Page 45 of The Blood Widow

Even after yesterday… earlier today more likely, I was happy to see him, but I knew better than most how someone could change their appearance. I was becoming a little paranoid and the lack of sleep wasn’t helping, but I still folded my arms. “Beneath this mask, there is an idea…” my voice trailed off. He needed to finish the quote.

He crossed his burly arms and rolled his eyes. “And ideas are bulletproof. That’s why you like knives. Now let me in.”

Smiling, I moved to the side to let him in. The thrill of having him in my apartment again without a job warmed me. This was why it was dangerous to have him around. He didn’t have to do anything other than be near me, and the world felt right. I didn’t think it could get any better until I was around Dominic and Ezra too. I was so screwed.

“What in fart licking hell was that?” Beaut yelled.

She was now perched on my table.

Cole scrunched his face. “What’d the little green thing say? Fart licker? Nov, you didn’t tell me you were into the weird stuff.” He stifled a laugh at his own joke.

I didn’t say anything just closed the door. He was going to mess up and make Beaut an enemy, and he’d regret it.

“This is Beaut. Beaut, this is Cole.” I gestured back and forth between them while making the introductions.

She crossed her small pale-green legs and glared at him. “So, you’re the ex.” She glanced over at me. “You can do better. He called me a thing. Can I stab him?” Her words might as well have had poison in them.

Cole lifted his hands. “I’m sorry, I called you a thing. I eat dead people once a month. I have no room to judge.”

Now, it was my turn to scrunch my face. I really hoped she didn’t start giving him crap for that. It was a sensitive subject for him.

I cleared my throat and moved away from the door back to my room. I needed clothes to talk to him, or this conversation might end differently. Sleeping on things might have made me see that I did need their help, but I still wasn’t willing to go any further with them. I put on the black yoga pants, and a shirt Beaut gave me. It was bright pink and saidBook boyfriends do it better.As I walked out, I knew I messed up on my shirt choice.

Beaut burst out laughing while Cole’s face grew as red as his hair. Oops. I didn’t know if that was anger or embarrassment, but I needed coffee to be able to use my give-a-fuck-meter. I might love the bastard, but a sleep deprived Novem was spiteful. They went back to glaring at each other. I guess she didn’t forgive him for calling her a thing. I maneuvered around them and went to the kitchen. They could resolve their own issues.

I pulled out a box of cereal and gave it to Beaut. She squealed, Cole forgotten, and jumped headfirst into the damn thing. Okay, so I didn’t let them figure things out. Sue me. I hated awkward tension.

Besides, I owed her some goodies for helping with Rose’s kill. Giving brownies food was like giving them a diamond necklace. To brownies, food was everything. Shiny things were next on the list.

Cole chuckled.

“So, what are you doing here this early?” I asked him as I got the coffee stuff together. Almost white with cream, check. A spoonful of raw sugar, check. I gulped the liquid from the gods and sighed.Perfect.

“I had a feeling you were going to run.” His eyes studied me.

Beaut jumped from the table with a belch. She didn’t say anything. She already knew the answer, and she wanted to go clean my room. Brownies were neat freaks when full. Most house servants were well-fed brownies.

I let out another sigh and made another cup of coffee.

Not meeting his gaze, I started, “I wasn’t running from you. I agree that I need help with getting Brian back.”

“What in the hairy tits on toast are these piles of clothes in here? They’ve been driving me crazy,” Beaut yelled from my room.

I rubbed my brow. “It’s my dirty clothes and clothes I need to burn.” My cheeks grew hot at Cole’s eyebrows shooting up.

Beaut’s voice pulled me away from that thought. “Well, which one is which?” she griped.

I rolled my eyes. “Does it matter?”

“Don’t make me smack you.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “The big one is the burn pile.”

Cole chuckled.

“You cum bucket. You need more help than I thought. Don’t worry, Beaut-y is here for you.” A bang and the sounds of little feet running around came after. I just shook my head.

Cole stepped closer to me. His fingers ran over the table. “Having a brownie servant is expensive, I thought you didn’t want to?—”

---