Page 3 of Storm

The way he wrinkles his nose is kind of adorable, but I do my best to ignore it. Leaving the lot, he asks, “What does tinsel have to do with your cat?”

“Have you never had a cat before, captain?” I ask, turning my body toward him. I feel this energetic high, and I can’t stop my body from bouncing in excitement. A surge of energy works through my veins, filling me, and I’m ready to do something crazy. If Lucifer has to bear the brunt of it, then so be it.

“Nooo,” he drawls out.

Jerking my head back slightly, a slow grin lifts my lips in pleasure as I explain. “Cats freakinglovetinsel. They can’t stop themselves from eating it. So, when I get home, I’m going to cover the tree with loads and loads of pretty, shiny red tinsel.”

Dipping his chin, he studies me. “Won’t that hurt the cat?”

“Yup,” I say proudly. “I hope he fucking chokes on it. Fuck that cat. He’s a goddamn vicious bully. Honestly, he has it coming to him.”

The way he stifles his laugh sends a flicker of insecurity through me. Maybe I said too much or the wrong thing. Or I sound like a psycho, but seriously, that cat is insane. Lucifer used to wait for me when I’d come home at night and as soon as I’d walk to my bedroom, he would launch his fat as fuck body toward me, attacking my ankles with teeth and claws. And that’sonlyif I was in front of my bedroom door. He’d also slink up the stairs and try to trip me as I was walking up.

That bastard has tried to kill me… on multiple occasions. He’s a murderer in the making. I’m just his first chosen victim.

“You’re a vicious little thing, aren’t you?” Captain Cooper asks, and I simply shrug my shoulders. He doesn’t seem too put off by my plan, so I shove my insecurity deep down where it has to fight to surface again.

I’m not sure what he wants me to say, so I stand firm. “Fuck. That. Cat.”

He doesn’t say anything else, and maybe I should feel guilty about my plans for Lucifer, but I don’t. I’ll stay prepared.Healways is, the little fucker.

We spent the next twenty minutes driving on the highway in relative silence. I hate sitting in a car with people when no one is talking. We don’t need to chat for the entire two-hour drive, but the longer this goes on, the more awkward I’m feeling. I’m tempted to tell him stories, but the longer he goes just staring at the road, the more I feel like this manreallydoesn’t like me.

His phone starts ringing and I’m actually thankful he answers it on speaker, just for some entertainment.

“Cooper.”

Who the fuck answers the phone like that?

“Hey. Veronica’s plane is grounded because of the storm. She’s not coming. She said she tried to reschedule, but they aren’t booking out for another three days because of this storm that’s hitting everywhere.”

I give him the illusion I’m not listening by looking out the window, but I can’t help but listen in.Who’s Veronica? This random guy’s girlfriend?The thoughts flicker through quickly before I realize I should probably check my weather app on my phone. I didn’t realize there was a winter storm coming. Maybe I should just go home if we’re about to be hit. The last thing I want is to be stuck at my dad’s place with my brothers.

“Fucking hell.Goddamnit!” Cooper growls out. That catches my interest.Why is he so frustrated that his friend’s girl can’t make her flight?

“We’re already here, but I haven’t told them yet. What should we do? Just go home?” the man on the phone asks.

Of course, the moment I glance over at him is when he finally decides to look at me. When he removes the call from Bluetooth and holds his phone up to his ear, I know he doesn’t appreciate my listening in.

“No. Don’t send them home yet. Just give me a few minutes to figure shit out and I’ll call you back.” He listens to whatever the guy is saying and slowly nods his head, then looks in my direction again. “Maybe. I’m a little over an hour away. Maybe an hour and a half. We need anything up there?”

I can hear the muffled voice of his friend, but nothing is coming through clearly. I’m nosy and I really want to know what plans Veronica disrupted by not showing up.

Eyeing the bag filled with tinsel between my feet, I find myself jealous these guys had plans that have been ruined enough to leave them feeling disappointed. My only plan now is to make sure Lucifer’s death is long and painful. And cooking. Always fucking cooking.

“I might have an alternative. Let me call you back once I get it sorted. I’ll call you back,” he clips out coldly, but I’m too far gone into my thoughts about my upcoming work to care.

Ending his call, we continue to drive for another few minutes in silence before my traveling partner clears his throat.

“Miriam?” My name is spoken almost tentatively, but I’ll take anything at this point to not have to think about the chaos I’m about to walk into. I love my brothers dearly, but they expect far too much from me.

Turning to him with a fake smile, I add a little cheer to my response. “What’s up?”

He seems resigned and not very enthusiastic when he says, “I have a proposition for you.”

CHAPTER 2

KEVIN

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