“Then yeah.He’ll come hunting for his favorite cyborg.”
“You’re not a robot,” Kane muttered.
We rolled out of bed and got dressed.I pulled on jeans and one of my T-shirts.Kane tugged his cut on over a black long-sleeved shirt.The leather settled across his shoulders, making something warm and stupid bloom in my chest.
He caught my gaze in the mirror.“You staring again?”
“Maybe,” I admitted.
“You’re allowed.”A smile played at his mouth.
Heat crept up my neck.How could a smile turn me on?Then again, I loved everything about Kane.
He reached for my hand.“You ready?”
“No,” I replied honestly.“But I’m going anyway.”
“Good,” he said.
* * *
Coffee and bacon scented the clubhouse air.
From the TV room came children’s voices mixed with a cartoon theme song -- some mystery show with a talking dog.The familiar noise wrapped around me, soothing my frayed nerves.
“Morning.”Casey flipped eggs at the counter, her dark hair pulled into a messy bun.Across from her, Marci filled plastic cups with orange juice, frowning until a small boy slid past in sock feet.Without even glancing up, she snagged his shirt mid-tumble, righted him, and continued her pouring as though catching falling children ranked among her everyday skills.“You both slept more than Spade.Congrats.”
“Has he been up all night?”I asked.
“Came through for coffee twice.Might have gone horizontal for a bit, but he would’ve snuck past me.I’ll smack him later.”
“I’d pay to see that,” Kane said.
She pointed a spatula at him.“You’ll meet the business end of this if you don’t grab plates and help.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, fighting a smile.
I slid into my usual seat at the big table.The wood felt familiar under my palms now.During my first week, I’d perched on the edge of the chair, waiting for someone to tell me I didn’t belong.Now, even with my nerves buzzing, the seat belonged to me.
Casey dropped a plate in front of me.Eggs, bacon, toast.“Eat.Your brain woke you up too early.”
“It did,” I agreed.“We’re fighting.”
“You or the brain?”she asked.
“Both.”
She squeezed my shoulder and moved on.
I forked up eggs and forced myself to eat.My stomach tried to argue.My logic told it to shut up.Spade couldn’t use me if I fainted in his office.
Across the room, a voice called out, “Jade?”
I looked up.The guy from the doorway.The one who’d bitched about lockdown being “for one girl.”He hovered near the edge of the room now, hands stuffed in his pockets, expression tight.I stiffened, shoulders going up.
Kane noticed.His hand slid under the table to rest on my thigh, thumb drawing lazy circles like he was petting a startled animal.“You want me to make him disappear?”he asked under his breath.
“No,” I said.“He gets to talk.Unless he says something stupid.Then you can break his nose.”
