Page 46 of Blood & Kisses

Alarms are going off in my head. “Wait. What the hell is going on here?” I point my finger at Blake’s amused face.

Gabe’s smile vanishes. “This is not good,” his voice laced with an authoritarian tone, and his concern was directed at Blake and Cormac. “It came to fucking close. We need to be more vigilant.”

“What are you talking about?” I shrill, but my throat is so dry that I start coughing.

Gabe steps into the kitchen cupboard, takes out a bottle of cough medicine, and retrieves a spoon from the drawer. He unscrews the lid and, with steady hands, pours some brown-colored solution into the spoon. “Here,” he says, placing the spoon in front of my mouth. I open and pour the liquid into my gob.

“I’m not a kid,” I say, coughing from the medicine and patting my chest, liking his attention but also finding him patronizing. He views me as a kid, and I hate that.

Gabe places the bottle in front of me. “Three times daily, and that cough should be gone in a couple of days.” He checks his watch on his wrist, shoots Blake a look, makes a signal with his hand, and looks back at me. “I have to head back to work.”

I’m disappointed that he’s leaving me, but at least I have Blake and Cormac to explain to me what the fuck is going on. “Did you notice the houseplants? I call after him, and he glances back at me with a frown indented on his handsome face.

“Sounds like you’re getting comfortable,” he replies as those eyes search for houseplants.

“In the living rooms,” I educate him. “You haven’t noticed.”

“I just got here,” he replies. “Haven’t had a chance to breathe, let alone paw over houseplants.”

“If you don’t want them, then I’ll take them away,” I inform him in case he hates the idea.

He turns his back to leave. “Houseplants are fine.”

“A woman’s touch is needed around here. It’s so bland and…” cough, cough, cough, “I know I’m not here to stay long…” he’s still walking away from me as I talk. That’s so rude. As he disappears from sight, I yell, “But I felt it needed some color and personality.” Cough, cough, cough. “Don’t thank me.” I’m snarky because I stupidly want him to be appreciative and admit that he likes me living under his roof. God, I’m pathetic.

I catch the entertained look on Blake’s face. “You’re more interested in receiving praise about your houseplants than the fact someone tried to kill you?”

I flare my nostrils and raise my chin into the air. “All in a day’s work,” I reply, and Blake snorts while Cormac shakes his head. “I mean…it’s not like I’m living a normal life or work for normal people…or live with normal people for that matter.” I point my finger aggressively at where Gabe was standing moments ago.

Blake smacks his gums. “You hungry, Rae?”

“No, I’m confused,” I snap at him, and he grins rather than flinches, so I cool my jets to compose myself. “Thank you for saving my life. I hadn’t-”

“Forget it,” he waves his hand dismissively. “I happened to be nearby, so I arrived just in time.”

“Good,” I sigh with relief until my instincts stir. “Why would Smiler suddenly hate us?”

“It wasn’t…Smiler as you call him,” Cormac chimes in.

“How can you be so sure?” I had doubts when Z and I arrived, but I’m curious to hear what Cormac has to say, who, as far as I’m aware, has nothing to do with Smiler and his lackeys.

The boys exchange glances again, and I believe I’m missing out on something – a secret, a conspiracy, or a joke. This secret creates a strong bond between the three men yet leaves me cold as the one excluded. I’m the outsider who desperately wants to be included, perhaps to my detriment.

Cormac licks his lips, “Because Smiler just walked out of here.”

His words float in the air for a few beats before landing with a thud on my conscience. “I’m sorry?”

Cormac nods him toward the door. “The boss. The big guy. Smiler just left the building.”

Suddenly, I’m in a daze and can’t quite grasp what they say, “Gabe?”

Blake nods and holds up his finger. “Sort of. I’m the one who leaves the signature.”

“The smiley face in the blood?” I need it clarified because the walls are spinning, and my throat is quickly going from raspy to sore, and my head feels faint.

“Yeah, just for laughs,” Blake says casually. “That’s why we have such heavy security in this house and why we’re so careful in not letting anyone know who is behind the deaths. Including you.”

“Okay, wow…I never saw that coming,” I’m conflicted. Smiler and his lackeys are in this room and are not nice to the men they killed. Okay, that’s stupid to think. Luckily, I didn’t say it aloud, but I’m a little shocked.

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