Page 74 of A Blackened Bond

Red’s brows raise, her eyes widening. “Creed cancook?”

The look of genuine shock on her face makes Ezra and I chuckle.

“He’s alright.” I shrug, lying. Cause the stubborn asshole cooks like Gordon Ramsey and Jamie Oliver rolled into one. One of the few reasons I stick his annoying lectures and rules is ‘cause it’s usually during dinner time. And he knows I won’t turn down one of his meals.

“He’s better than just ‘alright’.” Adds Ez, scooting his ass closer to Red. “His dinners make eventhisjackass fall silent for a few minutes.” He points a scaly finger toward me as I scoff. “But don’t ever tell him I said that. His ego’s big enough as it is—”

“Whose ego is big?” Creed calls, entering the kitchen with Mallyn prowling in behind him. They’re both still dressed in the same shit as last night, and from the job they made me go on. Their black and grey clothes are now stinking of dirt and blood.

The dark scowl Creed’s wearing tells me they were only just getting back now.

Oh well.That’s what they get for makingmego and pulling me away from Red. I could’ve had a whole night of hot, sweaty sex and then round five or six in the shower.

“I was wondering where you had run off to…” Creed grits out, giving me that adorable little glare he does when he’s pissed with me. I grin back, the small vein near his brow twitching with my smile.

“I should have known you would run back here…” He flicks his gaze toward Micai, and Ezra bristles beside her, his eyes narrowing toward Creed’s glare.

He opens his mouth, but Mallyn cuts him off, pulling his hood down and taking a seat beside Micai. “Doesn’t matter. The job was done.”

“Doesn’t matter?” Creed barks, his face scrunching together and making my stubborn brother seem bitter. “We had to clean up by ourselves.Again.If he hadn’t run off so quickly, we would’ve been back earlier and not so messed up.” He glances down toward his dark clothes, droplets of muddy red pearls falling on his pristine marble floor.

Creed’s face instantly scrunches up, probably thinking the same thing as a heavy sigh leaves his lips.

“I’m going to take a long shower and then change.” He drags a hand down his face. “When I get back down, be ready to leave. We’re heading to the academy to get those stupid interviews over with.” He marches upstairs, not once looking back, like the big huffy man-baby he is.

“So…” Ezra starts. “What are we doing for breakfast.” He looks toward me. “Cause I’m not willing to get food poisoning tasting Annex’s poor attempt at baking—”

“I could be a natural baking genius,” I add as Red chuckles.

“I ordered breakfast from Pages and Pies,” Mallyn adds, glimpsing down at the phone in his hands. “I placed the usual order and added a few extras.” His gaze softens, watching Micai, before quickly turning back toward his phone.

I knew Red would carve a space for herself with each of us. First me, then Ezra, and now Mallyn.

A grin tilts my lips. I can’t wait for the stubborn-grumpy bastard to fall. My brother was too high-strung and controlling, but it came from a place of love and fear. Love for those he deemed his own: his people and family.And fear of losing us.

But he was way too hard on Micai, and it was grating on all of us. Ezra particularly looked like he wanted to snap Creed in two.Something completely opposite of the devoted second-in-charge of our little group.

“That’s great. For a minute, I was worried Annex was going to feed me soppy flour.” Micai teases, her features lighting up with the playful jab.

“I could put something else in your mouth if you’d like, Red.” I grin as Ezra mock gags.

Mallyn’s face scrunches up before he shakes his head. “I’m going to shower.” He gets up and looks at Ez. “Get the door if the food comes.”

Ez nods as I plop myself down in front of him and Red. Her eyes flit between us as that sweet flush takes over her cheeks. Probably remembering what she got up to last night and this morning.

Ezra places his hand over hers while sitting on the table, his fingers brushing back and forth and playing with her hand as he opens his mouth. “Tell me something, Micai.”

Her cute brows pinch together in question.

“Something about you.Anything. We want to know everything, even the tiniest of details.”

She looks at Ez and then back to me, probably seeing the curiosity in my gaze too. I wanted to know everything about Red as well, except the asshole beat me to it.

I lean a little closer, wanting to hear it all as her lips part.

“There’s not a lot to tell.” Something forms in her eyes, something I instantly don’t like. “I…” They flicker back and forth between us, an awkward expression on her face as if she doesn’t know what to say.

Had no one ever asked her about herself before?

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