Page 37 of Deep in Her Marrow

We all just shake our heads sadly, but it’s Cadie who responds, “That’s just how Kealy is in the kitchen. She could start a fire from thin air. No one is sure how she’s survived this long honestly.”

Bri gives us all a thoughtful look and chews on the bottom of her lip. “If you don’t want her to know that another one is there,” she takes a deep breath, “they have ones that look similar to cleaning products. They’re hand-held ones that actually look like oven cooking spray. You could get that and keep it by the cleaning products that you have in the kitchen. She might not realize what it is.”

Edge blinks before his face erupts into a bright smile. “That’s perfect!” He gives Briella a nod. “Can I get them at any store or do I have to order it online?”

She shrugs. “I think they have them at Home Depot and places like that.”

He snaps his fingers. “You’re hired!”

“You’re hiring me because I’m helping you lie to your wife?” Her tone is as disbelieving as it should be.

He shrugs. “I’m not lying to her. I had a problem and you solved it. It’s what we need from someone at the reception desk.” What he isn’t saying is that he knew damn well that he was hiring her the minute she walked in here. He can’t help himself; sucker is written all over him.

“Uh, thank you?” The poor woman is so confused. She better get used to it working around here.

“Excellent,” Cadie chimes in happily. “Do you have a way to get here? There are some late nights.” She explains slowly, likely remembering her own interview.

Briella’s face falls. “No, I, um, well,” she stutters, “I don’t have a car right now. But it isn’t too far from the shelter. I have no problem walking.” She rushes out like it would be a deal breaker. Maybe somewhere else, but not here, not when it comes to Edge.

I glance at him and can see the wheels spinning in his head. He gives me a look that clearly states, “You Owe Me”and if it works out for me, I have no problem owing him whatever he wants. “Well, Bri, see the thing is, Cadie’s right, we do have late nights and you walking around that late doesn’t sit well with me. I would never let any of my employees come to harm.” His tone is so serious, that if I didn’t know him as well as I do, I would’ve missed the glint in his eye.

“Oh.” Briella’s shoulders fall, and Cadie looks heartbroken.

“There’s got to be a way around this somehow,” Cadie asks, unknowingly walking smack dab into whatever Edge has already conjured up in his devious mind. I’d feel bad if I didn’t have a feeling about where he’s going with this. Jesus, I really am turning into him.

He shrugs casually. “I mean, she could take the apartment upstairs; that way she wouldn’t have to travel.”

Cadie’s eyes narrow. “You mean the apartment whereIlive?”

Briella gives me a questioning look, to which I just smile.

Edge gives her a bright smile, his eyes filled with laughter, “Do you though? Do you really live there?” This is why I trust him with my life. “It’s pretty selfish not to allow someone else to have it when you’re not really using it.”

Damn, I’m going to the fucking store and buying him a hundred of those fire extinguisher things.

Wefinallyfinishedcarryingthe last of my things into Marrow’s, well I guess now my place and I’m currently putting everything away. Not that there was really all that much to grab. I left most of my kitchen stuff since Marrow had already bought me everything I had there and then some. And as much as I hate to admit it, most of my clothes were already here. In total I only had four boxes of odds and ends, making me really hate the smirks that he and Edge were sending my way while I was packing. It’s not like I realized I was actually living with Marrow.

Okay, maybe on a sub-conscious level I did, but it wasn’t something I thought about too often or too hard.

And of course, he’s been grinning like a cat that ate the canary ever since he plopped his butt on the couch after I told him that I didn’t need help putting anything away.

I still don’t even know how I went from being afraid of him to living with him in such a short amount of time. I now know exactly how Kealy felt. I kind of wished I hadn’t laughed so hard when she told me about Edge moving in, and then the house he bought without her knowing beforehand. Karma really is a bitch.

Actually, that reminds me, “Hey, Jake?” I look up at him from my seat on the floor as I go through little odds and ends.

He looks down at me with a smile. “What’s up, Sprite?”

I tilt my head, “What did Edge mean when he said that you stacked the odds in your favor when it came to me?”

His face takes on a blank look, making me realize he’s definitely guilty of something. He scratches the side of his bearded face. “I have no idea. You can’t trust what he says right now.” His eyes widen. “He’s dealing with a woman who’s plotting his death right now. His head is definitely not screwed on right.”

I give him the same look that I’ve seen my mother give my father countless times when she knows he’s full of shit. “That’s what you’re going with?” I give him a bland look. “Do you really think I’m that stupid?”

“A man can hope,” he mutters making my eyes narrow before he lets out a long sigh. “Just so you know,” he raises his index finger and points to himself, “I have never even come close to a quarter of Edge’s level of crazy.”

“That’s not really installing warm and fuzzies in me right this second.”

“Really it’s not that bad.” He shrugs his massive shoulders. “I just may have stopped by the shop a lot more since you’ve been working there.”

---