Page 24 of The Edge of Intensity

“Good to know.” Parker bumps his shoulder against mine.

I roll my eyes and mutter, “Don’t push it. I might tolerate you guys, but that doesn’t mean it’s an open invite to breach my personal space, touch my stuff, grab food off my plate, or sit on my bed or anything.”

“What the fuck? Why would I want to sit on your bed or steal your food?” Parker asks, eyes wide.

“You know.” I wave my hand. “That stuff some people do when you’re at a restaurant and snatch a fry off your plate.”

Parker falls silent and Kathleen chuckles. “You do know Parker is a fry snatcher, right?”

I give Parker a stern look. “I might have noticed and it’s why I brought it up.”

“Noted,” Parker grumbles.

Movement outside catches my attention.

Kathleen and Parker get to their feet, and it’s Kathleen who asks, “Are you expecting someone? A delivery maybe?”

I stand and glance out the window. “To be honest? I have no freaking clue.”

Parker steps in front of me. “You shouldn’t be standing near the windows.”

“Why? Do you think they’re going to shoot us instead of delivering stuff?” I snort, and feel my shoulders sag the next instant when I realize, “Dammit. I don’t want to bother Cosima, but she’s the only one who knows these things.”

We watch as two men get out of the white delivery van.

Kathleen places her hands on her hips. “Well, we’re not going to open the door unless we know for sure they are supposed to deliver something you guys ordered.”

“Two brothers are out front, a few others around the back. They will handle it,” Parker states.

“I’ll ask,” I mutter, not wanting the guys outside to get hurt, and stomp in the direction of the hallway.

Opening the door, I step inside the bedroom and watch how Cosima jolts upright, snatches the bottle of water from the bedside table and hurls it in my direction.

“What the hell?” I snap and barely manage to dodge the bottle. “You can’t find the thing when you want a sip of water but flawlessly grab it to throw it at my freaking head?”

“Be glad it wasn’t the lamp I grabbed because I can’t fucking see anything and simply snatched the first thing I felt,” Cosima fires back.

“Gee, thanks,” I mumble under my breath and release a sigh. “Hey, do you remember if we have something scheduled to be delivered today? There’s a white delivery van out front.”

“I don’t know, East.” She points at the bathroom. “Check the calendar on the fridge. Food for the horses should come in this week, but I can’t remember the date.”

Better not to mention she’s pointing in the wrong direction. “Thanks, sis.”

I turn to step out of the room when I hear a gunshot.

“Is that a gunshot?” Cosima squeaks.

“Stay here,” I tell her and close the door behind me.

Parker rushes toward me and snaps, “Back into the bedroom, now.”

I glance over his shoulder. “What about Kathleen?”

“I’m right here,” Kathleen says and I turn to open the bedroom door.

“Cosima, we’re all gonna stay in here,” I tell her, knowing she’s going to hate it but there isn’t another way.

Cosima throws her blanket over her head and I only hear a muffled, “Great.”

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