Page 15 of Twisted Devotion

“Sure,” I answer with a nod, approaching the island in the middle of the kitchen and sliding onto one of the stools. “Everything okay?”

“All good. Just one of the few unhappy customers.”

I frown. “Someone died?”

“Yes, Kelsey. More than onesomeoneshave died. Nothing is guaranteed with this shit. Everyone knows that going into the process. And yet, I still have to deal with these phone calls.”

“Because you care about people,” I offer, not really sure if it’s the truth.

You sure as shit didn’t care about us during the fight.

He pauses. “You think so?”

I shrug, tapping my fingers against the marble counter. “Well, you didn’t seem to enjoy that phone call, so yeah, I’d guess so.”

“Interesting,” he muses.

“How goes dinner?” I ask, ready to shift the conversation away from this territory.

“Good so far.”

I try to glance over his shoulder at the stovetop, but I can’t quite see it from where I’m sitting. “What are you making?”

“Roast beef with potatoes and carrots. You eat meat, right?”

“Yeah. Well, not like bear or moose or anything like that.”

He laughs. “Not to worry. You won’t find either inside this house. Outside, on the other hand, I make no promises.” He turns to a pot that’s steaming with boiling water and drops the carrots in. “Are you adjusting okay? Is there anything you need? Gloria let you know that we can get you anything you want, right?”

“Yeah, I’m good, and she did. Thank you.” The adjustment has been easier than I thought it would be, which is a relief. It will allow me to focus on doing my job diligently. Here’s hoping it’ll pass the time quicker, too.

He nods. “I’m glad to hear it. So, for the rest of this week, I’ll be at the facility working in the office, going over contracts and such.”

“That’s fine,” I tell him.

He smiles without looking up from the potatoes he’s cutting. “I’d like to know more about you.”

My knee-jerk response ishell no, but I bite my tongue. Perhaps it’s only fair for him to know a few things about me considering he’s being forced to trust me with his safety—even though I’d rather keep my personal life to myself. “Uh, okay. What do you want to know?”

“Any siblings?”

My stomach drops. Of course, that had to be his first question. “Not anymore. You?”

He pauses, glancing up at me, but my tight expression must deter him from prying further. “Nope. Boyfriend?” After I shake my head, he says, “Me neither.”

An uneven laugh filters through my lips. “Cute.”

“What about that dude you were with when we met? Sam, was it?”

My throat goes dry. Every time I think about Seth, I want to curl into a ball. I miss him like crazy. “His name is Seth, and no, he’s not and was not my boyfriend. He was my best friend.” I steal one of the carrots Jackson left on the cutting board and bite the end off with a loudcrunch.

“Was? He isn’t around anymore, then?”

I shake my head.I really don’t want to talk about this.“He’s going through some things.”

“Ah, I see. And you?”

“What about me, Jackson?” While I’m glad to move the conversation away from talking about Seth, I’m not sure what he means. I’m not about to get all deep and emotional with Jackson Hawthorne in the middle of his kitchen.

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