over. The other side of the table’s edge now leveled over the man’s neck—he hadn’t been quick enough to roll beneath the table when his chair made an abrupt exit from beneath him. He was trapped, his dark eyes bulging as he coughed.

“I’ve got a pretty little chica named Marianna sitting tight back in DC. She’s got the cutest dimples and a body most men dream of,” X said. He smiled down at the asshole, but it wasn’t a good smile. Not in the least.

Hernandez’s beady little eyes perked up. His hands flailed beneath the table as he reached for its edge to attempt to push it away. X only gave him the tiniest bit of space just in case he needed his throat dislodged so he could speak.

“Now I’m gonna go and have me some dinner. You think about those questions and see if you can come up with an answer.”

For good measure he pushed the table against Hernandez’s throat one more time before pulling back. The table rocked to the floor and hit with a loud bang. Hernandez did have the good sense to roll over then, falling to his stomach on the floor as he gasped for air. X started for the door, then turned back, glaring at Hernandez.

“Try not to think about Marianna and all she’s got to offer a man. Especially one who has her locked in his bedroom.”

Hernandez came to his knees, one arm extended as he pointed to X.

“?Bastardo! ?Te voy a matar si le toca!” he yelled.

“You’re in no position to threaten me, Hernandez,” X told him, a growl brewing in his chest as his beast prepared for battle. “I’ll be back in the morning. Think about my answers or kiss your daughter good-bye. How’s that for a threat?”

He left then to the sound of Hernandez yelling in Spanish, louder and more fluently. X chuckled as he moved down the long hallway, shiny steel walls on both sides of him. There was no danger from Hernandez or his threats. The man was locked down deep beneath the earth. He couldn’t even imagine daylight, let alone get the opportunity to see it, or to contact one of his henchman to follow through on the threat. No, Hernandez was locked down tight and X’s threat regarding his daughter was the bait that would have the man singing everything he knew come morning. Hell, he could even sing it in Spanish for all X cared, as long as he gave him the information he wanted.

* * *

Half an hour later X was doing something he’d never in all his years thought he would do. He was preparing to have dinner with a woman.

Not just the sit-down-and-eat type of stunt. But a real, live, I-talk-you-talk sort of gathering. The reason— Caprise had something on her mind and X was willing to bet everything he had that something was related to the phone calls she was getting—the phone calls that had him outraged.

What X knew about women was mostly between their legs, or on their chests, or their backsides, or … bottom line, he wasn’t real good with actually trying to relate to them. And if he were being totally honest with himself he’d have to ask over and over again, why Caprise? She was stubborn, contrary, moody, bitchy, and usually just a pain in the ass to be around. On the other hand, X vaguely remembered her as an intelligent and vivacious teenager. And presently, she was his best friend’s sister and for the moment, his lover. The fact that he actually cared about her well-being was an added bonus. Finally, she was a female. If there was one thing Shadow Shifters did with all their power and without reservation, it was protect their females.

So he was going to try to get on even ground with Caprise, to calm some of the hostility always brewing between them and talk to her reasonably. And if that didn’t work, he was putting her over his knee and paddling her ass until she told him what he wanted to know. The latter thought had his dick hardening as he entered the suite they shared.

X didn’t see her when he first entered. That was a good thing, since his arousal wasn’t easily hidden; his length rested against his thigh masked only by jeans that weren’t the loose-fitting kind. He carried the box of food the woman Jewel had helped him with. She was a timid sort of woman, such a startling contrast with Caprise, but she was very helpful. X figured Bas had assigned the woman to take care of whatever they needed while they were here.

He went into the kitchen and saw the small table with its four chairs. There was a full-size refrigerator, an electric stove, sink, and dishwasher. Unfortunately the space wasn’t huge … and X was. Or rather he felt like he was when his leg hit the back of a chair then, as soon as he turned, he backed into the sink. Cursing, he figured eating in here would be just as uncomfortable. While Caprise was what he considered a little too thin—except for her bountiful breasts—she was tall, at least five-eight or -nine. Both of them in here together would not be cute, or safe for that matter.

He went back out to the living room and stood there, box of food in both hands. He turned and looked at the couch, the coffee table, the lounging chair. Then he turned in the other direction and looked at the fireplace. They could picnic on the floor. X groaned. This was taking much more thought than he’d anticipated.

“What are you doing?” she asked. X nearly jumped out of his skin because he hadn’t heard her approach.

He cursed. Then looked at her and seemed to lose all words, even the bad ones.

It was already after eight in the evening. The sun had set, leaving the sky a brilliant indigo hue that gave an eerie sort of feel to the rocky resort. But none of that was what gave X pause. It was her, the woman he’d been trying to set up this meal for, to talk to, to get answers from. She was the one that had him swallowing hard.

“Do you need help?” she asked, taking a step toward him.

“Dinner,” he said and clamped his lips shut tightly. “I brought dinner.”

He’d seen women wearing much less—hell he’d seen her completely naked, so this shouldn’t have affected him this way. She wore a black nightgown. Actually, it looked like someone had spilled black ink over her, the silky material fit her so snugly. When she walked, one long leg slipped through a split that should have been illegal. There was no way in hell she was wearing anything beneath that getup.

“You want me to take the box?”

He shook his head, reaching once again for his control—the control that only seemed to slip when Caprise was involved. “No. Just trying to figure out where we should eat.”

“Come on in here. I’ve already made myself comfortable,” she said, turning to lead him back toward the bedroom.

Here was the thing about Caprise: Even without trying—which he was fairly certain she wasn’t doing right now—she was too fucking sexy. Her hair was pulled in a high ponytail, she had no shoes on, and there was no makeup on her face. She was probably getting ready for bed, not sex.

Yet all X could think of as he watched her walking in front of him was holding on to her thin hips, and thrusting deep between the delectable globes of her ass.

She’d climbed onto the bed. The nightgown rose up her thighs unapologetically as she crossed her legs then looked up at him expectantly. “What do you have?”

“Ah.” He floundered for a second, his cat scratching at the surface, itching for release. “I don’t know. I just told Jewel we needed food. Figured you weren’t in the mood to go out.”

Caprise shrugged as she reached for the box he lowered to the bed. “I just might be getting used to being locked up all the time.”

“I doubt that,” X said, sensing the reason she’d stayed in the room had to do with those calls and text messages she was receiving, and not any real attempt at being obedient.

Kicking off his shoes, he joined her on the bed and accepted a container she offered him. He opened it and frowned.

She laughed and his head jerked up. Her smile was genuine, her eyes alight with humor.

“I take it you don’t like that,” she commented.

“It’s got something green in it,” he said, still frowning.

She leaned in to take a look. “I think that’s spinach.”

X shook his head. “Stuff is only good if your name’s Popeye. I’ll pass.”

She was laughing again as she reached into the box. “You mean your mother never made you eat your veggies? Such a brat you are.”

X didn’t say that his mother never made him do anything, other than visit their neighbor. Inside, his cat roared at that thought, and X shut it out. Something he’d been used to doing for a very long time.

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