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I hesitated, very much wanting to have friendly faces in the viper’s den but also not wanting to impose on Nico and Violet’s kindness. Nico didn’t bother spending time with Coleman and his crew for good reason.
“She does, but she’s too polite to say so,” Kit replied, staring at me.
“Alright, we’ll be there. If Coleman pisses me off, I’m going to punch him in the mouth.”With that reassuring proclamation, Nico hung up.
“He’s kidding,” Kit said quickly, catching my wide-eyed look. “Well, he’s mostly kidding. Or I think he is, at least. Nico has become a little more brash in the two years I’ve been away, and Coleman has become a little more obnoxious, so I guess we’ll see.”
“Comforting,” I muttered, turning back to the bench to dry a pot. “It feels like this weekend is going to be a disaster.”
“It’ll be fine. You never know, we might even have fun.”
He’d definitely been body snatched. There was no other explanation.
Chapter 14
EvenwithKit’shastydeclaration to Coleman about my heat, I’d still half-expected there to be a single omega waiting at the house when the four of us showed up—the last to arrive at Sal and Beckett’s Brighton mansion. Okay, maybe mansion was an exaggeration, but compared to the surrounding houses, the ten-bedroom white-washed historic home was an imposing building.
Fortunately, as we all converged on the front hall to make our greetings, it appeared that only the six of them were there—Coleman and Jocelyn, Beckett and Sal, Rajeev and Lennox.
“I can’t believe you actually showed up,” Coleman said in that incredibly loud voice of his, clapping an already irate-looking Nico on the shoulder. “I was beginning to think you’d forgotten all about us.”
“Have you met you? You’re not an easy guy to forget,” Nico deadpanned.
They all laughed, though I was pretty sure Nico hadn’t been joking.
“Well, come in, come in,” Sal said. “I’ll show you up to your rooms, and then we’ll figure out dinner. We did a big shop, but none of us are particularly good in the kitchen. Wecouldalways get a takeaway, of course…”
Ugh. Everyone knew Violet was an amazing cook. There wasn’t even an ounce of subtlety there.
“Well, I’d be happy to make dinner,” Violet volunteered. Nico sighed heavily, carrying both of their bags and following Sal up the stairs.
“I’ll help,” I added, giving Violet a smile that verged slightly on pleading.Don’t leave me alone with these people.
Not that anyone had acknowledged me so far. I couldn’t decide whether it was a blessing or a curse.
Kit grabbed my bag, giving me a small half-smile that boosted my confidence somehow, and I fell into step beside him as climbed up the stairs. Our room was right at the end of the hall, next to Nico and Violet’s.
It was small but pretty—all painted white with the cornices and a small golden chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
And it contained two single beds, separated by an antique wooden vanity that looked heavier than me.
“Well, this is you,” Sal said hurriedly, already walking away. “I’ll meet you downstairs in a bit.”
I listened to his footsteps retreat down the hallway, wondering if that vein in Kit’s forehead was about to explode.
The second he looked at me, outrage written all over his face, I bent double, shaking with silent laughter.
“Stop it,” Kit grumbled, chucking the bags down on one of the beds with a look of utter disdain. “This is a piss-take. I bet no one else has single beds.”
“They probably ran out of double bedrooms,” I managed to reply, still trying to get my giggles under control. “And since we’re unmated, I guess we’re the logical choice for the single beds.”
“I’m pushing them together.”
“The dresser looks as though it weighs a ton. Besides, you can’t move around other people’s furniture.” I shook my head, checking my reflection in the mirror on the vanity and swiping away the tears of amusement with the heel of my hand so as not to disturb my mascara.
“Is that so, Ms Lawyer?” Kit asked, finally losing some of his agitation.
“I mean, it’s been a while since I did my Laws of Being A Guest In Someone’s Home paper at university, but yes, I’m pretty sure that was covered.”
