Page 204 of Malice and Surrender
“No, why?”
“No reason. This isn’t a ‘Hey, come over for a beer, but I’m going to threaten you again, type night,’ is it?” I leaned against the door jam, not letting him in.
“No, it is a genuine offer,” Kai said, but I was still wary.
“So you have no one else you’d prefer to hang out with? Don’t you have an entire motorcycle club of friends?”
Kai sighed. “Okay look, I don’t have a television, I didn’t want to watch the awards in the clubhouse, and the guys at the club are a little busy at the moment.”
“Ah! So I’m the last spot you’d come, but you’re desperate. Check. Is whatever the club is busy with the reason you’re covered with blood? You know you’re covered in blood, right,” I asked.
Kai looked down and then shrugged. “I didn’t do it.” His brow furrowed. “I know you don’t believe that, but for once, it’s actually true. Probably, why I got the huge discount at the pizza joint, though…huh, oh well.”
I stepped out of the way to let him in. “You’re not sitting on my brand-new couch like that. Give me the pizza and beer, and you can go shower.”
“You’re serious?”
“Does this expression look like I’m joking?” I said, sarcasm dripping off every word.
“Wow, when did you become the Jace in the room?”
Sighing, I took the pizza and beer from his hands. “Even the nice guy is allowed to have a bad day. There are flannel pants and T-shirts in the dresser closest to the bathroom. Hunt in the closet for a sweatshirt. I don’t really care what you wear,” I said, biting my lip and forcing myself to walk normally as I turned around and headed deeper into the kitchen.
“Fine, I’ll be back.”
“Boots off first. Don’t think I didn’t notice you stomped up my stairs with your boots the other night—no more of that in my home. I don’t care how many nights you stay, but I like my stuff clean, and I refuse to clean up after adults,” I said, impressed and shocked that I was being so firm. It was the pain making me ornery.
“Fair,” Kai said. I was surprised he wasn’t arguing and looked over as he undid his boots. I hit bake on the oven and pulled out a pan to heat the pizza. “I’ll be five.”
“Kai?”
He stopped just as he walked out into the hall. “Yeah?”
“Thanks for the pizza.”
“Who said any of it was for you,” he smirked, and I shook my head as Kai disappeared.
Wonders never cease. Kai and I were hanging out and about to eat pizza like civilized adults. The world really has gone mad. I got plates ready and poured the beer into tall steins, then grabbed some other snack food from the cupboard as the pizza was heating. By the time Kai jogged down the stairs wearing my clothes, I had almost everything in the living room. I looked at him in my plaid flannel pants and couldn’t figure out where I made the crazy turn in my night, but I felt like taking a picture because Jace and Raine would never believe me.
“Thanks, I feel much better,” Kai said, taking the plate I held out and then piling it with six slices of pizza.
“Do I want to know what you did with your dirty clothes?”
“You mean they’re not to be washed in the sink and laid out on the bed to dry?”
Kai smirked as I glared at him, but he just chuckled and walked away. It took everything in me not to go check that wasn’t exactly what he did. Grumbling, I grabbed my plate.
Taking a deep breath, I walked out to the couch. Kai was staring at me with his brows drawn together in confusion. “Why are you pretending you’re not limping?”
I blew the air out of my lungs and groaned. “That noticeable?”
“Is water wet?”
“Whatever. I don’t want to talk about it. Besides, you’ve been fucking odd too.” I sat my plate on my lap and turned my head to look at Kai.
“No, I haven’t,” he argued.
“I mean, broody asshole is your go-to, but nah, I’m not buying it. You’re hiding something.” Kai didn’t bother to answer and stuffed half a slice of pizza in his mouth. “Doesn’t look like we have anything to talk about then.”
