The boys and I had been gathered around the kitchen island where I’d set the phone on speaker. When the call was over, the three of us backed up and stood with the same dumbfounded look on all of our faces.
“Was that the same woman that we’ve been dealing with?” Ivan asked, pointing to the phone. “No way that was the same person.”
“Aye, weren’t you paying attention, Kid?” I asked. “That’s notVictoria, that’sVic. We’re all buddy-buddy now, so we’re going with nicknames and such.”
Pyke narrowed his eyes, rubbing his chin.
“It’s strange. Her one-eighty makes me suspicious. I mean, maybe she honestly did realize she was being a pain in the ass, but still.”
“Whatever it is,” I said, “I’m damned glad she’s putting all the nonsense behind her. Last thing I want to have to deal with is a royal brat with an attitude while we work this mission.”
It’d been a smart move on Ajax’s part to let us listen in on the conversation. He’d known it’d go over well with the rest of us to hear her motivations about her change of heart.
I went on. “Glad to know she’s got her head right. All the same, it’s one thing tosayyou’re going to change your attitude—it’s another thing todoit.”
Pyke nodded. “Yeah, good point. We will have to keep a close eye on her to see if she’s as genuine as she suggested. If she starts acting like a pain in the ass again, we’ll set her straight.”
Kid reached for his coffee, tossing what was left of it down the hatch.
“Alright, now that we’ve got the issue of the pain-in-the-ass princess settled, I’m thinking we ought to put that gym downstairs to use. What do you guys say about doing some sparring?”
“Damn, that sounds good, Kid,” I said. “I don’t think I’ve had a proper workout since before the Boston mission.”
“Absolutely,” Pyke agreed. “But I’ve got something else in mind—why don’t we teach Vic some self-defense pointers?”
I nodded. “Another good idea. Showing her some basic moves on how to defend herself is invaluable.”
As soon as I said the words, the image of Victoria dressed in skintight workout clothes came to mind. I imagined her in a pair of shorts, maybe a sports bra that clung tightly to those ample breasts of hers, a strip of bare midriff on view below. Just the thought was enough to make my cock twitch in my cargos.
“Let’s go check the gym out,” I said, needing something to distract myself. “I’m eager to burn off this French toast before I start getting soft.”
The boys and I finished up our coffee, then headed out of the kitchen and to the stairs leading down to the basement.
Once we got down there, we stopped at the entrance to the gym and took a look around.
“Aye,” I said, putting my hands on my hips and giving the place a once-over. “This’ll do just fine.”
The space was large, with racks of dumbbells and rows of exercise equipment. There was a mat-covered area for yoga, sparring, or whatever else, along with several TVs throughout the room and a killer stereo system. Hell, there was even a locker room for changing and washing up after.
“I call the squat rack,” Kid said. “My legs have been dying for a good pump.”
“Go for it, Kid—I’ll go next,” Pyke replied.
I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could say a single word, my phone buzzed again in my pocket. A check of the screen revealed that it was a text from Ajax.
“Shite,” I muttered, swiping the screen to read it. “Duty calls.”
Need you up here. Got something I want you to check out.
“See you boys in a bit,” I said as I shoved my phone back in my pocket and started back toward the stairs. “And wipe down the damn machines when you’re done with them, yeah?”
Back upstairs, Ajax and Vic were waiting in the kitchen. Right away I noticed that Vic had a softer expression on her face, a stark and welcome contrast to the sour puss she’d been wearing since we’d met.
“Hey,” she said. “Where is everyone?”
I grinned, eager to share the plan we had worked out for her.
“They’re all down in the gym. And you’re going to be joining them.”