"You better believe that I'm on board with it." She assured him with a grin. "And I couldn't be happier. I'm a lucky, lucky woman but you know what else?" she asked and took another bite of the cakes even though she was full, mostly because she could. "You both are some seriously lucky men."
"That there"-Ansell waved his fork at her-"that we have known since the moment we met you, Lacey Rose. Well, that and the fact you were going to rock our world and you were a troublemaker too. Oh, don't give me those big innocent eyes, you know as well as we do you are." He was grinning at her.
She couldn't help but laugh. "And yet I was able to stay out of trouble for several years, wasn't I?" she boasted. "But it's all good. I happen to really enjoy being with you guys and I really love how you keep me out of trouble, now." Before they would just pull her happy ass out of it, now they pulled her happy ass out of trouble and fucked her six ways to Sunday. Damn she was a lucky, lucky woman.
Zhubin snorted but ended up coughing. "You shouldn't do that with food in your mouth," Ansell said, watching him. The universal sign for what Zhubin thought of that brilliant deduction was thrown up between the two men. Ansell just chuckled and passed over a cup of coffee.
She laughed, couldn't help herself. "Oh good lord you boys are killing me." She teased them. "But I like it so please, feel free to continue to torment each other because it's actually kinda funny. Just don't get mean with each other. That's when I will become grumpy with you boys."
"We would never do anything to make you upset, Lace," Zhubin said once he'd regained the ability to speak. "Unless of course we're protecting your cute ass and, in that case, you can be upset all you want, we'd still do it."
"I know you would. But you both also know that I can protect myself as well. Not from those from this side of the Veil as easily as humans, but you know what I mean." And that was another reason she loved them so. They both let her carry her own weight when she wanted and needed too.
"We know what you mean." He nodded with a smile. Setting his empty plate on the tray with the other now-empty dishes he poured more coffee before settling in at her side. "I think you could take most of those from this side of the Veil. It would be down and dirty but I think I'd put odds on you to win most of the fights."
That had her grinning and she shook her head. "I'm happy that you have that much faith in me love, but we both know that there are simply some beings that I cannot and will not ever be able to handle. I am more than willing to admit my faults in this, babe."
"You have faults?" he asked, overplaying it big time. A gasp, a hand to his chest and his eyes big and wide. Laughing, he shook his head and stared into her eyes. "Never, ever say so. You are absolutely perfect, Lacey, and we will not hear otherwise. Even from you."
She began to snicker and shook her head. "Well darling, I have faults and I know that. It's all good though because I also have you boys in my life. A woman couldn't ask for more than that in her life. Two men that would move heaven and earth for her? Uh, yeah. I'm the lucky one."
"Yes you are." Ansell nodded. At her look he blinked. "What? You wanted me to deny it?" he asked and then burst out laughing. "Silly woman." He chuckled softly, shaking his head. Even Zhubin was laughing, softly of course and trying to hide it, but it was there in his eyes.
"Oh you are too funny. Hardy, har, har." She snorted in reaction and shook her head. "You are so bad. It's okay, I love you and I am lucky and I damn well know it. So it's all good. We will survive, mostly because you boys have me." Another snicker from her made it clear that she loved to tease these men.
"Oh, now who's the comedian?" he asked before tickling her lightly.
Chapter Thirteen
They'd been back on her side of the Veil for a week now and still digging for anything on her stalker. They were closer and, with the information that Zhubin's fathers had dug up, going to get the bastard sooner than later. At least, that's what she believed, had to believe just to get up and go into work each day.
There had been two more murders, both set up to take them all out, just like the others. They'd all gotten out with only minor scratches but it had become war for them. Her mates were pissed and only growing angrier and tenser with each passing hour. Something had to be found and found soon or she was going to be dealing with two very cranky Luhpynes all too soon. Not that they weren't cranky currently but apparently, at least according to Zhubin's mother Gennette, they could get a lot worse when their mate's life and happiness were on the line.
Pushing Zhubin back from his desk, she took a seat on it and put her feet onto his chair, one on each side of his thighs. Passing him the letter she had just opened, she chewed her lower lip. Uncertainty and unease flooded her. She didn't know what to think of the letter.
Handwritten and very simple, the message was clear. If she didn't leave her mates the next to die would be her. She didn't mind that part, she had received more than one death threat. What bothered her was that the letter was written in blood. "He's getting very, very ballsy," she whispered. "To send that to me here?"
His nostrils flared. "It's human," he said, looking up at her. "We need to get that to the lab and get it tested. He's stepping up to new levels here, Lace." Reaching around her, he came back with an evidence bag that he dropped it into. "Grab the envelope. Maybe the bastard licked the damned thing and we'll get DNA from it." One of the pluses of those from the Veil having revamped all the human world systems was that everyone, human and other, were in the systems. No one was exempt.
"Let's damn well hope so because I seriously want to catch this sick motherfucker," she muttered. Rubbing her stomach, she felt herself sweating, and a little nauseous. "I really don't feel so hot. How about I have Ansell take me home and you take that to the labs?"
Frowning he stood and cupped her face, staring down into her eyes. "Probably the flu, it's going around. If you're not feeling better by tonight we should go to the clinic and see about getting you a shot. While we won't catch it you'll be damned miserable for no reason." Leaning in, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Go home, sleep and drink lots of fluids. As soon as I know anything about this sick piece of work I'll text Ansell so he can update you."
"Sounds good." She leaned in closer to him and closed her eyes. "You feel so lovely," she admitted quietly. "I rather like it." She rubbed her cheek to his and added, "If I am not feeling better when you get home we will go to the doctors but know I do it because I love you and I really, really don't like feeling like this."
"I know, and I intend to use that for every ounce of give I can get out of you." Grinning he wrapped his arms around her and just held her for a few minutes. Finally, though, he drew back. "Come on. Ansell is down in the firing range. I'll walk you down and then head to the labs and sit there with a glower on my face of ultimate pain until they give me what I need."
That had Lacey laughing, and no sooner than they got into the hall she turned a pale color and raced for the bathroom. She tossed her stomach contents in great heaves, the kind that brought tears to her eyes. All because she could smell Studemeir's Tuna Salad. Ick! She accepted the wet paper towels that Zhubin passed her and leaned back on him. Her eyes were closed and she whispered. "Okay. Maybe I am sick," she muttered darkly.
Passing her a small disposable cup of water, he stroked her hair lightly. Only when she drank it and didn't feel so shaky did he help her up to her feet. "Wash your face, you'll feel better," he suggested quietly as he followed on her heels. His hand was a warm and comforting weight on her back, but the odd look on his face, a mix of confused and worried, wasn't nearly as comforting. He sort of looked like he was trying to work through a problem and only getting more questions and no answers.
"I will have Ansell take me home and I will crawl in bed and wait for you to come home for me. Then after we will go to the clinic and I will get that shot. That's what I mean," she muttered. "Not until I think after a nap I will feel better, but I will still go to the clinic and get the shot so that I can feel better."