Page 10 of Property of Chaos

“You boys need anything else?”

I nod toward her new hire. “How long she been here?”

The older woman turns as though needing to check who I’m talking about. “It’s her first month.” She turns back, settling a hard stare at me. “Why?”

“Curious.”

“Well, you can keep your curiosity in your pants where it fucking belongs.” Cafe momma sets her hands on her hips. “She’s had a hard life, and she doesn’t need you assholes adding to it.”

“How?” Call me intrigued.

“How what? Will you add to it?” She snorts a laugh. “Don’t think I need to explain that.”

“I meant, how has it been hard?”

Fang slings one arm over the back of his chair, twisting to look at the subject of our conversation. “She looks upset.”

“Well, aren’t you a keen observer,” Theresa quips. “I don’t know what she came from, Chaos. And I don’t ask—much. All I know is that girl has some demons in her closet she’d rather forget about, and if I can give her a shot at a future where she gets to do that, then I will. Now.” She hitches an eyebrow. “You boys hungry? I can whip together something hot if you like.”

“We’re good.” I drum my fingers against the tabletop.

“Speak for yourself,” Jinx gripes, turning to Theresa. “I’d like a turkey sub if you’ve got one.”

“Can do you a chicken?”

“Sold.” He smiles at her and then returns to the papers before him.

I don’t miss her subtle attempt at reading what they say.

“You’ll find out when you need to.”

She jolts at my quiet threat, backing away from the table. “Chicken sub coming right up. You want anything, Fang?”

“I’m good.” He waves her off before lifting his phone. He drops the device the second she’s out of earshot and leans closer. “What’s with the questions?”

“Take it you didn’t see her this morning, then?”

“Who?”

“The waitress.”

He twists to take in the dark-haired newcomer again. “Think you would have known if I had.”

The melancholy girl folds the papers and shoves them in her pocket, returning to her idle mutilation of the muffin.

“We rode past her on the road to the farm,” I explain.

“We did?” Jinx sets his pen down to join the chat.

“She was walking along the goddamn grass.” I sigh, rolling my eyes as I slouch back in the seat. “Where’s your fucking situational awareness? No wonder the brothers have so many near misses—you’re all off with the fucking fairies while you’re riding.”

“The dust was my fucking issue,” Jinx snaps. “But you wouldn’t know much about that riding up front, would you?”

“I did my time in back,” I chide. It's not my fault if he had no ambition for the head spot at the table. “Tell me you assholes at least saw the cottage not far from the farmhouse.”

“Yeah. I saw that.” Fang nods. “Hard not to notice it, what with its cute little picket fence and all.”

“You think she came from there?” Jinx glances over his shoulder as the girl re-enters the cafe, his brow pulled into a frown.

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