Page 74 of A Step You Shouldn't Take

“Every day until I joined the army. Mom wasn’t so good at that sort of thing.”

I tried a forkful. My mom had been more of a low-fat yogurt and muesli person. “It’s delicious. I’d live on it too if I thought I’d still fit into my clothes.”

Oh my. I hadn’t seen that dirty grin before.

“Better get more bacon, then.”

“Pig.” I couldn’t let that one pass, even if I secretly liked Reed being vulgar now that I knew he was kind-hearted underneath.

“Yeah, bacon comes from pigs. Somebody listened in school.”

“You know what I meant.”

He just laughed. “You want coffee too?”

“Yes, please.”

“Extra cream?”

“Stop it.”

He did stop teasing, but I wished he hadn’t when he sat opposite me with his serious face on.

“Are you sure you’re okay to do this? Visiting the club, I mean.”

Chatting with murder victims wasn’t my favourite pastime for a Sunday morning, but if it helped Emma…

“I’m sure.”

“I just want you to know how much I appreciate everything you’ve done to help these past few days. I understand how difficult it must be.”

“In a strange way, it feels good. I mean, it’s not good that people have died, but I feel better for helping. For doing a small part of my duty.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but whoever handed out these powers couldn’t have picked a worse person.”

At last, someone understood. “I know, right? I imagine a bona fide member of the Electi would be a woman like The Bride out ofKill Bill.”

“A sword-wielding assassin who’s not afraid to kill in the pursuit of justice?”

“Exactly. But I’m better at wielding flowers. Although I did almost kill somebody with a bouquet once. Nobody realised one of the wedding guests was severely allergic to lily pollen, and the poor lady went into anaphylactic shock.”

“Better stop off and pick up a bunch of flowers on the way to Illusion.”

“Or one of those Japanese katanas.”

“I can’t picture you watching a Quentin Tarantino movie.”

“It was my ex-husband’s choice. I wanted to watch a romcom.”

“I promise I’ll take you to see a romcom when this is over.”

A date? Did Reed Cullen just suggest we go on a date? Judging by the hot flash that ran through me, my libido certainly hoped so.

“Really?”

“It’s the least I can do.” He checked his watch. “But for now, we have a nightclub to visit.”

Wyatt hadn’t wanted me to go when we discussed our plans yesterday. Too dangerous for a girl like me, he said. He’d offered to go with Reed himself after his shift ended, and we could hardly explain why that wouldn’t work. Luckily, when Reed promised to stay by my side and carry a gun, Wyatt had acquiesced.

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