Page 138 of Taming Seraphine

Then he’ll think again about sending me away.

When I open the refrigerator, it’s full of phallic shaped vegetables and nine-inch salamis. Ignoring the obvious trap, I grab an onion and slice it into thin pieces, then do the same with a bell pepper, tomatoes, mushrooms, herbs, and bacon. Leroi likes high-protein breakfasts, so I’ll make us a frittata.

After beating the eggs and mixing them with herbs and spices, I pour it into an oven dish, add the chopped ingredients, and make a start on the coffee.

As the frittata cooks, and the kitchen fills with delicious aromas, the door opens. I step away from the knives and walk to the coffeemaker, my heart pounding.

“I didn’t know you could cook,” Leroi says from behind. “I thought you only chopped.”

I turn around, my features schooled into a mask of indifference. “Our cook taught me how to make a few dishes.”

He crosses the tiled floor and pulls me into a hug. “What happened last night?”

My heart skips several beats. He missed me? Closing my eyes, I lean against this hard chest and savor his embrace. Had I misinterpreted his silence? I inhale his sandalwood scent. He wants me now, so does what happened last night even matter?

Yes, it does, because he’s blowing hot and cold.

I draw out of the hug to look him full in the face. “You went silent. You either got what you wanted and no longer needed me, or decided you’d made another mistake. So, I left you alone.”

He winces. “I was... processing.”

“Processing what? The sex?”

“Not that.” He glances away. “I couldn’t get certain aspects of your story out of my mind.”

My eyes narrow. Nothing about my past should be news to Leroi. He’s seen first-hand that I kill and castrate men, yet the only thing he ever complained about was the mess and something about getting caught.

“Which parts?” I ask. “It’s not like didn’t tell you anything you didn’t already suspect.”

“You’re right,” he rasps. “I’m sorry. I won’t shut you out like that again.”

My eyes narrow. His apology is genuine enough, but his actions don’t match his words.

Leroi cups the side of my face, bringing my attention back to him.

“I mean it,” he murmurs. “From this moment, I will include you in everything.”

Just as I’m about to answer, the doorbell rings.

Leroi’s face hardens. “Someone’s here.”

I give him a blank look.

“All my allies know to call first or use a specific knock.”

My eyes widen. “Oh.”

The doorbell rings again, only this time more insistently.

Leroi’s gaze darts to the block of knives, and he pulls out a gun. “Arm yourself and hide in a blind spot. Whatever you do, don’t leave this kitchen.”

FIFTY-THREE

LEROI

Whoever is at the door knows I’m at home because the doorbell is now on a continuous ring. I walk out of the kitchen, pick up my phone, and check on the security camera app. Surprise, surprise, they’ve placed a finger over the lens.

I grind my teeth and reach beneath the dining table, where I’ve hidden a silencer. After extracting it from the duct tape. I attach it to the gun.

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