Page 12 of Why Cheese?
“There was cheese,” I mutter, pointing back to the ground before swinging my finger up to Cheddy. “Then you.”
“Uh-huh. I understand. Yes, Madam.” Cam shuffles over, my phone extended at the end of his arm. “I believe it’s for you.”
Numb, I take my phone only to get a blast of motherly rage. “Who is that man?” My thumb ends the call and I drop my hand.
“Why are you…?” I whisper.
“We had a deal!” Roq keeps ranting. He lines his foot up to kick the garbage bag I’d spent all afternoon filling.
“What are you?”
Ring ring.
“Are you hiding any other mysteries in here?” Cam asks, digging through my purse.
Roq tears at his blue hair and bashes his foot right through the bag, tearing it in half. The day’s worth of work spills out over the floor—my time worthless. All the while, my phone rings like the toll of a bell outside a courthouse, every chime drilling into my skull.
Popping up to my feet, a scream of hellfire unleashes from my trembling lips and I launch my phone. I think I’d been aiming for Roq’s head, but it strikes the shop sign, knocking the hangingGoudafellasback on its chains. My phone swan dives onto the counter with a loud crack.
Every man stares at my broken phone, then back at me. Panting, I jerk a finger to each face. “What the hell are you doing here? Getting into my things!”
Cam raises his hands and steps back, though he twirls a tampon between his fingers like a cigar.
“Making a goddamn mess.” I point directly at Roq who crosses his arms and lifts his head telling me he has no regrets.
I land on Cheddy, who’s still naked. “Being a…”
My sanity snaps. I wrap my palms over my face, certain that if I close my eyes they’ll vanish.This isn’t real. They’re not real.Inside my blind refuge, I cry out, “Cheese!”
Only the whir of the old boiler fills the air. I start to peek, uncertain what to fear—that they’ve vanished and I’ve gone fully mad, or there are still three partially naked men surrounding me.
Fingers brush against the back of mine. I jerk, nearly pulling away, but a soft voice calls out, “Shh, be still, Lady Violette.” Cam braids his fingers around mine and gently guides them down. “Oh, my dear, you’re beginning to bruise. Does anyone have a cold cut?” he asks, black hair scattering over his shoulder.
“There’s mortadella in the vault,” Roq says before turning over his shoulder. “Bree?”
I didn’t even notice the quiet one lingering behind the support beam. He jerks his head at the attention, then scurries down into the basement. “Vault?” I ask, peering at the three remaining men.
“I believe you should sit. We all need to speak.” Cam takes me by the hand, his fingers calloused—the veins flexing under his olive skin. He leads me toward an old barrel, shoves the mess, and dusts off the top before helping me onto it like a gentleman. As he bows, a loud harrumph breaks from behind. Cam spins to glare at Roq. “Or do you intend to pitch a tantrum all night and learn nothing?”
“Do what you want. You always do.”
“I’m afraid that introductions were cut rather short last eve. You know our names, but not our identities. We are…”
“Who are you?” Roq interrupts, peeling Cam away from me.
Nervously, I clench my hands in thin air. “I’m Violette Ree–”
“Yes, yes. But why are you here? What has happened to this store? Where is Mateo? That bumbling fool would never leave this place in such distress.”
Tears build in my eyes at this trespassing asshole calling my beloved uncle a fool. Ice cuts through me and I cry out, “Uncle Mateo’s dead!”
Three jaws drop. Cam turns away to glare at the wall. Cheddy begins to well up, his fist shaking at the news. Roq’s the only one who doesn’t flinch. His lips twist in a knot and he sunders the air with the single word, “Dead?”
I nod and drop my gaze.
With a growl, Roq runs his hands back through his blue hair and walks away. They fall silent digesting the news. The air hardens to sludge as if death hides in every inch of the shop.
“Who’s dead?” Bree’s soft voice pipes up.
