Cucumber. Fruit. Leftover vegetables. He sets it outside on the deck through the open French doors, then steps away.
We all go still.
The rooster turns his head. One orange eye on the plate. One on Luca. Then, with all the arrogance of a mob boss accepting tribute, he strolls toward the open doors like this was his decision all along.
Nobody breathes until he crosses onto the deck.
North swings shuts the doors behind him.
Silence.
Then the four of us stand there in a line, watching him absolutely destroy a slice of cucumber through the glass.
“He eats like you,” I say to Luca.
Luca drags a hand over his face. “I resent that comparison.”
“Same level of commitment,” I say, grinning his way as he winks at me. Damn, he’s so sexy.
Ace leans his forehead against the glass, still grinning. “He saw your chest and took it personally.”
Luca looks down at himself, then at the bird. “That’s insane.”
North, still watching the rooster work through the plate, says, “He’ll be outside your window, Luca, watching you sleep.”
I turn to him. “Excuse me?”
“He’s found his nemesis.” North nods toward Luca with a smirk.
The rooster lifts his head from the cucumber, stares straight at Luca through the glass, and lets out one final, triumphantbwark.
Ace loses it all over again, holding his stomach from so much laughter.
Luca points at the bird. “I want it understood that this is not over, demon bird.”
The rooster returns to eating, which somehow feels like an answer.
North, already backing toward the hall, glances my way. “Get dressed and bring your swimsuit,” he says. “We’re going out.”
“We are?”
“Pretty sure I mentioned it yesterday.”
I blink at him and shake my head. “I don’t remember that.” Then again, yesterday was one long, emotional concussion, so that probably means nothing.
North disappears down the hall.
I turn to Ace and Luca, both of them still damp from the beach and far too amused for men who were just nearly taken out by a rooster. They drop onto the couch.
“You two also coming?” I ask.
Ace leans back against the couch, all easy calm and absolutely no intention of helping me. “Nope. We’ve got training at the tournament beach.”
“But have fun,” Luca says, and the way he says it makes me narrow my eyes. Both of them are smirking.
“What?” I ask slowly. “Why are you looking at me like that? Where’s he taking me?”
Ace and Luca glance at each other.
