This had been Claudette’s job.
I swallowed hard. She and I hadn’t been close, but that didn’t lessen the tragedy.
Aside from the sound of sizzling bacon, the kitchen went quiet. Bene put a hand on my shoulder.
“I know how you feel, man,” he said in a husky voice. “I know how you feel.”
We stood for a long minute, thinking. Remembering. Wishing. Bene, especially, I guessed, since he’d been friendly with Claudette.Toofriendly, I’d thought at the time, but now, I was more forgiving. Honest, good-hearted friends had been a rarity in Claudette’s life, and Bene had been one of the few.
“Small consolation, but you did get the bastards who killed her,” he added a moment later. “Celeste got what she deserved too.”
Then he cursed and turned back to the stove.
“You’re making me burn the bacon, man,” he complained, not too convincingly.
I let that one slide and carried the tray to the dining room.
Marius entered, stretching his arms high in a yawn. Mina slid in beside him, and his arm came to rest on her shoulders. They smiled and kissed, and instead of the usual stab of jealousy, my mood lifted. There was a lot of bad in the world, but a lot of good too. And if those two could defy the odds to get together, so could other couples.
One, in particular.
Gen entered the dining room next, and my soul soared at the sight of her.
Mate,my inner tiger rumbled.
Yes. Yes, she was. And the minute we wrapped up this mission, we would be discussing that.
She smiled and whispered into my mind.We’ll do more than just discuss, I hope.
I grinned, and for the briefest of instants, my surroundings faded away.
Or maybe not just an instant, because the next time I blinked, Bene was shouldering me out of the way, muttering, “Just what we needed. Another set of lovebirds.”
“Another set of what?” Marius grumbled cluelessly.
Mina nudged him in the ribs, hiding a grin. “Get the milk, please.”
Henrik appeared, and for once, I was glad for the distraction.
“Bonjour,” he said, giving Mina and Gen one of those old-fashioned bows he executed whenever he forgot what century he was in.
He stood by his chair, polite enough to wait for the rest of us, but not polite enough to disguise his impatience.
“All right, everyone,” Bene announced a moment later. “Dig in.”
We did, and a few minutes passed in quiet munching, slurping, and requests to pass butter, salt, or the toast platter.
Gen didn’t eat much. No surprise, considering everything she’d been through — not least of all, what Grepper had said.
Are you saying Gordon killed my father?she’d asked.
At the very least, he profited from the circumstances.
Even I had been shocked to hear that, despite my already low opinion of Gordon. Poor Gen had to be reeling.
You must ask Gordon if you wish to learn more,Grepper had added.
Would Gen dare? Would I if I were in her shoes?
