Page 79 of The Devils Melody
Kage is standing shirtless at the stove, his back to me as he flips bacon in a cast iron skillet, a large stack of steaming pancakes sitting on the counter next to him. His muscles flex with each movement he makes and my eyes stay completely transfixed to his inked body.
Nox leans against the counter opposite of him, a mug of coffee in one hand pressed to his lips, and a book in the other. He has a pair of glasses perched on his nose as he reads looking more like a sexy professor, sparking a filthy nerd fantasy I didn’t know was buried deep inside of me.
“I don’t care about any of it if it means losing her,” Kage says to Nox and my stomach sinks. Quietly, I back up a little and press my back flush against the wall around the corner, trying to make myself invisible. Are they talking about me?
“I know, Kage, but we can’t let this mess with our mission. We have to be smart about this and we’re not fucking thinking straight right now.”
A loud slam makes me jump and my hand flies to cover my mouth. Slowly, I peek around the corner and see that Nox slammed the book on the counter, his coffee mug abandoned with it. His arms are crossed as he stares at him,his face contorted with something that sort of looks like pain. Like he doesn’t even believe what he’s saying himself.
Kage shuts the burner off and turns towards Nox, staring down at his brother. There’s not much of a height difference between them, but Kage is definitely bigger, broader, and more imposing. His presence fills the kitchen.
I press myself tighter against the wall, my heart hammering in my chest as I barely dare to even breathe. Their words rattle around in my head, giving me an ugly feeling.
Losing me? Mission? Not thinking straight?
None of it makes sense, but it feels like I shouldn’t be here. Maybe I made a mistake trusting them. Nox has made it perfectly clear that I’m a liability for whatever their “mission” is.
I can’t hide behind this wall forever. They’ll notice eventually, and then it’ll be obvious that I was eavesdropping. Taking in a deep breath, I smooth my expression as best as I can and step out from my hiding place like I didn’t hear a damn thing. My heart is pounding so loud, I’m sure they can hear it.
Nox notices me instantly and in a split second, the tension drains from his face, replaced by something smoother.
“Good morning, gorgeous,” he coos, a warm smile playing on his lips. Okay sir, you were just talking about not thinking straight and now you’re giving me fuck-me-eyes.
I freeze for half a second before forcing a smile on my face, hoping it doesn’t look as brittle as it feels.
“Morning,” I manage, my voice way higher than I intended.
Walking further into the kitchen, I try to move casuallybut my body feels stiff and unnatural. My arms hang awkwardly at my sides, looking like I don’t know what to do with them.
Act normal, Wren. Don’t let them know you heard anything.
Kage glances over his shoulder, that sinful smirk I’ve slowly come to love resting on his face. “Morning, little bird. Sleep well?”
I nod quickly.
“Yeah…surprisingly.” I smile back at him, hoping they can’t see how forced my smile actually is.
They’re watching me closely. Do they know I heard them? Fuck, did they see me when I peaked around the corner or something? Maybe they heard me? Nox cocks an eyebrow at me like he definitely knows there’s something wrong and I slowly start to panic.
“You alright, phoenix?” He steps closer, bringing his hand to my shoulder and without thinking I take a step back.
Shit, I shouldn’t have done that.
I’m making it so obvious that there’s something off but I’ll be damned if I make it known I was hiding behind that damn wall eavesdropping like a child.
I force out a shaky laugh, desperate to fill the awkward silence. “Yeah, I’m fine. Something smells amazing,” I choke, nodding towards the stove.
“Only the best for our girl,” Kage purrs as he leans back against the counter, crossing his arms, his muscles rippling from the movement. He says it so smoothly, but the way his eyes narrow ever so slightly as he says it makes my pulse jump.
I swallow hard, trying to keep my expression neutral and not give anything away. Inside, I’m a fucking mess, all my insecurities I’ve fought so hard to keep tamped downnow rising to the surface. The words keep replaying inside my mind like a skipping record player causing my chest to ache with each replay.
“Come here,” Kage murmurs.
It sounds like an invitation, but it feels like I’m walking into a trap as I close the distance between us. Kage pulls me into him, our bodies flushed together and I have to remind myself that I’m literally not wearing anything underneath this.
This can go one of two ways. Either he’ll notice and do something about it, and let's be honest, I won’t be able to stop him. Or, he won’t notice and I can keep pretending like nothing is going on until I can leave and go home. Maybe Retta will let me stay with her for a while.
“I want a better answer,” he says, looking down at me as he holds me closer. “What’s going on? Did you not sleep okay?”
