Page 48 of Dark Rover's Luck

"Not nearly as bad as what the Avengers are doing. I'm very happy to be on the Savior teams."

Din frowned. "I'm not familiar with either designation. What's the difference?"

"The Saviors continue to do what we've been doing for a while, which is busting trafficking cells, rescuing the victims, and bringing them to the sanctuary for rehabilitation. The new Avengers division is in charge of busting pedophile rings. Imagine what they have to face."

Din shivered. "I prefer to be blissfully ignorant. Which one does Max serve on?"

"The Saviors, but right now he is in charge of the keep's dungeon and the collection of scumbags Kian keeps there. Don't ask me what's happening there because I don't know. I haven't been stationed in the dungeon for a while."

"I heard that the Doomer who tortured Kyra and Fenella is there, being interrogated."

Thomas nodded. "It's supposed to be confidential, but since you already know, there is no harm in my confirming that."

"Why is he still alive?" Din asked. "I'm sure they've had enough time to get every last bit of information out of him by now."

Thomas shrugged. "Don't ask me. As I said, I'm not part of that operation." Thomas closed the refrigerator door and turned to face Din with a mischievous glint in his eye, which didn't fit the conversation they'd just had. "So, how did it go with Fenella yesterday at Callie's?"

"Better than I expected. As I mentioned before, we're meeting again later today."

"A second date. That's promising."

"It's not exactly a date," Din clarified. "She's meeting with Atzil about a job at the Hobbit Bar, and I offered to go with her."

"Ah," Thomas nodded. "It's still a date or could turn into one."

Din leaned against the kitchen counter, crossing his arms. "I'm in no rush. I waited fifty years for her, I can wait as long as it takes."

Thomas gave him an approving nod. "Well, since I'll be out tonight, you'll have the place to yourself, and if you want, you could invite your lady for dinner."

Din shook his head, though he appreciated the thought. "We're not at that stage yet. Probably won't be for quite some time."

"Fair enough, but there aren't many options for eating out in the village." Thomas gave him a calculating look, walked over to the freezer, and opened it with a flourish. "Unless you want to dine with Fenella at the café with vending machine fare after hours, you might want to consider cooking her a meal here."

He gestured toward the freezer's contents—an impressive array of neatly stacked steaks, ribs, and other cuts of meat. "Mi casa es su casa, as they say. You can impress your lady with a home-cooked dinner."

Din peered into the freezer, considering Thomas's generous offer. He could grill a decent steak, and there was something appealing about the intimacy of a home-cooked meal.

"That's actually not a bad idea," he admitted. "I just hope she won't assume that I'm inviting her here to seduce her."

"Perhaps she'll hope you are." Thomas winked. "I do know a thing or two about wooing women." He pulled out a package of thick ribeye steaks. "These will do nicely. Pair them with some roasted potatoes, a salad, maybe a good bottle of red..." He placed the steaks on the counter. "No pressure, no audience, just good food and conversation."

Din could almost picture it—Fenella sitting across from him at the dining table, the soft glow of candles between them, the comfort of privacy that a public setting couldn't provide. Not for any hidden agenda, but simply for the chance to talk without constantly looking over their shoulders.

Then again, candles could send the wrong message, so maybe a simple meal at the kitchen counter would be better.

He nodded. "It would be nice to spend time with Fenella, get to know her better. For the first time, actually."

"That's as good a starting point as any." Thomas pointed to the steaks. "Consider it my contribution to the cause of romance. I don't have a large selection of wines in the bar, but there should be a couple of bottles to choose from, and as a former bartender, Fenella might appreciate fine whiskey. I have a few interesting brands."

"I owe you," Din said. "I'll get you a good bottle of whiskey and refill your freezer."

Thomas waved away his thanks. "Just doing my part in bringing fated mates together. The Clan Mother would approve."

"Fated mates?" Din laughed, setting the steaks to thaw on the counter. "I wouldn't go that far. I think you're getting a bit ahead of yourself."

It wasn't that the thought hadn't occurred to him, but it was too early for that. He was too excited about the opportunity the Fates had given him to think clearly, but more importantly, Fenella wasn't ready to hear that.

"Perhaps," Thomas conceded, then glanced at his watch. "I should get some rest and relaxation before tonight's mission. I'll be out of your hair by the time you get back from Atzil's with Fenella."

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