Page 93 of Unmask
I played along, turning back to the stove and reaching for the carton of eggs. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” I said, cracking the first egg against the edge of the pan. The whites spread and sizzled, edges beginning to set almost immediately.
“I’ll believe it when you make me something edible,” she shot back.
“Then prepare to be impressed, little raven.” I cracked the second egg, then the third, watching as they cooked alongside the bacon.
She laughed softly, genuinely amused this time, and damn, if a warmth that had nothing to do with the heat from the stove spread inside my chest. “What happened last night? I woke up and you were gone. Mason said you were following a lead.”
The fork in my hand stilled, bacon grease popping in the sudden silence. I stiffened for half a second before forcing myself to stay casual, sliding the perfectly cooked eggs onto a plate. The yolks were still runny, just the way I liked them. I turned off theburner and set the pan aside, the metal scraping sound against the stovetop.
When I turned to face her, she was watching me wide, expressive eyes that seemed to see straight through every wall I’d ever built. Hopeful and wary at the same time, clinging to optimism.
“We found a location,” I said slowly, choosing my words carefully as I leaned back against the counter. The plate was warm in my hands, ceramic heated by the food. “But by the time we got there, they were gone. The place was stripped clean. No girls, no guards, just…empty rooms and the smell of bleach.”
Her shoulders slumped, and the hope in her eyes sputtered, threatening to go out entirely.
“But…” I added, placing the plate in front of her on the counter, my knuckles brushing against her knee in the process. The contact was electric. “That’s not the end of it. If anything, it’s proof we’re on the right track. Moving them means they know we’re getting close, that the pressure we’re putting on them is working.”
She picked at the corner of the toast without really looking at it, her mouth pressed into a firm line.
“Hey,” I said quietly. “We’re not giving up. None of us are.”
She nodded, but it was slow. “I just want her home.”
“I know.” I understood that desperate, clawing need to protect someone you loved, to bring them back safe, no matter what it cost you. “And we’ll get her. I swear to you, we’ll bring her home. I don’t break promises.”
“What if she’s already gone?” she whispered, the question so quiet I felt it more than heard it. “What if we’re too late?”
My hand came up to cup her face, my thumb stroking along her cheekbone in a gesture that was becoming as natural as breathing. “Then we’ll deal with that if it happens. But right now, today, we keep fighting. We keep looking. We don’t give up.”
She closed her eyes, leaning into my touch. Maybe we were both just clinging to each other in the middle of a storm, pretending we could weather it together.
For now, that was enough.
“Now eat,” I ordered, making her roll her eyes, but she picked up her fork anyway.
We were halfway through breakfast when she flicked a piece of egg at me. The small chunk hit my shoulder with a soft splat and dropped onto my plate, leaving a greasy spot on my shirt.
I glanced up slowly, one brow lifting in mock disbelief. My fork paused halfway to my mouth as I stared at her.
Kaylor grinned as if she hadn’t just committed an act of war, her eyes sparkling with mischief. She popped another bite into her mouth and chewed like the innocent little liar she was.
“Oh, that’s how it’s gonna be?” I set my fork down. “I’d expect something like that from Mason but not you.”
She swallowed her bite and tilted her head, still playing innocent. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The lie was so blatant, so perfectly delivered with a sweet smile, I almost laughed. Instead, I pushed back my chair and stood, my movements predatory.
Her smile froze, eyes widening as she realized she might have miscalculated. “Kreed…”
Too late.
I rounded the kitchen island, and she bolted to the other side. Her laughter rang out, bright and genuine, as she scrambled away from me. I wasn’t even trying hard, just enjoying the chase, giving her enough head start to make it interesting.
Her socked feet nearly slid out from under her on the smooth floor as she darted around the corner, arms windmilling slightly to keep her balance. The sight of her trying to run in those ridiculous fuzzy socks was almost too endearing for words.
“You’re going to regret that,” I warned, making her squeal with laughter.
“Not if you can’t catch me,” she shot over her shoulder, breathless from running and laughing at the same time.
