Page 55 of Kiss the Dawn
“Perfect,” Padma said.
“Not for me,” Holly bowed out. “I have some stuff I want to do.”
We all stared at her, waiting for her to elaborate, but she simply arched her brow and stared right back.
“O-kay,” Merry said. “We’ll see you back at the house, then.”
Holly ambled off, and Merry linked arms with me and Padma.
“Girls’ day,” she said with a beaming smile that lifted my spirits.
“Girls’ day,” Padma and I echoed.
A girls’day was just what the doctor ordered, and by the time I let myself into my apartment, I felt lighter and more positive. I kicked my shoes off in the foyer, the smell of spaghetti sauce teasing my nose. My spirits lifted even more because someone was cooking for me.
Either Ordell or Hemlock, as both seemed to have a key.
I padded down the short hallway into the open-plan space and paused to take in the pure masculine sight of Hemlock, apron tied around his waist, stirring a pot on the stove.
The muscles across his back visibly tensed beneath the cream material of the tee he was wearing, telling me he’d sensed my presence.
“Good day?” he asked.
“Yes, actually.”
“I got Lorenzo’s message a couple of hours ago.” He set the spoon on a dish on the counter and turned to face me, all tussled and broody. “Sit down. I’ll get you a drink.”
I perched on the island while he pulled a bottle of wine out of the fridge. “A real drink?”
“I think you deserve it after what you’ve been through.”
“He told you?”
“Yep.” His gaze was flat and dangerous.
“Then you might want to grab me a whiskey.”
He put the wine back and reached under the counter and drew out a small bottle of whiskey. “You want ice?”
I shook my head. “No. Just two fingers.”
A smile tugged at his luscious mouth.
My cheeks heated as I realized what I’d said. “You know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I do.” He poured two glasses and passed me one.
“Do Ezekiel or Ordell know?”
He snorted. “You think Ordell wouldn’t be here if he knew?” He shook his head. “He’s watching his kids for the evening, so I made the executive decision not to tell him you were back yet. Same for Ezekiel.” He sipped. “I’m surprised he doesn’t already know, though. No dream visits last night?”
The whiskey burned a satisfying path down my throat. “Nope. I slept deeply.” No need to tell him about the nightmares.
“When this is over, Ordell and I will be paying the Isle a visit.” That flat dead gaze was back. “The witches involved will pay for what they did.”
His words made my insides warm and gooey. “As much as I would love to see them suffer, the Isle needs them to make lots of babies, and you need to steer clear of that place. I won’t risk you getting infected.”
His jaw flexed. “It’s a worthy risk. We won’t kill them, just dismember them a little. They’ll still be able to make babies, but they may no longer be able to walk, or speak…or see.”
