Page 97 of Chaos Kills

Nessa turns on her heel and shoves the door to the coffee shop wide open while making her exit, making it protest with a squeak as it begins to close itself.

Levi warned me before I left this was going to be a shitshow. I just had hoped she would’ve had some more time to chill out about it, so I decided to risk it.

Returning to my booth to clean up, I bathe in my disappointment that Nessa won’t permit this shit to go when I’m smacked in the back of the head with a familiar voice that creeps up my spine and has dealt me my fair share of clapbacks over the last several weeks.

“You alright, Little Terror?”

Oh, hell no.

Slowly, I turn and find Cairo standing about two feet behind me in this tight-as-sin black sweater that hugs every muscle, dip, and crevice of his muscles. The stubble on his chin and cheeks is impeccably neat and trimmed as his dark brown eyes inspect me silently.

“Damn,” I mutter, the first thought coming to mind being, “You really are a coffee snob.”

He quickly rolls his eyes and gives a small shake of his head. “You good?”

“Fine.”

His thumb hitches over his shoulder. “Isn’t that your girl?”

I lift my shoulders noncommittally. “Not anymore, apparently.”

Cairo bows his head but doesn’t push anymore. Instead, he surprises me when he says, “I’m sorry about your dad. I sent flowers.”

Huh?

I gape at him for a second because I wasn’t expecting that. To be honest, I never checked to see who the floral arrangements were from. I do have the cards I made Mae gather up for me, which means I’m late on the thank you cards.

“Then you can expect a gratitude postcard in the mail, I guess.”

“You can keep the stamp. A verbal will do.”

Okay…

Shifting my weight, I’m not a fan of how Cairo is looking at me. He has this haughty countenance about him that doesn’t come off like he’s better than anyone else but that his time is spent on more important matters. “Thanks. That was…nice of you to do.”

“You’re welcome.”

Alright then.

I turn to grab my coffee and toss Nessa’s, when he stops me with his next comment. “Do you mind if I introduce you to someone?”

I glimpse over my shoulder and hit him with a look of indifference even though I don’t feel that way. “Why would I want to meet anyone that you know?”

“Because it might do you some good.”

The tsk that leaves my lips isn’t voluntary, but it still makes its way to Cairo’s ears. “Doubtful.”

He shrugs. “Then consider it an option.”

“To say no?”

“You can do whatever you want,” Cairo replies matter-of-factly. “However, you are at my coffee shop. So, the least you could do is allow me to introduce you to my father.”

I know my damn eyes widen and give away my shock for the briefest of seconds because the asshole in front of me smirks like he won something. “You want me to meet yourfather?”

“Why not?”

“Because that sounds like you’re trying to rope me into some shit.”

---