Broderick: A Sabine Valley Novel, Katee Robert [book recommendations website .txt] 📗

Monroe flips her hair over her shoulder. “The same thing we’ve been doing, love. We fuck and we play, and we let everyone know we’re getting along swimmingly. We give the faction leaders no reason to get involved.”

Chapter 26 Broderick

I thought taking the time to go get coffee would be the break I needed to get my head on straight. It didn’t work. Sitting here on this bed with two of the most beautiful women I’ve ever encountered, having a conversation that doesn’t involve arguing for once…

It’s enough to make me want things I’m not sure are meant for me.

Monroe stretches. The sheet is bunched at her waist, leaving her breasts bare, and combined with the cute way Shiloh has the covers nearly tucked to her chin, my heart gives an uncomfortable lurch.

I care about Shiloh. Fuck, I love her. I have for a very long time.

I didn’t expect to care about Monroe, too.

It’s not love. That would be ludicrous. Not simply because she’s the enemy, but because just a few days ago, we were at each other’s throats. I can admire her strength and cunning and beauty without being in love with her. I can enjoy how seamlessly we work together when we’re focused on accomplishing the same thing without my emotions getting involved. No matter how much I enjoy her in my bed, ultimately sex changes nothing.

At least in theory.

I clear my throat. “I don’t know if it will be enough to fuck and frolic or whatever the hell you just said.”

“As long as we’re moving in the right direction, neither your brother nor my mother will jump the gun.” Monroe shrugs. “War is bad for everyone, and they’re not going to dive headfirst into it if there’s another option. We need to be convincing enough to prove there’s another option.”

Shiloh pulls her knees to her chest and wraps her arms around them. “What if you’re wrong?”

“I’m not.”

“You say that so confidently, I almost believe you.”

“You should.” I clear my throat. “She’s not wrong.” I know Abel. He might give the impression of being a barbarian brute, but there’s a reason we’d all follow him to hell and back without complaint. He’s too savvy to do something he can’t take back just for the sake of doing it. “Depending on how we play things, it should negate the current danger.”

Shiloh curses. “Fine. What’s the plan, then?”

Monroe drains the last of her coffee and slides out of the bed. “Since we have an off day, let’s have some fun.”

Shiloh shakes her head. “Fun isn’t going to get both of you out of the crosshairs.”

“Silly girl, I’m not talking about fucking.” Monroe grins suddenly. “Though we can do more of that later, if you like. I want to visit Old Town.”

Now it’s my turn to narrow my eyes. “There’s a reason we haven’t let you run rampant all over the faction, Monroe.” Though if there’s a mole—or several moles—in the compound itself, it removes some of those reasons. And with her going to Amazon territory every weekday, it’s not as if she can’t slip information to her people whenever she feels like it. Still… “It’s not safe.”

No matter how formidable she is, she’s still an Amazon in Raider territory. A single woman. There are plenty of people in our faction—especially in Old Town—who hate both Amazons and Mystics and won’t hesitate to take that hate out on Monroe, deserved or not.

“Are you worried about me?” For once, the question doesn’t have a mocking lilt to it. Monroe stares at me like she’s never seen me before. Before I can come up with a response, her expression clears. “Oh, of course not. If I die, it puts you right back into the fire with war.”

I honestly hadn’t considered the war when I objected. “The world would be a dimmer place without you in it.” I’m kicking myself before I finish the sentence, but there’s no taking it back now.

She blinks those big green eyes at me. “Um, okay.”

Shiloh takes pity on me and cuts in. “Broderick’s not wrong. With how crowded it can get in Old Town during peak hours, it would be simple to slip a knife between your ribs and be gone before we had a chance to react. It’s what I would do in their position.”

“How murderous of you.” Monroe waves that away. “I’ll be with you and Broderick. Between the three of us, I’m safe enough.”

Shiloh and I exchange a look. She smiles a little. “I’ll ask Cohen for a few people to tag along. I’m sure Iris could use some shopping after dealing with that Mystic so much lately.”

That Mystic being Matteo, the son of the ruler of the Mystics. I haven’t interacted with him much, but Finnegan seems to like him just fine as a Bride. Or at least the sounds coming from their room the other night seem to indicate he does. I wonder what Iris thinks about that. She’s always been something of a closed book. She and Shiloh are close enough, but if she’s bothered by her boyfriend fucking his Bride, she hasn’t shown any indication of it. She’s been sleeping in Finnegan’s room, after all.

“Good. Since we’re on the same page for the time being, we might as well prove to the public that I’m a docile little Bride.”

I snort. “No one would ever use the word docile’ to describe you.”

“You’re right.” She snaps her fingers. “Guess we’ll have to convince them you gave me such a good dicking down that I’ve temporarily lost my mind.”

Heat flashes through my body, and I have to concentrate not to respond physically at the memories that surge forth. “No one is going to believe that, either.”

“Give me a little credit.” She grins. “They’ll believe it enough to get our respective leaders off our backs. That’s all that matters—negating the current threat.”

Shiloh gets a strange look on her face but nods. “That’s the wisest course of action.”

“It is.” Monroe gives a