Page 41 of After 5

Amazing.

“Daphne likes to show off by bringing me her roadkill,” Darryl said then lowered his voice. “You might want to keep an eye on the kitty.”

Gertie met us at the front door with the casserole. “I can carry this next door for you.”

“Nope, you ladies have been kind enough. I’ve got it.”

I opened the door for him, and he left, plant in one hand and Tuna Scroodle in the other.

“I think Darryl’s got more than a few pets next door.”

“At least he’s family,” Gertie said.

“Yep, there’s that.”

Chapter 7

The next morning, I walked into the chiropractic office with a box of donuts under one arm. I admitted to myself I was eating my feelings, but the sugar and saturated fat made me feel better, temporarily, and that’s all I needed to get through the day.

“Hey,” Eli said as I sat down in the chair across from his desk and chose a donut from the box. He stopped notating a chart, and his blue eyes glanced at my face, and then focused on the chocolate glazed donut I held in my hand.

“What gives?” He clicked his pen closed and leaned back in his chair.

“What do you mean?” I asked, but I knew. My hair was in a messy top bun, and I had dark circles under my eyes. I hadn’t bothered with makeup this morning because by the time my insomnia relented at three a.m. I slept through my alarm. Leaving early to pick up donuts and get to work on time was more important than a Kardashian presentation.

“You look like crap. That donut you’re eating is going to clog your arteries and make your ass big.”

Just like a brother to tell it like it is.

“Thanks,” I said. The sarcasm dripped like the chocolate off my donut. I licked my hand where the wayward icing landed. “It’s nothing.”

He clicked his pen a few times and cocked an eyebrow at me.

“I’m struggling with an upcoming event.” I shrugged.

“And?”

“And remember when I told you Caiyan and I took a break because he had to go deep undercover?”

“Yeah.”Click, click, click.

“Caiyan’s fallen into the abyss. The Mafusos have asked—” I stuttered and tried again. “Gian-Carlo wants—” I huffed. “Caiyan is getting married to—” My shoulders slumped, and I took a big bite of courage. With my mouth full, I forced the name from my lips, “Mahlia.”

Eli let out a long slow whistle. My brother had dated Mahlia. She was searching for a key and thought Eli would be a good avenue into my navigation system of family secrets. He thought he loved her, but in the end, he decided she was a little high maintenance.

I swallowed the glob of stress-coping, gluten-filled pastry. “I thought we were on a sort of hiatus, but he has a self-imposed mission. It involves him gaining the trust of the Mafusos.”

“So, to prove he’s legit, he has to marry Mahlia,” Eli finished.

I wondered if he might be a tad jealous. “You don’t still have feelings for her, do you?”

“No. She’s a nutcase. The great sex blinded me for a moment, but there’s not much else to fall in love with.”Click, click, click.

I released the deep breath I was holding, while my inner voice smashed his pen with her stiletto.

“Is this some kind of ploy, or is he going through with it?” Eli asked.

“That’s just it. He hasn’t confided in anyone. Not even Brodie. We confirmed he’s switched sides. The travel lab can’t find him because he doesn’t wear a key. He’s become a brigand.” My eyes filled at the last words despite my attempt to hold back the tears. I opened the box and pulled out another chocolate glazed donut.

---