Page 90 of Blood and Bonbons

“These trousers are ridiculous. What man of refinement would wear this coarse cloth?” he demanded, glaring at Vena.

“I told you,” she said. “They aren’t trousers because you aren’t eighty. They’re jeans. They’re what men who look your age wear when they’re going into a strip club.”

He curled his lip at her.

“It isn’t a strip club. It’s a feeding den.”

“Well, those clothes are what my neighbor would sell me for forty bucks, and they’re in fashion. I’m doing my best here, Cross.”

“You look amazing, Cross,” I said quickly to stop the fight. “Very attractive. Those are the kind of clothes that will make women interested in you. Trust me when I say you would get a lot of offers.”

His gaze shifted to me, and his eyes flared black.

“Are you offering?” he asked, his voice silky.

“No hitting on Everly,” Vena said. “You both have work to do. You’re going to save my brother so Everly doesn’t risk another bra malfunction, and we’re going to serve drinks tonight so I can reimburse myself for the clothes I bought an ungrateful friend.”

Cross’ head swung toward her. “I am not your friend.”

She crooked a grin at him. “I like how you didn’t correct the ungrateful part.”

He snorted and started for the door. “I will see you when you return this evening. Do not leave this house until it is time for you to work.”

“Wait,” I called when he opened the door. “You need a key. We can’t afford more broken or unlatched locks.” I dug my key out of my purse and handed it to him. “Thank you for helping.”

His gaze swept over my face, and he caught my hand to bring it to his mouth. The way his lips brushed over my knuckles flushed my cheeks and set my pulse racing.

“For you, anything,” he said.

Vena waited until he was gone to mock him.

“For you, Everly, anything,” she said in a deep voice. “You’re asking him for the damn ring next time.”

“I can’t ask him after he just killed people for us. Be grateful we’re alive, and get a copy of your key made so I have one again.”

I returned to the kitchen to make us both something to eat for lunch. After the morning we had, it felt great to sit and watch mindless television for several hours. I groaned when I saw the time and grudgingly stood.

Vena turned off the TV and made a sympathetic sad face.

“I am sorry about this morning.”

“I know you are. You’ll be even more sorry if Shepard sees the cut on my hand so soon after the cut on my face. My ‘taking one for the team’ quota’s been met today, and I’m putting the blame right where it’s due.”

She made another face and carried our lunch plates to the kitchen, giving me a chance to steal the bathroom first.

After we had arrived home from Juicy, I had washed away the heavy makeup and the blood then placed a new, small strip of medical tape over the healing cut on my cheek. I did the same now for my palm.

As I stared down at it, wondering if Shepard would notice, I realized I had no chance of hiding it. Anchor had smelled the scrotum on Vena’s hand after she’d washed. So, the likelihood of Anchor smelling blood on me was probably a given.

The real question was if Shepard would believe I ended up on the wrong end of a friendly knife.

Vena was ready and waiting at the front door by the time I finished dressing.

“Ready to flirt with men and get paid for it?” Her face lit with a sudden thought. “We reallyarewomen of ill repute by Cross’ standards, aren’t we?”

I snorted and shouldered my purse. “Ready to deal with Shepard?”

“What’s to deal with? The man’s just as in love with you as Cross.”

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