Page 37 of Rise of the King (Checkmate 5)

“Just work, like always.” Her eyes meet mine. “I told you I couldn’t afford time off.”

I take another bite and roll my eyes. “They’ll survive without you, Soph. I only want an hour. What do you feel like eating?”

“Chinese.” Shaking off her frown, she hits dial and brings her cell to her ear.

“You’re not gonna ask me?” Teasing, I lift a brow. “I might be allergic to Chinese.”

“You’re allergic to a whole culture? You’re dumb.” She turns away with an adorable huff. “Hi, can I get an order for delivery? Yeah, the usual, but double it.”

“Triple!”

She shakes her head and walks to the long couch. “Maybe add a dozen spring rolls.” She turns to me. “Want dipping sauce?”

“Duh. Don’t be obtuse.”

“Obtuse?” Her brows almost touch when she frowns. “You’re obtuse.”

She talks to the food place for a couple minutes, drops down onto the couch with a huff, and when she hangs up, she spends a minute scrolling her phone. I don’t move a single inch, because the second I leave her bed, I get the feeling I’m going to be given my marching orders. So I make myself comfortable, watch her work for a bit, and when the doorbell rings twenty minutes later, I stay put while she shrugs into a dressing gown that shows more than I’d like for the delivery boy to see.

Touché.

I should’ve gotten my ass out of her bed and answered the door myself.

If we were downstairs, I would’ve already pulled my clothes on and jumped into my electric blanket. But up here, Soph has her thermostat set at a toasty seventy-five, so I pull nothing on except my boxer shorts.

“Are you going to work some more tonight?” Having divvied up the containers, I sit on Soph’s bed with my back against the wall and a plastic tub of steaming hot food in my hands. Sliding a forkful of Mongolian beef into my mouth, I hiss when it burns my tongue. “Anything I can help with?”

“No…” She sighs. “And no. Tonight, I’m watchingProject Runwayand pretending the rest of the world doesn’t suck. I have a tub of ice cream in the freezer, and a bag of M&M’s to drop on top. Those are my plans, and if anyone wants to fight me, I’ll take them out. Tomorrow…” She blows out a gusty breath. “I’ll deal with the rest tomorrow.”

Sitting back and studying her bare shoulder when the gown slips, I bring her feet into my lap and press my thumb into her calf. “Can I stay with you for a while? My apartment is cold as fuck, and you’ve got all the food and pussy up here anyway.”

Snorting, she inhales fried rice and chokes. Coughing and laughing, she smacks her own chest and spits her mouthful back into the bowl. “I swear,” she chokes again. “I have no clue how you getanyoneto be your friend. How you bed women is beyond me. Are you here because you wanna hang with me, or because of the free heat and food?”

“Both?” Shrugging, I lean forward and offer her a slice of beef. “I wanna hang out. I wanna not swallow my ball sack up through my asshole because it’s so cold in my apartment. I want to eat, and since you ordered in, I don’t have to drag my ass to Ginnie’s in the cold. Basically, I wanna hang with you, but it’s a super awesome coincidence you have the food, heat, and punani.”

She shakes her head and studies her food. “I hate how crude you are.”

“No you don’t, babe. You think it’s charming.”

* * *

Not only do I mooch heat and food untilProject Runwayends, but I stay until my phone dings and the world outside Sophia’s apartment is pitch black. We’re both still naked; we’re both warm and fed, but now my cell brings me back to the real world and reminds me why I shouldn’t have followed Sophia into Ginnie’s diner that time.

Gently pushing Soph’s head off my chest and smiling at the sweat that beads between our bodies, I trip out of the sheets and walk my naked ass to where my jeans lie on her floor. Tugging my lit phone out, I sigh at the screen.

It’s Ace.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

From: AcesAndEights

Subject: Get up. Time to go.

41.9584° N.70.6673° W.

Be there by sunrise. A new text went out, a new shipment of girls is being handed over at five. No need for interrogation, they won’t help us. This is an extermination mission.

It’s my duty to tell you that you don’t have to do it. If caught, you’ll be tried and convicted as a civilian.

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