“Take my other hand if you want it.” Aleksander glared up at him. “You’ll never take my wife.”

“I already have.” The something dark grew hot...hotter...until it burned Baden’s chest, a poker pressing deep. “And if you say one more word about her, I’ll teach you how to make cell-to-table dick puree.” A threat he’d heard Paris make on more than one occasion.

The sharp scent of fear saturated the air. Delightful.

“Pandora,” Aleksander shouted. “Pandora!”

“She promised to help you, I know.” There were multiple cameras hidden throughout the space, and Torin had captured each of her flashes into the room.

He’d texted Baden every time, and Baden had joined him at the wall of monitors, waiting for her to attempt to free the human from his chains—chains that were attached to the wall with mystical bonds. They could be opened only one of two ways: a key made specifically for the lock, or the All-key, capable of opening any lock. A key Torin carried in his spirit.

The moment Pandora touched one of the links, she would become bound to the chains herself, unable to flash away. But she was smart, and she’d avoided all points of contact.

“Pandora!” Aleksander shouted again.

Movement at his right. Baden spun, at the same time jumping backward, barely missing Pandora’s swinging sword.

They faced off, glaring at each other.

“Trying to kill me?” Baden was dressed and ready for war. Dual pistols in holsters waited at his waist. His camo pants had multiple pockets, each filled with something deadly: daggers, extra cartridges, switchblades, throwing stars and even a vial of poison. “Tsk-tsk. Hades will be displeased.”

“Perhaps I meant to shave you. You’re looking a little stubbly.”

Well, then. Perhaps he would shave her, too. He pulled a switchblade, lethal silver glinting in the light cast from a single bulb hanging from the ceiling.

“This man belongs to me.” She pointed to Aleksander, as if Baden needed clarification. “He’s my point.”

“You want him? Take him.” He smiled at her. “I won’t lift a finger to stop you.”

She motioned to his blade. “You’ll just lift a weapon, I’m guessing.”

He held out his arms in a display of innocence. “I won’t. You have my word.”

She knew him, knew his word was as good as gold. She also knew he always planned ahead.

“Free him,” she said, “or I’ll take a page from your book and steal something else from you. Something new every day.”

“You may try.”

“Very well. Remember, you picked this path.” She smirked and vanished.

Aleksander smirked as well, feeling confident now that he thought he had an ally.

Baden smiled. “Try not to scream. Actually, scream all you like. I’ll enjoy it.”

* * *

Baden flashed outside Torin’s bedroom. He’d learned not to appear directly inside any room but his own. More often than not, a couple was inside having sex. Even in the living room. No one had boundaries anymore.

He knocked, his beastly strength cracking yet another door.

“If this isn’t a matter of life and death,” Torin called, “go away.”

His friend would probably regret the qualification. “It is.”

A grunt of irritation, a rustle of clothing and a patter of footsteps. Keeley opened the door, her tank top on backward, and her skirt tucked into her panties.

Oh, yes. Torin regretted.

Destruction cursed at her.

She looked Baden up and down, saying, “You’ve never looked better, but I’ve never hated you more.” She flipped him off as she shouldered her way past him, muttering, “Cock blocker’s not gonna like payback.”

The beast tried to take over his body, to attack Torin’s mate, but Baden heard Katarina’s laughter down the hall and maintained strict control. What or who had amused her?

Concentrate!

Right. He strode into the bedroom as Torin buttoned his pants, forewent a shirt and plopped into a chair in front of his “command center.”

“You need to tighten security,” Baden told him. “Pandora threatened to steal from me. Something new every day.”

“Security is already tight enough to pop a cherry. And you obviously haven’t heard how busy Pandora has been. Kaia and Gwen were in town when she attacked. An attempt to hurt Strider and Sabin, I’m sure, but she had her ass handed to her and retreated.” Torin typed as he spoke. “By the way. Galen came by earlier and asked me to talk to you about your old pal Distrust—”