"I think you might be a terrible comedian after all," Boner said softly.
Jules shrugged and stepped out of Archer's way when he moved over to place bread in the toaster. "Can't say I didn't say so."
Cass stepped over to give him an awkward hug. "I know this sucks.”
Jules shrugged and stepped away. “It is what it is. We poked the hornet’s nest. This is what we get.” Again, he glanced at me, but with only a hint of accusation this time.
"I think we might be the hornets in this scenario," I said. "They bit all of us. They're going to feel our sting."
"Can you be talking literally?" Boner asked. "I'd pay good money to see them stung over and over again. Hornets, wasps, bees, mosquitoes." After a moment he added, "Ants."
"We could make that happen," Archer said. "I have a friend with a honey farm. He has lots of bees." He pulled out plates from the cabinet above his head and started to place food on them, careful to keep everything separate.
"I could fall in love with you too," Boner told him. "Bacon, eggs and bees. What a guy."
His expression unreadable, Archer handed him a plate and a cup of coffee. Then handed one to me.
Fork in one hand, I ate as I went through my emails, deleting the spam and saving the rest for later.
"This is really good," I said after a few bites. "I might rethink taking over your kitchen."
I wouldn't, but he made a mean scrambled eggs and bacon breakfast. Even Jules seemed to be enjoying it. And Boner, in spite of saying he didn't eat breakfast. He dug into it as enthusiastically as the rest of us.
"This is one of the few things I can cook," Archer said, sitting beside me with his own plate. "If you tasted my risotto, you'd never let me cook again."
I snorted softly, not sure if he was joking or not. Risotto could be difficult to perfect if you didn't know how.
"Since I won't be working for the next while, I might as well be useful in the kitchen here," I said.
Who knew how long I'd have to keep the restaurant closed? The idea hurt my heart, but I had no choice. Keeping it open risked not only myself but staff and customers too. It was only through luck, none of them saw Erin's body. If they did, they'd never return.
I wouldn't blame them. Seeing a scene that looked like something out of a horror movie? That would put anyone off eating there. I wouldn't be surprised if the guys didn't want to eat there either.
My gaze slid to Cass, who stood in the kitchen, eating while waiting for his milkshake maker to make his drink. He’d brought the machine with him from his apartment. Because of course he had.
If he hadn't, I would have bought him one. We couldn't have him going without them, could we now?
He must have felt me watching, because he looked over and gave me a smile before shoving his glasses back up his nose and brushing his hair off his forehead.
I didn't mean to make him self-conscious, but he was freaking adorable. And freaking hot. It had never occurred to me to fuck anyone in my torture box before.
Actually doing it was one of the hottest things I'd ever done. Having him deep inside me in a place where so many bad people had died slowly…
I felt like I could breathe in a way I hadn't in a long time. Like somehow it was a victory for both of us. They were dead, but we were very much alive.
I gave him a smile back, relieved he'd forgiven me, first for flipping him onto the sidewalk, then feeding him person. We hadn't known each other for long, but I couldn't imagine my life without him now. Without any of them. Even Jules, although I surprised myself with that little revelation.
I glanced over to where he sat, eating as though the food insulted him in some way. He'd stab the fork into his bacon, slice back and forth across it with a knife and stuff it into his mouth. With a scowl on his face, he'd chew hard and swallow before starting over again. It was almost primal, even for something as benign as bacon and eggs.
Like his brother, he must have sensed my eyes on him. He flicked his over to mine, his brow creasing. His gaze lingered on my face before dropping back to his plate.
Shrugging to myself, I started on my eggs, then washed my toast down with coffee.
The whole scene was comfortingly domestic. All of us in the kitchen enjoying a meal.
Well, some of us enjoying it. Others trying to murder it. Was Jules trying to get in some practice, since he was new to it? By the looks of it, he was going to do fine when push came to shove. He could pretend they're bacon.
Speaking of people who would be bacon when I caught up with them, I opened the video Cass sent me and watched the footage of Erin's killer entering the restaurant.
