Page 20 of Chef
“Well, I ain’t letting you go out there like that. You wanna go? You’re with me,” TumTum says, arms crossed over his chest.
“Huh?”
“You heard me. Backpack.”
“No.” I jab a finger in his direction. “Hell no.” I’d rather tear my stitches riding my own bike before I’d get on the back of TumTum’s.
“Well, then you don’t need wind therapy as bad as you think you do. Besides, you got work brother.” TumTum grins, throwing SUV keys at me.
“You sure the fuck do,” Flack adds, squeezing my shoulder on his way past. “I know what you’re feeling, kid, but riding in your state, spitting mad and cut up, aint gonna help anyone or anything.” My chin drops to my chest, and I know he’s right. “Chop chop, kid. Jason can’t run the whole garage by himself all day.”
“Yeah, gimme five and I’ll be on my way.”
I watch him leave, and it doesn't take long before my gaze drifts to Sage through the service hatch. She’s in deep conversation with Damian and Justice and as much as I want to know what they’re talking about, I’m not in the right frame of mind. I just need to grab my shit, get to work and go about my day. Yep, that’s what I’ll do. What I won’t do is mess with Sage or grab my go bag and go hunting for Nathaniel Mercy and Ashfall.
“Brother, you gonna be good?” TumTum asks, his blonde brow furrowed.
“Yeah, brother, I’ll be good. Just need to get outta here.”
I turn to leave, deciding to go out the back door rather than the front.
“Hey, Chef?” I look over my shoulder at TumTum. “Come by the BBQ Shack at lunch. I’ll have your favourite waiting for ya.” He gives me a smile and I can’t help my lips twitching in return.
“TumTum?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks man.”
“Anytime brother.” His words follow me as I walk out the door, wandering the back path until it meets up with the main pathway to all the houses here.
I would prefer to have escaped straight to work, but I’m a dumbass that was so caught up in Sage this morning that I forgot half my shit.
“Thought I’d find you out here,” a soft voice says behind me.
“Yeah, I forgot some shit for work.” I shrug, avoiding Sage’s gaze. Not because I don’t want to look at her, but because I don’t want her to see how riled up I am.
“It’s fucked up.”
“What’s fucked up?”
“Nathaniel. Ashfall. Everything.” She lets out a cute huff.
“When you put it that way,” I say, darting a glance at her then back to the path.
“Hey,” she reaches out, laying a hand on my arm, slowing me down. “We’ll get them back. Bring them home to their families.”
My lips tip up as she chats away, telling me everything will be OK, smoothing over my rough edges. Calming me down in a way no one has ever managed. All while being spitting mad herself.
“Have a good day, Chef,” she says sweetly, walking through the door of our little house, leaving me on the doorstep, gazing after her.
Flack’s throaty motorcycle pipes rip through the silence and I know I gotta get my ass into gear. Shaking off my heavy thoughts I head into the kitchen, grabbing my bag and coffee cup, hesitating in the doorway, Sage looking at me expectantly.
“Thanks, Sage.”
Her face screws up. “What for?”
“For being you, babe.” I get outta there before I go too far, before I say some shit that will ruin the peace that Sage and I seem to have come to. All those words can wait until later, until I’ve earned her back.
