Free Obsidian Music (Lion Security Book 3) by Scarlett Dawn

started muttering under his breath, turning sharply from her. When he passed me, I heard a few inventive curse words being stated as he went to sit by his father, who was sipping his own drink. Daniil’s eyes crinkled over the glass in my direction, in obvious amusement, he hid before his son sat down.
    Roman took a seat next to me as he threw an arm over the back of the couch, snatching my drink from my bandaged hands. He took a good swig before giving it back. I glared at him, and he stated, “I can’t really drink right now. I have to watch over Ember.”
    I gestured to the bodyguards who were taking sips covertly from shot glasses. “Really? And what are they doing?”
    Roman grinned, taking my glass from me again for a smaller sip this time. “Celebrating. We’ve all been searching so damn long for you. It’s good to have you home again.” He glanced at Ember. “But she is thoroughly pissed off that she passed out in the wreck. She feels a little…embarrassed. And an embarrassed Ember is nothing to take lightly. Especially when Grigori gets protective like this. I’m just glad Brent and Cole are watching the girls tonight. Ember would have been a real mess if her kids were around, and she tried to pretend everything was fine.”
    I nodded, grabbing my glass back from him and draining the contents before he could steal the rest. I could only have one glass, dammit. I nudged his arm with my cast, and whispered, “I’m going to see if I can make her feel a little better.”
    I strolled as elegantly as I could over to Ember, my pregnant belly deciding that was just silly. Ember was still silent, sitting cross-legged on top of the desk—she seriously had a fetish with chairs. I sat my empty glass on the table next to the vodka bottles.
    I tilted my head, and asked her softly, “You know, I didn’t kill anyone either when we were attacked. And I don’t even have a real injury to blame that on.”
    She lifted my empty glass and rolled it in her hands. “You and I are very different.” Her eyes met mine, cold and ruthless. “That’s not a bad thing. It just is. What you’re saying won’t change that I feel like I failed somehow today.”
    I hesitated, and then commented softly, “You didn’t fail today.”
    She snorted. “How’s that?”
    My smile was sincere. “When the reporters were all around, you kept me from freaking out in the limo. You truly did help me. That’s not failing. You succeeded when I needed you, and I’m grateful for that.”
    Ember didn’t respond, but her eyes softened as she shooed me away.
    I sighed and went.
    I sat next to Daniil, listening to Grigori complain on Daniil’s other side. My lips twitched. Grigori and Ember were made for each other. But my head cocked when I could have sworn his words slurred.
    I tilted my head to ask Daniil if his son was already drunk, but it was fucking heavy. I let my head drop back on the couch, staring over at him as he did the same. “I may have drank too much.”
    Daniil’s eyebrows snapped together, and he stated slowly, “I didn’t. And I feel…” His eyes widened, and his head snapped up, shaking it hard before shouting, “Stop drinking! It’s poisoned!” He blinked, swaying, his head falling back next to mine as he muttered, “Fuck. They’re attacking on the same goddamn day. I didn’t expect that.”
    My heartbeat raced as true panic and fear entered my system. I managed to move my head toward the center of the room, at least being able to see everyone out of the corner of my eye, as my body seemed to shut down, making me unable to move. My mouth would barely move, but I was able to breathe as I heard glasses falling to the floor.
    The only person in the room that hadn’t had anything to drink was…Ember. I was just able to see her from where I sat, but I could tell she was sprawled over the desk haphazardly, half hanging off where she had collapsed. Fuck. She must have drunk after I left her. Jesus. I had never been