Thorin startles and winces when he notices my displeasure and then glances at Zeke, who drops down into the chair and crosses his arms, blatantly ignoring the plate of food I left at Seth’s place.
Seth, who would have shoveled half of it down by now like there was a prize for finishing first.
Don’t make comparisons, I scold the moment the thought manifests.
I clear my throat. “Um…so fair warning,” I say jokingly to break the tension. “I have a lot of talents, but cooking isn’t one of them. I’m awful at it.”
My nervous chuckle dies an abrupt death when Zeke simply stares back at me.
“The trick is to avoid tasting the food while eating,” Khalil says, coming to my rescue. “That’s a mistake your stomach won’t recover from.”
When I cut my gaze at him, he flashes all of his teeth before lifting my hand to brush his lips over the back in apology. Suddenly, I’m desperate to feel his lips elsewhere, but Thorin speaks and breaks through that lustful fog. I reluctantly pull my hand away and banish all thoughts of Khalil’s lips.
Right now is about making Zeke comfortable.
“Water to wash it down is also your friend.” Thorin lifts his glass in the air in salute and takes a healthy gulp.
I snort out a laugh that isn’t all for show, but Zeke still isn’t buying what we’re selling. His gaze was hostile when he first sat down, but it’s the assessing look he levels at us that makes me squirm. Zeke’s green eyes flick toward the untouched plate of food, but he still doesn’t touch it.
Probably thinks I poisoned it.
The moment the thought forms, there’s a demanding knock on the front door that threatens to break it down if we don’t answer.
Naturally, the hackles of all three alpha males rise at the challenge.
“Shit,” I blurt out at the same time Thorin pushes back his chair to answer the door. Thorin pauses, and three sets of eyes fly toward me, waiting for me to explain the expletive. “It’s the sheriff,” I confess without a trace of doubt, as if I’d personally invited him here. I can’t believe I forgot about my encounter with him earlier—before Seth and the death squad and the avalanche.
“We know,” Khalil answers.
Right. Because the sheriff is the only one who ever comes up here.
Still, Khalil’s expression turns thoughtful as he wonders howIknew. His gaze flies to Thorin. “There’s no way he found the bodies already. All that snow?” he asks rhetorically. “They’ll be buried for a few more days at least, so what the fuck?”
Khalil and Thorin are frowning at each other, but I can feel Zeke’s eyes on me when I finally speak. “It’s my fault.”
“Your fault…” Khalil echoes slowly.
“I’m so sorry. We crossed paths while I was out hunting.” I look at Khalil. “H-he knows I’m not your cousin. I think he’s here for me.”
“If he knows who you are, why did he let you go?” Thorin questions.
“I…um…I might have told him I wasn’t interested in being rescued, and when he refused to leave, I…persuaded him.”
Khalil and Thorin swear at the same time. Zeke is silent—the weight of it falling over the room like a heavy blanket.
“Jesus, Aurelia.” Thorin rubs at his brow and sighs heavily.
It’s then I realize the sheriff is as likely here to arrest me as rescue me.
“So I guess hiding you isn’t an option,” Thor surmises.
I shake my head. “No.”
“So, what do we do?” This time Khalil directs the question to Thorin, but it’s Zeke who answers.
“We answer the door.” His body is loose and a small smile plays at his lips now like he doesn’t have a care in the world.
What did you expect, Aurelia? He offered to help you, to get you out…This is what Zeke wants.
