Caillen didn’t argue because he knew better. He’d spent his entire life having to answer to his sisters for everything and having to watch after them and deal with their drama. Not to mention the one time he’d tried to be serious with a woman…
Yeah, that had taught him and killed any thoughts he might have ever had about commitment. Women were crazy.
It was why he had no interest in settling on one female. Ever. Or even letting one near him for more than the couple of hours it took to relieve a biological itch. He didn’t want the trauma of it. All women wanted to domesticate the male and he was too wild for that. He didn’t want kids or a wife. He just wanted to live his life on his own terms and answer to no one but himself.
Freedom. That was what he craved. He lived for the blood-pumping danger of smuggling. Flying fast. Living on the edge, one step away from death. Not even his sisters, who were the toughest females he’d ever met, could keep up with him. If they couldn’t he knew there was no oe else who could.
Wanting to change the topic, he directed them back to the matter at hand that had caused him to jam the vid surveillance. “Look, you guys know I don’t give two shits if I’m a flaming dork in public—which I am most of the time. My philosophy is simple. You want to be my friend, let’s take a drink. You want to judge me, duck. But this isn’t about me. In spite of the fact that he’s an aristo, my dad seems to be a decent man and I don’t want to humiliate him in front of his pretentious crew by doing something stupid like thinking the hand-washing bowl is soup and trying to eat it… again. Or breaking some other protocol I don’t know about. So can you show me how to be like one of you?” That actually came out easier than he’d thought it would. He’d barely choked on his dignity.
Darling clapped him on the back. “Don’t worry, brother. We’ll be with you every step of the way.”
Maris flashed a devilish grin. “And laughing continuously at your expense. However we do promise to keep it on the inside… most of the time.”
Caillen laughed at the way Maris said that. He was lucky to have two friends he could trust. Four if he counted Nykyrian and Syn. He’d had enough people stab him in the back that he knew better than to take their loyalty for granted. There weren’t many people who’d lay down their lives for someone else. But any of the four of them would do it for him.
And he’d die for them just as quickly.
Darling wagged his eyebrows at Maris. “I don’t know. A flaming dork in public might be highly entertaining.”
Caillen shoved at Darling who laughed as he stumbled sideways. “You’re both pervs. I don’t know why I hang out with you.”
Darling snorted. “Probably because we’re the only ones who’ll hang out with you. Not to mention, I was a good innocent child unsullied by depravity until I started running with you and your crew.”
Maris nodded. “I can attest to that. You guys seriously corrupted my little buddy.”
Darling stiffened. “Little buddy? I sound like your pet.”
Maris threw an arm around Darling. “I keep trying for that too, but you’re no more game than Caillen is. I swear you should don a monk’s cloak.”
Caillen clapped his hands together. “And on that note, I’m going to find that cute maid I saw earlier and see if she’s single.” He made a double-clicking noise with his tongue as he winked at them. “See you guys later.”
His thoughts already fantasizing on the maid’s charms, he left them to drift down the hallway toward the conservatory where he’d last seen the petite blonde who’d given him a most salacious smile earlier.
“Come to Papa, baby.” He was definitely in the mood to find some alone time with her and that feather duster she’d been using on his father’s statues. There was something else hard he wanted her to tease with it.
Ad alked past the glass door that let out into the rear gardens, his senses picked up on an ephemeral disturbance. It was a small, subtle smear on one pane. Most people wouldn’t pay it any heed, but then most people weren’t used to scrounging for survival and having to guard their backs every moment they breathed.
It shouldn’t be there.
Caillen frowned. The maids had been in here this morning cleaning everything thoroughly…
He pulled back the curtain to look at the electronic lock. It’d been deactivated and left slightly ajar for a quick exit.
Yeah, someone was in here who shouldn’t be.
That calm, dead cold came over him as he went into soldier mode. He knew the perp hadn’t gone toward the study where he’d been. The other direction led to his father’s private wing.
C’mon, Cai. Don’t be ridiculous. There’s security all over the place. One of them could have been doing rounds and touched the pane.
Yeah, but when you’d grown up with people who broke into places like this to kill and rob its occupants, you knew just how worthless that security was. Alarms were only for the honest. Professional assassins and thieves picked their teeth with them.