Page 65 of Kilo's Edge

“Love you, too, Mercy, but stop making it sound like you’re saying goodbye.” He tipped my chin up, forcing me to meet his eyes. “I’ll see you later.”

I nodded, forcing another wavering smile.

“Roger, Prissy, I owe you big time,” he told his friends.

“Psft,” Prissy responded. “You’ve introduced us to new friends. No need to repay that.”

“The Viking’s Rampage crew should be here within the hour, maybe sooner,” Kilo told all of us.

“I’ve already started a feast to feed them all,” Roger told him.

“Oh man, and we’re missing it?” Overdrive groaned.

Roger laughed. “We’ll send you some tomorrow.”

Kilo and Overdrive went over and hugged both Roger and Prissy, though there was a lot of back slapping when they hugged Roger. It looked painful to me, but it seemed to be their way.

“We’ll be back to pick them up as soon as we can.”

“Don’t hurry,” Prissy said with a wave. “We’re going to have a wonderful night.” She met his gaze. “You boys be careful.” She said it in the tone a mother used when her boys were going to ride dirt bikes.

“We will,” Kilo said. He tugged me close and kissed me. He gave me an intense look as he pulled back. “Be careful.”

“Yoube careful,” I replied.

“I’ll see you soon.”

I pressed my fingers to my lips as I watched him walk out of the house. My heart was hammering and I was vaguely nauseous. I wished I could just fast forward through the whole night.

An arm dropped over my shoulders, and I looked up at Roger.

“It’s almost dinner time. I’m looking forward to getting to know you.”

“Me too,” I told him, and I meant it. Roger and Prissy were going to help keep my mind off what was happening tonight, and I couldn’t be more appreciative of that. It would be too easy to drive myself crazy with worry. I’d rather have good food and learn more about Kilo’s friends.

CHAPTER 27

Camila

“Can I help?” I asked, peeking in on Roger inside the kitchen.

Mom and Prissy were talking and it was as though they’d been friends for years. My mom didn’t usually open up very easily, but it was like their souls recognized one another and you’d think they’d been friends forever. Carmen was scrolling on her phone, though she knew better than to mention where she was tonight.

Roger looked over at me and grinned. “Do you know how to cook?”

“Yeah,” I replied. “I hope someday to open a restaurant.”

“Really?” he asked, putting his hands on his wide hips. He eyed me like he was determining from sight alone whether I would mess up his feast.

“Don’t mind him. He hardly lets me in the kitchen and I’ve been working alongside him since we were twenty,” Prissy saidas she came in and grabbed a pitcher of juice and glasses and brought them back out to the living room.

I laughed. “I get it,” I said in a whisper. “Your kitchen is a sacred space. Mine too, though I have to share it with Mama.”

Roger’s eyes sparkled and he pointed over to where a lump of dough was resting. “You can roll out the bread.”

Going to the sink, I washed my hands before sinking them into the mixture and kneading it. Working helped to settle my nerves, and I had a feeling that was the only reason Roger was allowing me to help. We chatted as we worked, and one by one my muscles started to lose the tension I’d been holding in them for most of the day.

It was only about twenty minutes after Kilo and Overdrive left when the doorbell rang. Roger and I looked at each other.

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