Mercy set down her glass. “From what Cecilia said, it’s books right up your alley. A lot of collector’s items. All Breed, most of it nonfiction.”
“I’ll need to swing by it again,” Lucian said. “It was empty when I installed the cameras.”
“Cameras?” Archer wondered why a dinky little shop on a farm road would need security. “Who would install cameras in a bookstore? It’s not like anyone’s going to rob them.”
Lucian, who sat a few chairs to the left, finished his water. “People who want to pay me, that’s who. I don’t ask questions. If he wants laser beams with automatic drop-down steel security bars and booby traps, I don’t have a problem with that. I’ll fucking dig a moat if the money’s good enough. And for your information, people don’t rob stores for the merchandise—not unless they’re jewelers. They want money. Only shoplifters take the merch.”
Archer poked the uneaten peas from his stir-fry with a fork. “Bookstores aren’t exactly raking in the cash.”
“That one might if they’re selling rare books.”
“Point taken.”
Tak noisily scooted back his chair and got up. Instead of taking his plate to the kitchen, he stood behind Archer and leaned over so their cheeks were almost flush. “Are you going to finish that, or do I need to shovel it in?”
“I don’t like peas.”
“Then why did you put them on your plate?”
Chuckling, Archer replied, “They came with the rice. I like fried rice.”
Tak held up a single pea between his fingers. “And what would happen if this pea crossed the threshold of your lips? Would you perish in a ball of flames?”
Krys, who was seated beside Mercy, gave Archer a wicked grin.
Archer elbowed Tak before leaning away. “You eat it, then.”
After popping the pea into his own mouth, Tak scooped the rest from the plate and ate them. “We don’t waste food.”
“I see someone’s practicing for fatherhood,” Hope quipped.
“I was going to give them to Catcher,” Archer argued, knowing full well that was a lie. Catcher didn’t enjoy scraps.
Tak collected as many plates as he could carry. “Anyone going to Dragonfly’s tonight better be ready soon.”
Hope was the only woman still at the table besides Mercy. The other girls were getting ready to go out. Mercy and Bear had let everyone know earlier that they planned to watch a movie.
“I’m ready,” Joy announced when she entered the dining room.
Archer and Mercy both whistled as she twirled around and showed off her black dress. The high waist below her ample breasts reminded Archer of the dresses in those movies where everyone carried dainty umbrellas and spoke in British accents. But unlike in those movies, it stopped around the knees. Even though it was summer, she had on a sheer pink shawl that matched her lipstick and fingernails.
“You’re gonna set that place on fire.” Mercy stood and touched Joy’s shawl admiringly.
“You look pretty,” Archer said, knowing that adjectives likehotorsexyweren’t appropriate in this situation, especially with her mate sitting next to him. Salem seemed considerably more interested in a few grains of rice that had fallen onto his lap. Archer put his right arm around Salem’s chair and lowered his voice. “You should pay her a compliment. A woman like Joy could have anyone. If you don’t work for that love, she might look for it elsewhere.”
Archer withdrew his arm. While he didn’t want to insinuate that Joy was the type of woman to cheat, he certainly knew firsthand how easy it was for unsatisfied women to stray from neglect.
Salem stood and walked around the table. When he stopped in front of Joy, he said, “You look lovely.”
She offered him a smile. “Why, thank you, good sir.”
Then Salem bowed his head and left.
He wasn’t exactly the romantic in the bunch, but how those two ran a relationship wasn’t any of Archer’s business. Some people weren’t affectionate in public, but if she was staying with him, he must have been a hell of a catch in the sack.
“Are you sure you don’t want to join us?” Joy asked.
Mercy stood behind Bear and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Bear and I are having a movie marathon tonight. Old Cary Grant flicks. Are you sureyoudon’t want to joinus? Bear made gourmet popcorn earlier.” She kissed his neck, and Bear’s cheeks flushed. He touched her arms where they crossed over his chest.
