“It’s funny.” Hayden gives a small laugh. “I trust you. You’re a little bit of a weirdo, but not a creepy weirdo.”
Ken snorts and Kay grins, just a bit too manically.
“Anyway,our friend Braum is going to be your driver and security today while I work on the investigation.”
Hayden goes pale. “I kinda hoped we could just hide out here.” He waves his hand around.
Kay shakes his head. “I promise, Braum is a good guy. He’s basically a sniper, so you’ll besupersafe. Plus, we can’t let thestalker or stalkers know we’re in on them. I need you to keep to your regular schedule as if you’re not scared out of your mind. Can you do that for me?” Kay meets my eyes and I nod. “Besides, you have shit to do today according to Dallas’s calendar.”
“You hacked my phone?”
“You don’t hide shit when you put the pin in. I wouldn’t call it hacking. I’d call it using my superior observation skills.”
I snort and shake my head. He’s got me there.
“Braum will be here in like an hour. So you have that time to eat, shower, panic.” He wiggles his brows. “Fuck me.”
Ken shakes her head. “Just as long as you’re not too exhausted for tonight.” She kisses his cheek.
We all stand around the kitchen island and eat the cinnamon rolls. Kay moans with every other bite and I want to lick his lips clean. Hedoeslike his icing.
“I appreciate you letting me come over, too,” Hayden says as he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “I don’t mean to intrude on your relationship.”
Kay blinks back and tilts his head as if he’s examining Hayden. “Of course you’re welcome. I’ve adopted you.”
Ken nurses her cup of coffee and shakes her head. There’s a smile on her lips.
“You can’t adopt me?” Hayden looks to me for answers and I don’t have any.
Kay throws an arm around Hayden’s shoulder and walks him around the kitchen island. “You’re part of the fam now, same as Dallas. Well, notthe sameas Dallas, because he fucks me and you don’t. I adopt people and help them. It’s what I do. I adopted a whole ass flower shop last night. They’re cool guys.”
“But why?” Hayden asks.
Kay heads to the living room, leaving us all watching after him.
“Gather ‘round the fire,” Kay says as he plops down on the floor right in front of the couch. I guess the “fire” is the coffee table?
Just as we head towards him, he grabs something from inside the coffee table and sets it on top. It’s a campfire plushie with a smiley face. He flips a switch on the toy so it lights up and makes a soft crackling sound. What the hell? I don’t even try to fight the grin.
Ken laughs. “He’s been wanting to do that for so damn long.” She settles on one end of the couch. Hayden sits next to her and I take the other end so Kay is in the hot seat of story teller right in front of us.
“When Ken and I were very young, someone helped us. They gave us skills no child should ever have. And with those skills, we help people.”
I wait, hoping there’s more, but Kay doesn’t continue. “That doesn’t feel like the entire story.”
“It’s not,” Ken says. “But maybe we’ll tell you the rest later. My name’s Kendra, by the way, but you can still call me Ken if you want. It’s my code name.”
I turn to Kay. “Does that mean your name isn’t exactly Kay?” I asked to date a guy and I don’t even know his name.
He shrugs. “It’s the name you get for now.” Gracefully, he pushes back to his feet and grabs the stuffed campfire. He squeezes it to his chest. There’s melancholy in his face now and I want to wipe it away, but I also want the entire story. Hopefully, one day, he’ll trust me with it and his name. His grin is back. “Also, Braum is going to teach you guys some self-defense.”
Hayden pops to his feet. “What? Why? Do we need self-defense?”
“Everyone could use at least the basics,” Kendra says.
“Exactly,” Kay says. “But if you can get past me, I’ll tell Braum you don’t need it.”
“Challenge accepted.” Hayden walks around the coffee table.
