Page 46 of ILY
He glances down at the tent in my sweats, licking his lips before looking back up at me. “Where can I cook the chicken without dying?”
“You’re actually thinking about chicken at a time like this?”
“I need to feed you.” He looks dead serious, and it shouldn’t be, but it’s so fucking sexy.
“Fine, if you think this is the best course of action.” I eye the kitchen and then pull something out of a box. It’s an air fryer. “This doesn’t look used. This should work without burning the kitchen down.” Assuming the electric panel doesn’t fry. The lights have been flickering a lot lately, but he doesn’t need to know that.
“Sounds good. Let’s set it up and see.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
THORNE
“Tellme this isn’t going to short out and burn the house down,” I say as he sets the air fryer up on the counter.
He frowns. “I mean, I don’t think it’s ever been used before, so it probably won’t.”
It’s definitely not new, but it doesn’t look as busted as half the stuff he has in his house. “Where did you get it?”
“It was here with all the other crap my aunt left behind after she died.”
Right. Everything he’s got here is inherited from a dead aunt. I haven’t checked my email today, and I make a mental note to do it soon because there’s probably information waiting for me. I’ve just been spending a lot of time at Leaf’s, away from my computer.
Today, I met up with Denver in an attempt to do some reconnaissance on Leaf, but it ended up fruitless. He knew Leaf, of course, along with some other farmer, ex-interpreter who lived down the road, but Denver didn’t seem to have any knowledge about what Leaf was up to these days.
And he didn’t once mention Michael.
He did give me a good place to shop, and while I was adding groceries to my cart, I told myself this was only so I’d have anexcuse to be closer to Leaf. It absolutely definitely did not have anything to do with the fact that I wanted to spend time with him.
That my full and complete bisexual awakening came on the heels of chasing down a possible murderer who sucked dick like a god.
My pants threaten to get a little tighter, so I shove those thoughts away as I finish seasoning the chicken. Leaf’s setting up the air fryer, and he makes a little “ta-da” motion with his hands after he plugs it into the wall.
The lights flicker for a second, and I raise my brows, but he only shrugs. ‘Cook,’ he signs.
I roll my eyes, then stick the chicken in the little drawer. I motion for him to step back, and he grins at me, still looking a little sleepy. My mouth tastes like him—like spit and booze. He’s becoming one of my most impossible addictions.
I should have done something about the fact that when I got back to his property, he was digging a grave. And that wasn’t me assuming. He literally told me he was digging Michael’s grave. The hole was definitely big enough for a human body, considering he was stuck in it, but from what I could see, he was just having another one of his breakdowns.
What he needed was food, sleep, and maybe another orgasm. If I can give him those three things, maybe he’ll start talking a little more about what’s really going on here.
I hit the button on the machine, and it whirs to life. I can feel the rumble more than I hear it, the subtle vibration on the countertop.
“Hell yeah, we’re in busi?—”
Leaf’s words die along with the power. There’s a sort of popping sound somewhere off in the distance—loud enough I can pick it up in the suddenly very quiet room. And then I realize it’s dark.
Shit.
I’m not afraid, but it makes me more nervous when I can’t see now that I’m not able to hear the way I used to. Everything suddenly feels overwhelming. My chest constricts for a second, and then there’s a bright light shining in my eyes.
“What the fuck?”
“Sorry, sorry,” Leaf says quickly, grabbing my arm and lowering his phone and stepping in close so I can hear him properly. “Any idea what just happened?”
My brows furrow, but the answer’s obvious. This house is old as fuck and most definitely neglected. “It’s probably the breaker. Do you know where the box is?”
“Dude, I don’t even know where I am half the time.”
