“Do you know how to play this one?” I ask, pulling out a thick orange and green box.
She cocks her head to read the title. “Catan. Hmm. Sounds familiar, but I’ve never played it before.”
I smile. It’s a strategy game that’s oddly addictive. Kade and some of the guys over in the Order showed me how to play this one a while back. They get really into it. One time a fistfight almost broke out over a trade deal gone bad.
“Looks like we have nothing but time right now, so how about I teach you?”
She stands, a glint of challenge in her eyes. “All right, show me what you’ve got.”
“Careful,” I warn with a grin. “This game ruins friendships.”
She grins back. “I’m willing to take my chances.”
I take the time to clean up before we start the board game. A cold shower is exactly what I need to clear my head. By the time I sit down across the table from Haven, the tension between us has vanished.
Haven is quick to pick up the game’s rules, but I still beat her fairly easily, which clearly annoys her. She demands a rematch, and I beat her again, although this time with difficulty.
We break for lunch and then I do a perimeter check. I return to find Haven curled up asleep on the couch in front of the dying fire. I drape a blanket over her without waking her then add logs to stoke the flames.
As Haven sleeps, I busy myself with checking my weapons, making sure they are loaded and sharpened, and familiarize myself with the safe house. Besides my own stash, Talon has weapons stored and hidden all over the cabin. Upstairs, there’s a hidden surveillance room with screens showing video footage of the exterior of the cabin, as well as areas in the surrounding woods. There’s even a storage room in the cellar, stocked with rations and water in case anyone needs to take shelter for an extended time. Including the high-tech locks and bulletproof glass, Talon and Locklyn have built themselves a little fortress here. And I’m glad for it.
Haven wakes just as the sun begins to set. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she wanders into the kitchen, where I’m preparing dinner, her hair mussed and gaze still hazy from sleep.
“I did not mean to take a nap,” she says groggily.
“You needed it.”
“That’s what you said before.”
I flick my gaze to her as she hefts herself onto the counter next to me. “Because it’s still true.”
She scoffs. “Tell me that later when I’m tossing and turning trying to get to sleep at one a.m.”
“You could run some laps around the house later to tire yourself out.”
She scrunches her nose. “Hard pass.” She glances at the cutting board as I slice raw chicken breast into strips. “What are you making?”
“Stir fry,” I answer, motioning toward the bowl of cut veggies I’ve already prepared. “It won’t take long to cook all this up, and the rice is almost done.”
Her eyes widen. “You know how to cook that? That’s like, real food.”
The disbelief written on her face makes me chuckle. “I do.”
Her brow rises. “I’m impressed.”
“I suppose this is a step up from boxed mac n’ cheese and ramen,” I tease.
“Hey! I’ll have you know those are both college staples.”
Glancing at her out of the corner of my eye, I raise a brow. “Don’t you still live with your parents?”
She shoves me playfully. “Sorry we can’t all be master chefs, Gordon Ramsay.”
“Who’s that?” I ask as I add the chicken to the skillet.
“Are you kidding me? Only one of the most famous chefs on the planet.”
“Ah, so he’s the Francis Detritic of the human world.”
