"We need to give them a chance to find us," I said reluctantly. "I need to reopen the restaurant, and Boner, you need to reopen your gallery. We need to act like nothing is wrong."
"Harlow—" Cass started.
"She's right," Jules interrupted. He raised his hands when Cass rounded on him. "Youknowshe is. We could sit here for the rest of our lives, hiding out, or we can hide in plain sight."
"What are you proposing?" Boner asked him, looking doubtful.
"There's five of us and two businesses," Jules said slowly. "If they open up again, we can split between the two and wait them out. Three of us at the restaurant, two at the gallery."
Boner opened and closed his mouth, before tilting his head to the side and exhaling.
"That's actually a good idea. I'll take Archer. Titmus the elder and Titmus the younger can take the restaurant. Greater numbers, can take better care of Harlow."
Before I could protest he raised a finger and added, "Eros is more likely to come after the restaurant. The more people there, the better."
"Right," I said after a moment. I didn't want anyone treating me like a damsel in distress, but he had a point. They'd already come after the restaurant once, there was reason to think they'd do it again. They saw the place as a vulnerable target.
I couldn't express how much I hated that. Angel’s Rest was supposed to be a haven of sorts. For people like I thought Erin was. For me.
That idea was firmly down the toilet.
"I've been meaning to have some of the electrical wiring looked at anyway," I said.
"And the place serves milkshakes." Jules smirked at Cass, who smiled in response.
"I'm in."
"Of course you are," his brother told him. "This guy would do almost anything for a fucking milkshake."
"We all have our weaknesses," Boner said. When we looked at him expectantly, he grinned. "Everyone except me."
"Bullshit. You have weaknesses," Jules said.
"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours," Boner countered.
"Not a fucking chance," Jules said. "I'll work with you until the shit is done, it doesn't mean we're friends."
"Of course we are," Boner said. "We're all friends here." He spread his hands out, gesturing at all of us. "Some of us are currently closer to each other than others. Give it time. When you get to know us, you'll like us as much as we like each other."
Jules looked skeptical.
I understood. This was all a lot. A couple of weeks ago, he was living his life and now here he was, with us. Waiting for someone to come after us and try to kill us. There was a possibility he'd have to do some killing himself. Who wouldn't be skeptical?
"How are your dish washing skills?" I asked him and Cass. "We're going to have to come up with some reason for you both to be there for hours. One of you can help me in the kitchen and the other can help Gina serving customers."
"I'll take the kitchen," Cass said quickly. "I'm better in there than I am with people. Jules is more a people person."
Jules snorted. "I might scare all your customers away."
"This is New York. They're used to dealing with people like you," I said. It wouldn't be for long anyway. Hopefully this would be over before we killed each other.
"I'm going to need a holiday when this is over," Jules muttered.
Wouldn't we all? A resort in the Caribbean was sounding better and better. Maybe once they found out Fairfield was dead, I could buy his from his estate. It wasn't as though he was going to need it.
CHAPTER 20
CASS
