Page 129 of Cruel Knots

“Thanks,” I say, glancing up at Damien. “No one’s going to know anything about the mischief we got up to in here.”

His blue eyes shine with warmth. The scars on his face twist horribly but I know he’s smiling.

“I’ll put those cookies in to bake too,” I say, moving toward the counter.

He comes with me, standing beside me while I sprinkle the cookies with chocolate chips and chopped nuts.

“How long will it take for the cake to bake?” Damien asks as I start clearing the counter.

“Not long now,” I say. “Maybe another five minutes?” A thought sparks in my mind and suddenly, I’m grabbing his arm. “Is everyone here today?”

His brows rise questioningly. “Why?”

“Nothing tastes better than hot chocolate cake and coffee,” I say with a grin. “If everyone’s around, we can gather around the table and have some.”

“Put the coffee on,” he says, taking his phone out. “I’ll get them here.” With that, he walks out of the kitchen.

I look around and find a modern coffee maker. Moving toward it, I see it’s ready to be used. Instead of switching it on right away, I decide to set the table first.

“They’ll be here soon,” Damien says, walking back into the kitchen.

“Do flowers grow around here?”

“What?”

I straighten up and fix my gaze on him. “Is there a garden here? I want to have some flowers on the table.”

“There’s barely much in this weather,” he says. “But I can go out and take a look. Some of the late roses might be blooming now.”

I nod. “A single rose will be enough to brighten this place up.”

“This is an assassin’s lair, Lucia,” he says in a grim tone. “Death is the only thing that’s permanent here. I doubt a single rose can make a difference.”

“We’re all alive, aren’t we?”

He lets out a sigh and reaches out to caress my cheek gently. A thoughtful expression comes over him as he gazes into my eyes. Without a word, he steps away and walks out of the kitchen.

The aroma of hot chocolate wafts into my nostrils, telling me the cake is ready to come out of the oven now.

Going over to the oven, I take the cake out and set it on the table to cool before unmolding it from the tin. My creation looks dark and decadent but I decide to take it to the next level.

Measuring out some chocolate chips, I add them into a saucepan with milk and cream. A hot fudgy, chocolate sauce will taste amazing drizzled over the top of the cake.

The sauce is nearly ready when my first guest arrives.

Mikhail strides over to me, his silvery eyes shining with curiosity. He gazes at all the ingredients spread out on the counter and moves closer to me as I stir the sauce.

“I forgot you could bake,” he says. “I’ve missed this smell.”

“It’s been a while since I last baked anything,” I confess. “I hope the cake tastes good.”

“It looks good enough to lick.” To my surprise, he leans over it.

“Don’t!” I cry out, wrapping my arms around his waist and pulling him away from my precious creation.

Chuckles escape him as I tackle him.

“It’s for everyone,” I shout as he fights against me.

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