwood?” he asked, keeping his voice low.

Adam’s jaw went slack and his chin dropped. “Are you joking?”

“No.”

“Planning ahead?”

“No.”

Adam blew out air, disbelief darkening his eyes. “Have you lost your f*cking mind?”

Daire glanced over at the pale features of the goddess sleeping so peacefully on the sofa. “Aye.”

Adam coughed. “Well, let’s see. If Zane Kyllwood found out you touched his mother, he’d probably put out a hit on you. When he finds out you mated his mommy, he’s going to come for you himself and rip off your head.”

“She’s way too young to have a grown son, much less three of them,” Daire mused. “She could have kids well into her nine hundredth year.” As a demon, she was barely an adult, really. Compared to a human, she’d be around twenty-five years old.

“So what?” Adam exploded.

Daire frowned and turned down the volume on his phone speaker. “I’m just saying. Sure, she’s Zane Kyllwood’s mother, but she has an entire life to live still. And the woman is f*ckin’ crazy, Adam. No way would she just sit quietly and, I don’t know, knit sweaters or anything.” She was meant to live a full life, and something in him, deep down and insanely possessive, wanted to live it with her. “She’s meant to blaze trails, not sit on the sidelines.”

“You have it bad,” Adam muttered. “Assuming Kyllwood doesn’t slice off your dick and feed it to alligators, your response in the witch nation will be split. Strategists like Aunt Viv will love the idea of a permanent alliance with the demon nation, but right now, especially with Simone’s alliance with the demons being used to hurt her, you could face some opposition.”

So the hell what? He’d never given one whit about public opinion, and he sure as shit wasn’t going to start caring about it now.

“Not for nothin’, but Zane Kyllwood is barely more than thirty years old, is now happily mated, and recently had his baby girl turn one year old.” Daire stretched his neck.

“So?”

“So, Zane couldn’t take me in a fight, thus I’m not worried he’s coming after me. Plus, I’ll deal with any opposition in the witch nation.”

Adam snorted. “Forget the witch nation and worry about Zane Kyllwood. He may be younger and lack your centuries of experience, but geez. You mated his mother.”

Well now, that was a good point. Did that make him a stepdad to Logan? His head pounded.

Adam shook his head. “With the mutated virus, you know you could negate the mating bond, right?”

Fury roared through Daire’s blood, and he tamped it down, swallowing several times.

“I guess not,” Adam said slowly, his gaze widening. “All righty then. Congrats on your mating, bro.” The screen crackled and the picture morphed. “I’m about to lose the connection. Good luck, and let me know if I can do anything.” The screen went black.

Daire shook his head.

“Do you want to stay mated?” Felicity asked, scooting up to sit.

He eyed her. “How are you feeling?”

“Better. My shoulder is all healed and my arm doesn’t hurt any longer.” She scrubbed both hands down her delicate face. Her blond hair was mussed, and her eyes sleepy, giving her a sexy let’s go back to bed look. Or perhaps that was just his interpretation.

He nodded. “I want to stay mated.”

She blinked. “I like that we have a choice these days.”

Yet how much easier would it be if they didn’t? The mutated virus could negate matings, and he wasn’t sure he liked the new ways. “I’m kinda’ all in or all out, baby.” He didn’t know how else to put it to her. If they were going to make a go of it, there was no out clause.

Her eyes widened, sparkling like onyx jewels. “You want a decision on forever right now and this quickly?”

Aye. If he was going to give it a shot, he wanted to know she was, too. “It’s how I work.”

She snorted. “You’re going to have to learn how I work, Enforcer.”

“I do know.” He needed to learn some finesse, and he might as well start now. “I don’t mean to pressure you.”

“I’m not feeling pressured.” She stretched her neck and rolled out her healed shoulder. “I just, ah, need time to think.”

He smiled. The woman who seemed perfectly comfortable jumping right into any dangerous situation needed time to think about being mated to him.