"He was upset that you ditched your security detail."
"But it doesn't give him the right to speak to me the way he did." I shook my head. "Maybe you've just been so pissed with me that you haven't noticed it, but Lucien, he's been giving me hell for a while now. It's not just me ditching my detail; it's anything and everything I do."
"He's right," Nikolas said as he and Sabaan came back into the room. "I've seen the way Silver's taken to treating Peter in recent months, and it needs to be dealt with."
"He's got power now where he used to have none," Sabaan added. "As strictly a team leader, he would probably be okay, but giving him the position as chief of security also? That might not have been such a good idea."
"Unfortunately, I tend to agree." Lucien sighed heavily. "I just thought that he would be perfect in that position, considering his background. But you are all right. He cannot continue with this attitude and remain in his positions."
"I'm not going to say take it easy on him, but maybe give him a very stern warning, you know?" I shrugged. "I just& he makes me look bad in front of the entire coven, and I do enough of that on my own."
"I say we talk rooming options," Sabaan said with a smile. "Peter? You're moving back in here, correct?"
I nodded and looked at Lucien. "If he'll have me."
"I wouldn't have it any other way," he said with a grin. "Nikolas, Sabaan? You are both welcome to sleep here. The bed is certainly big enough for four."
"Yeah, and a whole lot more," Nikolas snorted.
Lucien walked to the closet and opened the doors. "You know, we could always put another entrance through here from your bedrooms to ours. No one would have to see who was continually going from room to room, and it would give us a little more privacy."
"I'm all for more privacy," Nikolas said.
"Won't that interfere with the emergency exit?" Sabaan asked.
Lucien shook his head. "I should hope that it would make it easier for the four of us to get out of here safely."
"You really are okay with all of this, aren't you?" Nikolas sounded in awe. "The four of us&together?"
"Of course I am." Lucien turned to face them, concerned, and then walked toward them. "Do you truly doubt me and my intentions?"
"Your change of heart was just so quick." Nikolas reached for Lucien and drew him close. "We've been fighting for so long and to have the slate wiped clean? Just promise you're not going to freak out in a week and try to kill us all."
"I promise." Lucien pressed a gentle kiss to Nikolas' lips and lingered there. "I really have missed you, Nikolas. Who better to have as a lover than someone who was once my best friend?"
"All right, all right," Sabaan began pushing them apart. "You two are about to get too mushy, even for me."
"You know you love it." Lucien grabbed Sabaan up and kissed him on the cheek. "Talking about friendship and commitment and love ."
Sabaan squirmed. "Ew, Peter, get him off me."
I just laughed and shook my head.
Lucien put Sabaan down and gave him a playful smack on the ass. "Nikolas? Are you coming to the dungeon with me?"
"Oh, hell yeah!"
Sabaan pulled his hair up in an odd arrangement to get it out of his face and started for the door. "While I'd like to watch, I'm starving. If anyone needs me, I'll be in the kitchen."
Lucien and Nikolas looked back at me before walking out. I held my hands up and shook my head. "I'm bowing out of this one. I'm going to hang out here, maybe go try to catch up on some work in the study."
"You sure, princess?"
I nodded. "Yep."
"If you change your mind&" Lucien winked and let the words hang in the air as he closed the door.
I stayed where I was for a long while, enjoying the calm and quiet of the bedroom. Truth be told, I'd missed it; the bed, the bathroom, but most of all.Lucien. The entire room carried his scent, and even if he wasn't physically there, he was still there.
My cell phone rang, piercing the silence of the room. I located it and stared at the screen. The number wasn't familiar. I opened the phone and pushed the button.
"Yes?"
"Peter?"
Tanner.
"Hey, Tanner."
"You busy?"
"Well, no." I glanced around the room, trying not to sigh aloud. Apparently, I'd not be spending any time in here alone anytime soon. "Why?"
"We need to talk," he said. "I'm just pulling into the drive now."