Page 5 of Death and Donuts

“I understand. For now, accepting a partnership is enough. I only need you to think about what you’d like in your kitchen. I'd like you to come up with a few recipes to start, too. The rest can wait until you're ready.”

Vena sighed. “Fine. But since this place is inclusive, we could use it to gather information, especially if we incorporate some blood-infused treats to tempt a few vampires to talk.”

I was about to shoot down that idea, but Cross agreed. “It wasn’t the goal when I came up with this business plan, but I had thought of the same thing.”

“Wait. Are we actually on the same page?” Vena asked him.

“I think, for once, we are.”

“I’m not,” I said. “Do you know what happens to me when Vena gathers information?” I started counting past events on my fingers. “I fall into a cave. I get locked in a supply closet. I get–”

Vena covered my mouth and shot me a guilty look.

“It will be a simple gathering of information to aid Shepard in flushing out unsavory vampires in D.C.,” Cross said. “Won’t it, Vena?”

“Of course. I promise I will only bribe people with tasty treats.”

“No bribing,” I said, ducking away from her hand. “You will leave all information gathering to Cross, or those spare bedrooms can go to a troll.”

“They’d never smell the same after.”

“Exactly.”

She sighed. “Fine. Cross can have all the fun.”

“You’ll get to have fun too,” I said. “Just think about all the books you get to buy.”

As she began listing the collections she wanted to bring in, I considered what foods we would need to offer and had an uh-oh thought.

“Cross, if I make blood-infused treats, won’t that create a donor link between the vampire and the human?”

CHAPTER TWO

Vena stopped ramblingabout her books and looked at Cross expectantly.

“I vow no bonds will be created because of the treats we offer,” Cross said. “Links only occur when consuming blood from its source. Infused confectionery won’t cause any problems.

“Which is one reason I wish to offer them. Juicy was a known feeding den—a place to secure a meal without having a bonded feeder. While I believe my kind went about it in the wrong way, the concept itself wasn’t wrong. I would like to show my kind they were close to finding a way to coexist with other species.”

I nodded, agreeing with him until I had another thought. Each time I’d cut myself before while baking had been accidental. The idea of purposely cutting myself made me cringe.

“I like the concept of having something appealing for every race, but I’m not okay with bleeding into all my creations on purpose.”

“Not your blood, Everly,” Cross said. “I would prefer any treats that taste like you would be mine alone. I will find a volunteer donor to provide what you’ll need.”

“Okay. Just one more question.”

“You can ask as many as you’d like.”

Vena snorted, and we both ignored her.

“How much blood should I use in these recipes?”

“Drops at most. Nothing that will change how you bake.”

Relieved, I focused on Cross’ explanation of the bakery’s kitchen, the necessary appliances, how large the freezer and refrigeration spaces would be, the dimensions of the storage room… and other things I’d never considered before.

“I’ll need to do some research and figure out what baked goods I want to offer.”

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