Page 74 of You Don’t Kiss Your Brother's Best Friends

As for Roman, he preferred shoveling food into his mouth rather than fend off any accusatory glances. And those glances went both ways. His own men appeared absolutely murderous, staring down the other two groups with lethal intent. It was clear they saw mutiny. It was only a matter of how it would be handled.

“Emily…”

One of the doors cracked open, and Dorothea motioned me through. I exited in the direction of the kitchen, passing a pair of very serious looking men with rifles who begrudgingly stepped aside for me. Just as I did, I heard voices rise from the table behind me.

“C—Chef Kayden needs you.”

Dorothea’s usual expression involved some measure of nervousness. Right now however, it was bordering on neurotic.

“Is it time for the next course already?” I asked.

“Who knows?” she shrugged. “They haven’t touched the last course. Nobody’s eating.”

“I know.”

“Have they started killing each other yet?” she asked fearfully.

“Not yet,” I swallowed. “But I expect any minut—”

I choked on my last few words as Bishop appeared and abruptly dragged me into the kitchen. Kayden flew over, and together they pushed me into the walk-in.

“What’s happening?” they demanded in unison.

“I… I don’t know,” I replied. “Roman isn’t talking. He isn’t letting anyone else talk either. And he’s the only one eating. Everyone is sitting there, staring at him, watching him pick through his food.”

The two men looked at each other grimly. I could see information passing between them.

“I thought this was supposed to be an important meeting for them?”

“It is,” said Bishop. “I mean, it was. Now it’s a shit show.”

“Why?”

“Because heknows.”

They took several moments of silence, deciding what to do. I could only stand there, studying their handsome faces, thinking back to our shared past. Those faces had been so young, so carefree. So full of mischief and revelry, back when things were simple, when our biggest problem was a missed homework assignment, or scrounging up enough money for gas.

I wondered what Jason would think if he could see us now. The three of us standing here, surrounded by armed killers, in a mansion on the other side of the world. I’d justhid a body, for shit’s sake. And things were apparently about to get hairier.

“Alright, you go back in,” Kayden said to me at last. “Bring the next course. Stay in there, in case someone orders a drink—”

“No one’s ordering drinks,” I cut in. “No one’s eating or talking or doing anything. It’s a funeral parlor in there.”

“Bring it anyway,” he replied. “Stand off to the side. Observe and say nothing. But keep as close as you can to the door, because if shit gets crazy—”

“Whenshit gets crazy,” Bishop interrupted him.

Begrudgingly, Kayden nodded. “When shit gets crazy, you run your little ass right back here.”

~ 45 ~

ANDRE

There were no more security patrols, no more checkpoints. No one stopping to check my keycard, or ask what I might be doing out of the kitchen. I should’ve been relieved, but the vacant halls made me even more unsettled. Protocol had broken down, and procedure was out the window. All of it could only mean one thing:

Someone had made a very serious move.

I raced through the manor as fast as my legs would carry me, taking the steps three at a time. The upstairs hallways were just as vacant. With everyone else in the dining room, the place was an empty shell.

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