Page 72 of Penance
Annoyance #2 (CR):I’m too pretty to go to jail, so thanks for not inviting me. Also, maybe aliens took over his body. That would explain it.
Theo:HA. HA.
Silas:Maybe we should get milkshakes to discuss this.
Annoyance #1 (HM):Silas, didn’t the doctor tell you to lay off the milkshakes?
Silas removed himself from the group.
An hour after I text the group chat, which I regretted as soon as the message was sent, Hayes, Campbell, and Silas come marching into the fire station with milkshakes in hand. My guys eye them just like they did at the last fire, and I shake my head when Zane and Campbell stare each other down.
“Would you get in my office before you start a riot,” I hiss.
“Here,” Hayes says, shoving a milkshake in my hand as he passes. “We got something for you?”
I eye it suspiciously as I close my office door behind us. “Is it poisoned?”
Hayes shrugs. “You’ll have to try it and find out.”
I sit it on my desk, slowly pushing it away from me, and Hayes throws his head back and laughs.
The three men spread out around my office, making themselves at home, and I only have myself to blame.
I never should have sent that text.
“So,” Hayes says, settling into the chair across from mine. “What did Eric do this time?”
“He accused me of not doing my job,” I say, seething at the memory alone.
Campbell and Hayes look at one another. Silas just slurps on his milkshake.
“Sooo?” Campbell says, as if that’s not enough reason to want to murder the man. Sitting on the edge of my desk, he turns to prop his feet up. He’s practically sprawled on top of it. I smack his feet, and they hit the ground with a thud.
“What do you mean, so? He came in here, talking a big game about how I’m playing favoritism with Lil—” I stop, trailing off on Lily’s name.
Hayes smirks. “I think we found the problem.”
“You mean the solution,” Silas says, willingly leaving his milkshake long enough to bounce his brows suggestively. Campbell snorts and raises his hand to cover his mouth, but he only manages to knock half the stuff off my desk. It clatters to the floor, and my eye twitches.
“Okay, time for you to go,” I say, standing and ushering them out.
“Ah,” Campbell cries. “We were just getting to the good stuff.”
“There is no good stuff. No, get out.”
Campbell follows Silas out, and I don’t miss that the older man now has two milkshakes in his hand. He swiped the one that was supposed to be mine. Hayes lingers, though, letting them get ahead of him.
“Listen,” he says, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck. “Lily’s a great woman. So treat her right, okay?’
I cock a brow. “Are you saying I won’t?”
He drops his hand and glares, but I can see the humor behind it. “I’m saying you better.”
Chapter 25
Lily
Since losing my mind and kissing Theo, I’ve been avoiding public places for fear that I might run into him, which puts a wrench in the whole fake dating thing, but I digress. I’ve managed to keep to myself for a couple of days, but now I’m in dire need of groceries. I had to give up my public hiatus unless I wanted to starve.
