Page 125 of Mama Si's Paradise

“Must be the kitchen.” Where else would Vinny and Aster bring us food from?

I took another look at the dining room just to make sure nobody had popped up behind me, and I went down the corridor—fast,like my tail was on fire.

On the other side of the doors was a wider space, a bit better lit. Two carts, like the ones Vinny and Aster wheeled around with our food, by the wall on the right, and a big shelf full of wooden and glass containers to the left.

The corridor opened into a large room on the other side, and judging by the sound of it, someone was in there, putting something away.

Shadow was already flying ahead, wings steady, barely beating, perfectly silent.

Black cabinets stretched from one side of the wall to the other, farther than I could see from here.Kitchen. It was definitely the kitchen, and my stomach growled again, as if on cue. The help would be here—possibly Vinny or Aster or both, and it didn’t occur to me that it was past midnight, and that they were probably asleep. I just went ahead, feeling more confident because Shadow was already in there.

In front of me was the biggest kitchen I had ever seen. So many cabinets on the right and across from me, a long isle with five chairs on either side, and to the left was a big space full of stainless-steel countertops and kitchen appliances, squeaky clean and shiny under the small white lights mounted under the top cabinets.

But everything else disappeared when I took in the two bigfridges against the wall a few feet to my side, both of them open.

Grey Evernight was in front of them, picking up glass containers and putting them to the sides with one hand, as he rested the other against the top, half leaning in.

I stopped breathing.

The light from the fridges fell on his body, revealing every single detail. The curves of his muscles. The shape of his abs. The dirt and blood on his jeans that hung dangerously low on those narrow hips, and the tear of the denim on his left leg, like someone had clawed at it. Like someone had tried to rip his fucking leg off him completely. He was barefoot, dirty, bleeding a tiny pool on the floor around his leg—fuck!

A gasp escaped me, and I brought both hands to my mouth, hoping he somehow hadn’t heard.

I hoped in vain.

“Why up so late?”

His voice rang in my ears, and I felt it on every inch of my skin as if he’d touched me with his hands.

“I couldn’t sleep,” I forced myself to say, and somehow my voice didn’t waver. It was steady—unlike my legs.

“Too much on your mind?” Grey asked, and he didn’t even turn to look at me. He was still focused on moving those glass containers to the side in the fridge, like he was searching for something.

I shook my head, taking a step back. Whatever it was he was doing here, it wasn’t my business. I needed to leave—right now, before he thought to stop me.

I needed to leave andnotcare about whatever had done that to his leg or why he was half naked and looking like he’d been rolling in dirt—and what the hell was he looking for in the fridge that he was so focused on finding?!

“Something like that,” I said, trying to act calm. “What, uh…what happened to you? You’re bleeding.”

You’re bleeding—ugh, was that the best I could do? He knew he was fucking bleeding!

At that, Grey stopped putting the containers away,slowly,and he looked down at his legs as if he just remembered that he was hurt. That his leg was basically in fucking pieces.

“Oh. I’ve made a mess,” he muttered, and when he pushed himself to stand straight, his muscles strained—allthat muscle. He was in pain and it was clear to see in the way he gritted his teeth and closed his eyes and tightened his fists.

Holy shit, he could barely stand on one leg.

Before I knew it, I was moving.

Grabbing one of the chairs from around the isle across from me, I dragged it all the way to him, right there in front of the fridge. The sound of the legs against the grey tiles on the floor just about fried my nerve ends, but it was over quickly, and I said, “Sit down.”

Grey was looking at me like I’d grown an extra head.

Then he raised a brow at the chair behind him.

“Just sit down. You’re bleeding all over the place.”

And it’s also obvious you can barely stand—but I didn’t dare say that last part out loud.

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