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The voice sounded muffled from behind the door, but Viago didn’t seem particularly out of sorts. That was something, at least, although he’d been monologuing for at least ten minutes, and Cuervo’s patience was beginning to wear dangerously thin. Whoever the poor soul on the receiving end of such a tirade might be, they were surely questioning the very purpose of their existence out of sheer boredom.
He’d already waited long enough. Cuervo decided to free whoever it was from the tedium and, whilst he was at it, stop wasting his time waiting. Pretending not to realise what he was doing, he flung the door wide open, causing the two people inside to turn towards him in surprise.
Viago’s exasperated expression didn’t shock him, but the person he hadn’t expected to run into was Alecto. She must have returned only recently, judging by her tired appearance, but the way she smiled at him made Cuervo forget everything else in the room.
“As ill-mannered as ever. I don’t know why I’m still surprised,” his brother grumbled, even more annoyed at feeling ignored.
“Your note said to come to your office as soon as possible,” Cuervo added, with a touch of humour, “so that’s what I’ve done—come in as soon as possible.”
Alecto bit her upper lip, struggling to stifle a giggle, which made Viago’s nostrils flare even wider. Fortunately, a fourth Crow burst into the office.
"Fifth Talon. Sir," she said, somewhat hesitantly, glancing at those present. It seemed as though she might cower at any moment, faced with her superior’s all-too-obvious anger. "I’m s… I’m sorry to interrupt, but the First requires you in the main hall. She didn’t tell me why."
Viago let out a growl and stood up. “Best not to keep her waiting. You two,” he looked at them, weighing up his options, “wait for me here. I’m not finished with you yet, Sombra.” Alecto sighed without bothering to hide it. “As for you, little brother, I’ve got a job for you. I won’t be long.”
He walked between them, his cloak billowing rather dramatically, and slammed the door shut behind him. Velasco and Alecto waited a second before bursting out laughing.
“If I’d known it was you, Trouble, I’d have gone in sooner.” Cuervo winked at him. “I didn’t know someone could try to kill another person with nothing but words.”
“It seems I’m proving to be an excellent trainee,” she laughed in turn. “Don’t ask me what he was saying to me, because I don’t know. I haven’t been paying him any attention since…” She paused for a second. “Probably since the second sentence.”
He’d missed her, more than he’d first realised. Cuervo was growing fond of her, a feeling that was clearly mutual. Moving a little closer, he spoke to her in a softer, infinitely more seductive tone. “Tsk. Admitting out loud that you’re not paying any attention to our dear Talon. Or perhaps you’re just under his spell.”
The way she raised her purple eyes told him that the closeness was welcome. Her gaze traced the contours of his arms, his chest, until it settled on Cuervo’s eyes. “A curious reproach from someone who doesn’t hesitate to barge into his office without even knocking.” She pressed the corners of her lips together slightly into a mischievous smile, the very one that drove him mad. “What would your brother think if he walked in right now and saw you flirting so brazenly with his poor victim?”
“All the more reason not to waste another second talking.” Cuervo leaned over Alecto and kissed her, savouring every corner of her mouth from the very first touch. The feel of her tongue against his was delicious, even more so when she pressed her body against his. Damn, he needed more. He demanded more.
Blindly, they leaned against the desk, simply for comfort. The fact that they could be discovered at any moment only added an extra touch of excitement to the moment, and the effort it took them to pull apart and catch their breath was almost inhuman. But, much to their regret, Viago’s voice sounded as though he was approaching – he was furious about something, someone, or both.
“And, as always, my brother manages to ruin any pleasant moment,” murmured Cuervo, planting a quick kiss on her before, much to his regret, letting her go. “Will you wait for me when he finally releases us? It seems we’ve got a lot to catch up on.”
Alecto nodded, with a little giggle, and stepped away from the desk just before Viago came back in, looking considerably more grumpy. The scene seemed innocent at first glance—Alecto and Cuervo chatting amicably—but her cheeks were slightly flushed and, worse still, his brother still had that damned habit of wearing trousers so tight that it was impossible to hide anything. Any hope he had that the rumours were just idle gossip vanished in an instant.
Cuervo then noticed some papers scattered on the floor – which Viago had surely spotted – and which had probably fallen during their earlier little outburst.
“I think I asked you to wait here, not to… add your own personal touch to my office,” said Viago, sourly.
Bending down and picking them up as if nothing had happened, Velasco shrugged. “Vi, I really don’t know what you take me for. We know how important tidiness is to you; we’d never dare touch your things.” He deliberately placed them on the desk in a shapeless heap, winking at the woman. “It must have been the wind.”