Page 107 of Dagger

“These are done,” she declared, turning the temperature down before picking up the trays of cooked bacon from the counter and transferring them to the oven to keep warm.

“This is the last of the bacon, too,” I told her, transferring the rashers to a metal plate so Iris could put them in the oven with the others.

The sound of footsteps echoed from the corridor, and Billy appeared at the door. “They’re almost done in there,” he drawled. “They’re stomping again and bellowing about raising hell. Third goddamned time since they’ve been in there.”

“When they’re done, can you take that tray of mugs into the bar?” Iris inquired. “The large coffee percolators are all filled up. The men can help themselves.”

“Gotcha, gorgeous.” Billy blew her a kiss, picked up the tray, and wandered back out the door with it.

Iris giggled like a schoolgirl, and her cheeks bloomed. “That boy,” she said as if to herself, with another little giggle.

Layla and I glanced at each other, our eyes widening slightly, and I bit back a chuckle.

Deep voices sounded from the hallway, followed by barks of laughter.

“Sounds like the meeting’s done,” Layla informed us.

Picking up my coffee, I took a quick mouthful before opening the oven door and transferring some bacon and sausage onto two plates. Then, I walked over to Layla, who was spooning the cooked eggs into a huge industrial metal serving dish and added a scoop.

“Something smells good,” John announced, walking into the room, with Abe on his heels, taking a seat at the table.

Iris poured two cups of coffee and placed them in front of the men. “Duchess is plating up for you now. How was your meeting?”

I moved to the men, placing their breakfasts in front of them.

“Never good going over attack plans, Rissy,” John muttered as he gently caught my hand, kissed my knuckles, and murmured, “Thank you, baby. Food looks good.”

My heart fluttered as he gently dropped my hand, picked up a fork, and started shoveling eggs into his mouth.

John had been behaving like I was his again since the wedding the day before. He hadn’t done anything to make me feel uncomfortable, but he had been pushing the boundaries a little.

What was surprising, though, was that I didn’t mind; in fact, a small part of me liked it. John slipping his arm across my shoulders when we were all shooting the shit at the bar the night before made me feel like I belonged. It was like we were a normal couple, hanging out with other couples, and for the first time in a long time, I felt normal.

My life with Robert was unnatural, and every time I went out with him, it felt wrong. Being with John was the opposite. I felt like I’d found my place, and all thoughts of eventually leaving were becoming more unappealing.

However, something inside me still felt off. Maybe Kennedy was right, and I should go to counseling to try to work it out. Last night in bed, I thought about what she said and decided that when the Sinners were dealt with, I’d make an appointment with Mitch, who had an office in town.

I watched John take a bite of bacon and tip his head back in ecstasy. “What the fuck is this? Crack?”

“Good, right?” Abe muttered, taking his second bite and rolling his eyes back in his head.

“It’s my special recipe,” I declared. “My mom cooked bacon the same way.”

“You can cook this shit every day if you like, baby,” John responded, stabbing another slice with his fork and sticking it into his mouth before breezily adding, “When you get back.”

“Umm, what do you mean, when I get back?” I inquired curiously. “Get back from where?”

“Vegas,” he announced.

My eyebrows shot up to my hairline. “Did I go to sleep last night and wake up in the Twilight Zone? What the hell are you talking about?”

“You women are flying out to Vegas today,” he told me nonchalantly. “Ned’s got a big house there with a pool. We thought you might like a vacation.”

“A vacation would be lovely,” I replied, snark in my tone. “If I’d planned it, brought new bikinis, and arranged for Sophie and Belle to come too.”

“Sophie’s goin’,” Abe confirmed. “And Layla, Cara, Ned, Iris, and Sera.” His eyes cut to his wife’s. “They’ll need help with the kids.”

Iris’s face fell. “You’re sending me away. And at a time when you need me the most.”

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