It was kind of sweet, him taking care of me, acting like this house was his when, in actuality, it was the first time he’d stepped foot in here.
I was sitting at the island, you know, being waited on hand and foot by a tattoo-covered man in his upper forties that didn’t turn me down upstairs, sipping on my drink when my guys funneled into the kitchen. Mike, Fang, and, of course, Kieran. The latter of which kept tossing jealous glances Jason’s way, as if the man by the microwave had completely stolen me away, just like that.
Mike came and placed a hand on my back, his hazel eyes studying me so hard they might poke holes right through me if he wasn’t careful. Fang, on the other hand, asked, “How are you doing?”
“Yeah,” the ever-jealous Kieran spoke. “How was your time upstairs? You two were alone for an awful while. I can’t lie, the wheels in my head are turning.”
“Spinning,” Mike corrected him.
Gasping, the man currently envious over his father acted like he just got an arrow to the heart. “See? I’m so out of it, Mike is correcting my choice of phrase.Mike, the dude who never talks—” The more he said, the harder Mike frowned at him.
The obvious jealousy made my mouth twitch in the tiniest of smiles, but that smile disappeared quickly. Having them here, surrounding me, all eyes on me, was something I would’ve given anything for in the past—almost anything. Had to clarify thatsince, you know, the reason we were here was the one thing I never would’ve traded away.
It still didn’t feel real. I didn’t understand how your average, everyday person could process grief and carry on with their lives as if nothing happened.
I know, I know. It was because they had to, because the world wouldn’t stop for your grief. Just because you lost someone important to you didn’t make everything else freeze. Life wasn’t like that. It kept going, kept trudging on, in spite of all the pain and misery it left you with.
It was hard. It’d be hard for a long, long while. I didn’t know how I was supposed to go on, honestly.
The microwave beeped, meaning my food was ready. Jason pulled it out and brought it over to me, setting the plate before me, along with a fork. I was pretty sure he met Kieran’s stare before he wandered around the island to stand there and watch me eat.
I still wasn’t hungry, although I couldn’t really remember the last thing I ate. Did Kieran and I stop for breakfast, or did we skip it? The whole morning was a blur. We stopped at a hotel to get a few hours of sleep since we spent most of the night reacquainting ourselves with each other’s body, and then… then everything changed.
I picked up the fork and, even though eating was the last thing I wanted to do, I forced myself to eat some of it. Chinese food was never as good re-heated as it was when you first got it. If I asked, I was certain any of the men in this room would leap at the chance to get me fresh takeout, but the freshness wasn’t so important to me.
Right now? The only important thing was vengeance, but before we discussed that, I had to eat something, otherwise I had the feeling Jason wouldn’t let up about it. Like I said, real daddy energy.
It was a few moments before Kieran started, “So…”
“Let her eat,” Jason said, his tone demanding. “She needs to eat something. Don’t pester her with inane questions just yet, Kieran.”
“Right, because you know exactly what she needs, just like that.” As Fang rubbed my back and watched me eat, Kieran glared at his dad. Mike stood to my left, folding his arms over his chest.
Quietly, Fang murmured, “Now isn’t the time to bicker. There will be plenty of time for that later.”
“He’s right.” Jason held his son’s stare. “We can bicker all we want later.”
With an incredulous laugh, he said, “I’ll do a lot more than bicker, I promise you that—”
“Stop,” I said, mouth half-full as I glanced at Kieran. I could feel his anger rising; my Devil simmered on the surface, aching to come out and play, even if said play would involve hurting his own father. “We’re on the same team here. Act like it.” Jason wasn’t the only one who could bark out orders; I’d learned to be a little bossy when it came to Mike. If I had to boss around the others, then so be it.
Kieran shut up after that, but I knew it wasn’t quite over. It might not ever be, if I really wanted to see more of his dad, and the fact that Jason seemed open to the idea meant it might just happen.
I ate less than half of what was on the plate, but at least it was something. Better than nothing. I also drank a full glass of water. As much as I wasn’t hungry or thirsty, now wasn’t the time to starve or dehydrate myself, Jason was right. I needed to stay poised and ready to finish this thing.
Tessa was going down, once and for all. I just didn’t know how yet.
Viper hurried into the kitchen, clinging to the archway that separated the kitchen from the hallway as he said, “Tessa is on the TV right now.” It was all he needed to say; I slipped off my chair and followed him to the living room, where Lola, Maddox, and Sylvester were, already watching the impromptu press conference.
My guys and Jason were right behind me, crowding around me as we watched the large flat-screen TV on the opposite wall.
“Today my husband was found murdered. He was your mayor, but he was my everything. Our everything.” Tessa looked tired as she spoke to the reporters, rubbing her belly to showcase she was pregnant. “As I work with the police to find who’s responsible for this heinous crime, I ask that you please respect my family’s privacy in this difficult time.”
The TV cut to a reporter, standing in front of the police station, with dozens of other reporters and their cameras behind her as she spoke directly to her cameraman. “Mr. Hawkins was indeed a beloved figure in this city, and the police won’t rest until they piece the entire investigation together. If you have any tips that might help them, please contact the phone number below.”
As the reporter went to repeat the number listed, Lola grabbed the remote and rewound it, pausing it when Tessa was the focus of the screen. Like I said, the woman appeared tired, but that didn’t mean anything—she normally caked her face in makeup, so the whole tired look could simply be due to the fact that she wasn’t wearing any.
Could those bags under her eyes be from some early-morning murder?
