Page 91 of Death and Donuts

“Yep. Just have to grab my things from my locker. What about Vena?”

“Anchor will take her back to the complex.”

Shepard ended his call and kissed my forehead. “I’ll be home later. Don’t wait up for me.” He turned to Cross. “Thank you for taking her, but this doesn’t give you an invitation to my suite.”

Cross simply smiled at him and took my hand. “You know I never need an invitation.”

Shepard narrowed his eyes at Cross, but I could see there was no heat behind the gaze. “Go on. I have to get the guys on the road.”

When we headed downstairs, only Boulder bristled this time, but it was because we had to pass close to him to get to the lockers.

He immediately stepped back, mumbled an apology, and fled to the main floor.

“You make an impression,” I said teasingly.

“When you’re this handsome, it’s hard not to,” Cross teased back.

“Did you just call yourself handsome?” Vena asked, bumping him out of the way to get to her locker.

“Your hearing did not betray you.”

“Geesh, and people call me conceited.”

“I’m not sure who the people you are referring to are, but I’d disagree with them. You are much more like a fishwife. Loud and abrasive.”

“Aw. You brought back your pet name for me.” She held a hand to her heart. “I thought you’d forgotten.”

Anchor and I shared an eye roll and shooed them out to the parking lot.

I let Cross drive to the pack house so I could check news feeds for information regarding the mass burial while not watching intersections. Unfortunately, I didn’t find anything online. Whatever was happening at the gravesite was being kept a secret for now. Just how many other things were kept from the public?

Cross kissed me sweetly after he parked the car in the lot. “I’ll see you soon.”

I nodded and headed past the guards at the door.

The few people I saw on the way to Shepard’s suite just nodded in greeting but didn’t try to strike up a conversation.

Once inside his rooms, I showered, dressed in pajamas, and headed to bed, only to find Cross there, waiting for me. He was wearing lounge pants and a t-shirt that looked suspiciously like Shepard’s.

“You’re poking the bear,” I said.

“Poking the wolf, actually,” Cross said. He patted the mattress. “Don’t worry. He knows I’m here.”

“Does he know you’re wearing his pajamas?”

“No. That’s a surprise for later.”

I shook my head at Cross’ antics. “Just don’t poke too much. He’s under a lot of pressure.”

“Never fear. I’ve lived a long enough life to know when I tiptoe near someone’s limit. He’s fine.”

Cross opened his arms. “However, I’m not fine. I’m starved for your attention.”

I crawled into bed and found myself wrapped in his arms a second later.

“What do you think is going on with the mass grave?” I asked once I settled in.

“Not to frighten you, but I think this is just the tip of the iceberg.” He kissed my head before turning off the light. “Enough dark thoughts for now. Go to sleep. I know you’re still a little sore from the accident.”

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