Page 30 of Twilight of Embers
One corner of Knox’s mouth kicked up. “Good thing.”
We stared at each other for another long moment.
“I won’t hurt him,” I whispered. “I promise.”
A mixture of pain and relief swirled in Knox’s eyes. “You’re kind of a miracle, Hayden Parrish.”
He leaned forward and pressed his lips to my forehead.
Sensation ripped through me at this simple touch. A cascade of sparks, as if a firework had been set off next to us.
I pulled back, and Knox’s eyes swirled gold.
What the hell was that?
16
HAYDEN
I tried to shake off the feeling of Knox’s lips on my forehead, the flash of gold eyes in my mind. But the sensations of his touch still coursed through me. A faint buzz radiated through my muscles.
I did my best to ignore it as I placed another order for a new group of students that had come in.
“How are you doing so far?” Fiona asked as she added a second order next to mine on the wheel.
I forced a smile. “Good. You were right about the three o’clock hour. It’s packed.”
She nodded absently. “Busy’s better. Makes the shifts go faster.”
I knew she was right about that. The hours that dragged on were when there was hardly anyone to serve.
“How do you know Knox, Easton, and Cáel?” Fiona asked, her voice barely a whisper.
My brows pulled together. “Um, school?”
I said it like a question but hurried to explain. “I met Knox and Easton at school. I just, uh, met Cáel.”
Fiona’s eyes went wide, and her skin paled several shades. “You’d never met him before?”
I shook my head. “I guess Knox just told him about me.”
Fiona gripped my arm and squeezed. “Just be careful. They’re mixed up in things a girl like you doesn’t want any part of.”
I frowned as she grabbed two plates of food and headed for a table. What the hell did that mean?
I stole a quick glance at the table of guys. Cáel was staring in my direction. Knox elbowed him hard in the side, and he grunted.
“Order up,” Ian, the cook, called as he shoved three massive plates of food across the pass-through window. “It’s for the boys.” He inclined his head toward the table I’d been looking at.
I bit my lip as I loaded my tray, trying to put the pieces together. My stomach flipped as I thought about Easton’s fancy car. Maybe they were dealing drugs or something.
Balancing the heavy tray on my palm, I made my way toward their table. I carefully lowered it to call out their orders without making eye contact. “Two cheeseburgers, fries, and onion rings?”
“Me,” Easton grunted.
I slid the plate in front of him.
“Steak, mashed potatoes, and a side of lasagna?”
